I've long come to the realization that I DON'T want any sports leagues re-starting this fall, and on the two other fora that I am active, I am the only one. I've made much the same arguments that this Slate piece makes, but since it's been written up all nice for me, I'll just link to it: https://slate.com/news-and-politics...-ethical-political-and-practical-mistake.html The author makes one point that I hadn't thought of as his conclusion: Picture an alternative: Every league shuts down its operations right now and participates in a “no masks, no sports” awareness campaign. Transmission rates are driven downward to the point that games can be played in front of live crowds, as is already happening elsewhere in the world. Sports come back in the “normal” way, and fans who aren’t distracted by the threat of fatal disease can enjoy and spend money on them like they did in the Before Times, but with the ratings and box-office benefits that only a once-in-a-lifetime national catharsis could create. Now wouldn’t that be the real “winning play”? To this, I would ad that I think the likelihood of forfeits is make these seasons silly. What if six players on the Lakers all have to be quarantined? The G League isn't playing, so there's no bodies to bring up. It's going to be worse for college sports since there are no minor leagues. What if the four players quarantining on the Clemson football team are the top four left tackles/guards and Trevor Lawrence is simply destroyed? The NBA and MLB are planning to play smack dab in the hottest of coronavirus hotspots. What could go wrong.
i haven't made up my mind yet, but regarding the spare player question, MLB is floating the idea of taxi squads training at minor league facilities, like the one near me... https://www.thetimes-tribune.com/co...cle_4b9bd613-fab0-598c-86dd-9149cf2c4903.html ..."there have been conversations with the Yankees about them coming here,” Adams told The Times-Tribune today. “There’s nothing finalized right now, and that’s kind of what we’re waiting on. Are they coming 100 percent? And what does that mean? We don’t have a lot of those questions outside of what you read in the news right now. I think the Yankees are, based on how things kind of evolved in these conversations at the top, are now reacting on their end internally and putting their plan together.” .... Earlier this month, Baseball America reported teams were being directed to house their taxi squads within a 100-mile radius of their home base. The Yankees have two affiliates within that range: short-season Class-A Staten Island (26 miles from the Bronx, but much longer with traffic) and Double-A Trenton (76 miles). By car, PNC Field to Yankee Stadium is about 130 miles, though the straight-line, point-A-to-point-B distance is closer to 100 miles on the nose.
I have said this in other threads, but "sports" starting isn't the problem as they all have different risk. Our society seems way to hung up on different images/ideas being "good/bad" without objectively looking at the activity and how it is being carried out. I don't have a problem with baseball as it is outdoors, and baseball players on the field don't spend time near each other unless they are being covered on base, or umpire/catcher scenario (which isn't good. Perhaps using electronic pitch analysis could fix that. I don't know the game well enough to know if that is valid.) I do have a BIG problem with the current idea of regular style benches/dugouts/sidelines (which we still see in soccer unfortunately). That needs to be addressed by each sport if they get my vote to re-open. There is no reason some attempt at distancing can't be established. If they are too stubborn to address that, then don't restart. I don't care that football players sidelines stretch 150 feet(?) due to the amount of players . Stretch them full field and them some if you have to. And that doesn't even address the nature of football formations/huddles, etc. So I will pass on football starting as there are just too many obstacles. I also am not liking what I am seeing regarding celebrations (soccer). Started off with decent compliance, then its gone back to embracing, etc which needs to be reigned in. Individual sports, I totally support. The UFC has done a good job with this and provided a blueprint that limits the risk as much as possible. And that is for a worst case scenario individual sport. I think the politics take re: the protests is a silly one. I don't want to get into that here as it is being discussed plenty on other threads, but since the author brings it up I will just say that players can still use their platform for good, and it won't be affected by actually, you know, doing their job (if deemed safe) like the rest of us. It's a non-factor. That topic shouldn't be a factor in the safety issue, which is what the focus on this should be.
I don't see any way for amateur football to be played safely. I think Pro sports could do with some sort of rolling camps where there was a four day quarantine after testing and then testing before group activities. Then maybe play five games and take a two week break. Each time a team breaks they have to repeat the four day iso w testing at beginning and end. Teams off times could be rotated as long as the quarantine testing procedures were followed prior to comps resuming. Naturally this would include all staff that has direct contact with the team even if that is a ballboy or a towel washer. I think it would be possible for the professionals considering how much money they make, but you might need to make some adjustments to the pay for the non-player staff who have to lockdown with the team, and maybe even the staff at whatever hotel they lease. I do not see how you can do that with amateur athletes though. I might change my mind if the current huge spikes in positives somehow manage not to overwhelm the hospitals, but that is not a likely scenario.We will know this time next week.
