News: MLS Suspends season due to Coronavirus

With the increase in mail voting are exit polls out the window anyway, or have the networks, etc. found a way around his problem?

 

Up here in western MA, we have very few MAGA folk, but plenty of Bernie bros. It's the Bernie bros up here that are not wearing masks.

 

Darts.

 

For what it's worth, more people were wearing masks at the grocery on Tuesday when I went than a month ago. It went from majority wearing, to a minority, and now back to a majority.

 

A bunch of USL teams announced they will be allowing fans . . . next weekend.

What r u doin USL.

 

Guess they aren't worried about drawing large crowds? /cheapshot

 

Perhaps a mix of financial desperation and a request from other organizations to "test the waters"??

 

Part of their pre-election day polling is to ask people if they have voted yet, if they answer yes, they ask them who they voted for and include that in their exit polling.

 

https://www.sltrib.com/sports/rsl/2020/07/03/utah-royals-rsl-fans-may/

What is RSL ownership/management thinking? They are going to allow up to 5,300 fans at Rio Tinto for a Real Monarchs game next week, and they sent an email to RSL and Royals season ticket holders saying they might offer tickets for the NWSL semifinals and final. NWSL league officials seem to be not so sure about that.

Salt Lake City metro area has over 3 new cases per 1,000 people in the last two weeks, which is the highest population-adjusted number for any MLS market outside of Florida. (Orlando and Miami are both over 4.)

Meanwhile, in South Korea, the government postponed a plan that was planned to begin today to start allowing a limited number of fans into soccer and baseball. They're getting around 50 new cases per day in the entire country.

 

Last time they played at Rio Tinto the attendance was 2,514.

I assume this is some sort of experiment to see if they can maintain social distancing.

 

Given the lack of reports of people catching Covid outdoors, a mostly empty stadium seems to be a lesser risk than taking 26 teams, and making them all in the same building, in one of the hottest spots on the planet (in more ways than one!)

Hopefully they keep fans off the pitch ...

 

Let's be real for a second. Even if they do get several thousand fans for the Monarchs game, that should have zero impact on the sanitation or infection situations at the NWSL Semifinal and Final.

Currently the Real Monarchs have a game on the 18th. The semifinals are on the 22nd. They're definitely going to do a full sanitizing of the stadium, and increasingly, research is saying that very few cases of Covid-19 appear to come from surface transmissions - and I don't think the virus stays viable for four days in the open.

The real risk is that they decide to allow fans. That's what the NWSL needs to not do. What's going on with the Real Monarchs is, in my opinion, a huge mistake if they open the stadium to fans. But it doesn't really affect the NWSL Challenge Cup.

 

I'm not worried about that--I'm concerned about the safety for fans and the indication that at least one owner with a stake in all three leagues is pushing for stadium openings in these conditions. If Hansen is doing it, it's likely other owners agree.

 

Yes, I believe that USL as a whole will be allowing fans. I am assuming not all teams will do so though.

 

Costa Rica, who was one of the few Latin America countries to control the virus now had to reinstate rules in several regions due to a June spike. They did manage to finish their soccer season, despite a 3 day delay to the final. (Saprissa won the title)

 

I assumed the games were happening.

I was just speaking to whether there was a couple of thousand fans there as well.

Given how bad things are in that country, I have no idea why they entire country isn't still on a lock-down of any non-essential leaving of one's house, with checkpoints in place. But if the games are going ahead anyway ... I don't see issues of some locals walking or driving to a match.

 

The entire country was never on lockdown, that's why things never improved to the level we are seeing in Europe...

 

Absurd ... I've barely left my house in months. On the bright side, I haven't filled up with gas since March.

I can tell you, it's going to be a long, long time, before Americans are going to be let into most parts of the world without 2-week quarantines without a good reason, while such a huge disparity exists.

 

Hansen also laid off an obscene number of staff members.

I sympathize with the desire to drive revenue (I've had about 7 hours of work in two photoshoots since March 11th - so I know what no income stream looks like), but not at the expense of public health.

I think these bubble tournaments are terrible ideas (though if MLS had asked, I would be in Orlando right now).

 

Nascar now have their first confirmed infection as 7 time champion Jimmy Johnson has tested positive.

 

I'm budgeting as if I'll make about 10% of my normal modest income over the next 12 months.

 

https://www.sounderatheart.com/2020/7/2/21311765/report-mls-regular-season-mls-is-back-tournament

In speaking with several folks around MLS, the league is aiming for additional 18-22 reg season matches per club in home markets, starting mid/late August. Pandemic will dictate plans, especially on that timetable. All eyes on USL & MLB. Still very early stages of discussions.

— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) July 2, 2020

The never ending season...

 

I'm worried about #MLSisBack kicking off in COVID-19 infested Florida.

 

Restaurants and bars have opened in Brazil cuz... ******** it I guess?