By Harry Kaseff/Sports Head
When all sports leagues were shut down in mid March because of the coronavirus no one knew what a return of sports would look like. Now we have slight glimpse into what sports will look like when they return at the end of the month. We know that the NBA will return in a “bubble” in Orlando, Florida, without fans. However, whether or not the MLB and NFL will return with fans is still to be determined. As the second wave of the coronavirus hits, the chances of fans watching sports live and in person in 2020 will decrease. It seems that as long as sports return in some way in 2020, fans will be okay with not attending most games in person.
The MLB has come to an agreement with the Players’ Union to restart Spring Training starting on July 1st. This means that players will begin reporting to camp again four months after they were supposed to. Many baseball fans are wondering if players will come back rusty, or if they will come back sharper because of the extra time to get in practice. The 60 game shortened season could start as soon as July 23rd, 2020. Instead of using a “bubble” system like the NBA is, the MLB is planning on playing games in home ballparks to show a sense of normalcy to fans. As players begin to report to their respective training camps, coronavirus numbers could go up within the MLB. This could lead to another shut down or a hiatus like the NBA has gone through.
As discussed earlier, the NBA will return on July 30th with no fans in attendance. All games will be played in the Disney World Sports Complex where players will also live and interact with one another. They have made a “bubble” for players, coaches, and essential personnel in the Orlando sports complex. There is lots of controversy regarding whether or not athletes should play at all because of the CoronaVirus and BLM Movement. This proposal was approved by a 29-1 vote in favor of it going through. This proposed restart to the NBA Season has the playoffs ending in October, not June.
The NFL has consistently been able to go about its off season virtually with not many bumps in the road at all. They held their draft, as scheduled, in April without any problems. They have released their regular season schedule right when they usually do, and went through free agency a little slower, but in the end it worked out. Team facilities have even begun to reopen for front office members and coaches. Players still have not reported for camp, and will not do so until the end of July when training camps open up hopefully. The NFL could take a hiatus midseason in order to stop an outbreak of the virus if numbers suddenly increase within the NFL. They are testing different types of masks for coaches and players inside of their puzzles.
Even as coronavirus cases began to increase again, there appears to be somewhat of a light at the end of the tunnel for sports fans. By this time in August, almost all major sports leagues will be back in action in some way. As long as this second wave of the coronavirus doesn't get out of control, we should be able to watch champions crowned in 2020 for the NBA and MLB, and 2021 for the NFL.
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