Two weeks ago, the NBA announced they effectively had a clean bubble. All the players and important team personnel tested negative, they had done it. Of course, Lou Williams desire to see some bangers at Magic City may jeopoardize that, but for the most part the NBA did what it could to create an environment to let this work.
Today, the NHL announced that they too have gotten to the point of eliminating the virus from their two bubbles in Edmonton and Toronto. Granted both are in a far better position than baseball, but it is striking that two days before the NBA tips off again, and the same day the NHL announces their great results, MLB is in crisis when 8 Marlins tested positive.
First, we should say the fact 8 Marlins tested positive is not an indication that the MLB failed or never should have tried to get a season out. As the testing from NBA and NHL a few weeks back showed, their players were getting COVID in their normal day-to-day lives. Yes, having them in close contact with each other playing sports is not good, but doing so in a controlled environment is potentially safer then them not playing sports but living among normal civilization.
Baseball is different. It was not going to go into a bubble for four months. It had a whole season to play. The NFL is in a similar position. Many industries have had to shift and adapt, and this is an industry adapting. It isn't perfect, but it is worth trying. What makes it seem not worth trying, though, is the MLB's utter lack of a plan when an outbreak broke out.
Granted, the NBA and NHL hasn't offered any plan either. There are protocols in place if a player test positive, but no announced plan if a significant number of players did. I imagine the immediate reaction will be the same - postpone/cancel the upcoming game(s), and maybe do so for the team that the outbreak team recently played. But right now, step #2 is a complete unknown.
The strict angle is the Marlins as an organization have to self-isolate from anywhere from 5-14 days - the whole team. We ahve to wait to ensure we isolate those who have it vs. those who don't. In that time period, I guess you could postpone some games, but at some point we have to just outright cancel them. If it comes to that, is it a cancellation, or do the Marlins (or Team X) have to forfeit?
Nothing is normal. That's obvious. Nothing will be normal for a long time given how badly the USA has handled the coronavirus response - a response that doesn't seem to have any chance of self-correcting until maybe Jan 21, 2021.
The NBA and NHL may well face the MLB's plight in December when they try to start-up for their 2020-2021 seasons under some guise of normalcy (teams playing in their traditional home markets). The MLB did not manage this well, but they also had the unlucky draw of the first league to face this type of outbreak.
I'm so interested to see how MLB reacts to the Marlins situation. I know in my heart the answer is not going to be to force the Marlins as an org to take two weeks off, but I do hope that is at least discussed and then walk down from there to something more reasoable for all. We are entering a brave new world in baseball, in all sports. The games themselves are working, the atmosphere isn't as bad as I thought, teams are having fun with it in how they dress up their stadiums. We just have to hope the elephant in the room doesn't ram its way in way too much.
Today, the NHL announced that they too have gotten to the point of eliminating the virus from their two bubbles in Edmonton and Toronto. Granted both are in a far better position than baseball, but it is striking that two days before the NBA tips off again, and the same day the NHL announces their great results, MLB is in crisis when 8 Marlins tested positive.
First, we should say the fact 8 Marlins tested positive is not an indication that the MLB failed or never should have tried to get a season out. As the testing from NBA and NHL a few weeks back showed, their players were getting COVID in their normal day-to-day lives. Yes, having them in close contact with each other playing sports is not good, but doing so in a controlled environment is potentially safer then them not playing sports but living among normal civilization.
Baseball is different. It was not going to go into a bubble for four months. It had a whole season to play. The NFL is in a similar position. Many industries have had to shift and adapt, and this is an industry adapting. It isn't perfect, but it is worth trying. What makes it seem not worth trying, though, is the MLB's utter lack of a plan when an outbreak broke out.
Granted, the NBA and NHL hasn't offered any plan either. There are protocols in place if a player test positive, but no announced plan if a significant number of players did. I imagine the immediate reaction will be the same - postpone/cancel the upcoming game(s), and maybe do so for the team that the outbreak team recently played. But right now, step #2 is a complete unknown.
The strict angle is the Marlins as an organization have to self-isolate from anywhere from 5-14 days - the whole team. We ahve to wait to ensure we isolate those who have it vs. those who don't. In that time period, I guess you could postpone some games, but at some point we have to just outright cancel them. If it comes to that, is it a cancellation, or do the Marlins (or Team X) have to forfeit?
Nothing is normal. That's obvious. Nothing will be normal for a long time given how badly the USA has handled the coronavirus response - a response that doesn't seem to have any chance of self-correcting until maybe Jan 21, 2021.
The NBA and NHL may well face the MLB's plight in December when they try to start-up for their 2020-2021 seasons under some guise of normalcy (teams playing in their traditional home markets). The MLB did not manage this well, but they also had the unlucky draw of the first league to face this type of outbreak.
I'm so interested to see how MLB reacts to the Marlins situation. I know in my heart the answer is not going to be to force the Marlins as an org to take two weeks off, but I do hope that is at least discussed and then walk down from there to something more reasoable for all. We are entering a brave new world in baseball, in all sports. The games themselves are working, the atmosphere isn't as bad as I thought, teams are having fun with it in how they dress up their stadiums. We just have to hope the elephant in the room doesn't ram its way in way too much.