Not having read the Slate piece, there are two comments I have: 1 - I do not think sport should be restarted here in the US at all. We, as a society, look up to the athletes in the major sports, and we will see them play their game as they normally would do (with extra substitutions or other adjustments) and come out on the other side as healthy. That is because they are being massively isolated and protected in a bubble to prevent them from becoming infected, which would lead to those teams, and sports, having to shut down. Those are not resources that we have access to, yet it is what we don't see. What we do see is healthy athletes sweating, running, bumping into each other, and not getting infected. Therefore, to many people, they should be able to do the same, or attend the games where this is occurring. And at some point, the ignorant or foolish people (or both) will make unsafe demands which could lead to unsafe decision which will lead to an increase in infections (as we have seen elsewhere). 2 - New Zealand is an exception to how they are able to handle the pandemic and not a good model for anything in the US. Even with a highly competent administration leading the way, we are still far too large and open of a society for the New Zealand model to work effectively.
I read that a large number of players are deciding to use opt-out clauses in their contracts to avoid play for the rest of 2020. Sounds like, regardless of top-down management decisions, the bottom-up approach will lead to a lot of young, down-roster players getting "big breaks" as top-flight players choose not to get sick. As long as fans aren't allowed back inside stadia, this seems like it's a problem that will work out pretty well for a lot of people, with only minor risks to everyone. Maybe I'm wrong.
I don't think sports themselves will prove to be a major problem. Now, bars where people gather to watch the sports . . .
You're all invited to my backyard, where you'll have to sit six feet apart and try not to step in dog shit.
Speaking of that, the Gub-ner of Teguz is being sued by the "Mah Free-dumb's" crowd because he ordered bars shut down. Of course, this is the same guy who denied 9 mayors in his state the right to require masks in their cities a couple of weeks ago.
My son plays college football. Next week, he will be moving on campus (one player per room) and only meeting in small groups (team meetings will continue via Zoom). First 2-3 weeks are conditioning/workouts. Initially, all players were going to move on campus, but that has changes to only some of the players (about half of the team). He is a red-shirt senior. My preference would be for not play this year (both from a safety and selfish reasons - would like to see him play in person). In the end, he is 21 and gets to choose. As far as sports in general, I can't get too excited about them this year. Next year, we will see...
Dennis Dodd (cbssports.com) wrote a piece about college football's plans to handle any outbreaks of COVID 19, and it's obvious it will be very difficult to implement uniform standards across the country. There are 130 FBS colleges spread out in 41 states, and those states have different guidelines and standards for safe practices from one place to another. Players at Houston, LSU, and Kansas State are testing positive for coronavirus. In short, I think the season will be greatly altered if not cancelled outright. College basketball would seem to be in a more vulnerable position, being played in enclosed spaces whether fans are allowed in or not.
I am totally fine not having a sports season this year. I can't even sit down 30 min and watch a Premier league or a Bundesliga match. Totally meh to me.
Well, you CAN safely maintain social distancing with them. I remember when I was a kid, and there was a block party on my street. Jarts were all the rage, until one neighbor was struck in the head by one. Pointy, weighted, aerodynamic (and usually played by drunk suburbanites). "An exciting outdoor game of skill for the whole family" Somebody thought that was a very good recreational activity. Probably somebody who really hated his neighbors, or his family.
Should We Even be Playing Sports ? The consensus here seems to be "No." So I guess that means golf is still okay? That is, of course, a trick question as 1) golf is not a sport and 2) golf is never okay.
We had those as a kid. We convinced my little brother to play goalie. It's worth remembering that one or two kids died playing lawn darts, and the product was taken off the market. I think about that once a week, or every time someone shoots up a school, whichever comes first.
It did take about 18 years for them to be taken off of the market, after about 6,100 people were sent to the emergency room over an 8 year period. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/31176/how-one-dad-got-lawn-darts-banned+https://www.cpsc.gov/content/cpsc-votes-lawn-dart-ban Of course, there is also no Constitutional "right" to bear jarts! "A well regulated game, being necessary to the recreating of a free suburbia, the right of the people to keep and bear jarts, shall not be infringed." I suppose I would rather have some lunatic attack a school with lawn darts than shooting up a school.
Minor League Baseball has canceled the 2020 season altogether, and as many as 50% of the teams won't survive. Ancillary businesses affiliated/engaged with the teams will be at risk, too. And our social safety net sucks, so the collapse will leave hurting people in its wake.
Well...if you wore protection when out on a date you can do so when jousting with jarts! Ps....the axe is optional.
I still don't understand this. They're not supposed to be near the circle- they're supposed to be standing with the other people! Do they start deliberately flinging them at one another, or were these people just too clumsy to be playing outdoors at all? Golf is a sport, man. It may have been a rich man's stroll thru the tulips before, but it stepped up to sport level when Tiger Woods destroyed Pebble Beach in 2000. Go back and watch that tournament. And he has the injuries and surgeries to prove it. I don't think they need to be playing golf, either, FWIW