In light of recent events, sports updates and the decision about football season specifically starting in the fall has been on the back burner. But as of yesterday, the commissioner of the NFL, Roger Goodell, gave the “OK” for coaches to reenter the training facilities that have been open but not occupied since late May. Training camp in the summer is questionable, but if possible, a true test to see if the NFL can function safely under the circumstances presented. Different teams are facing various challenges due to the pandemic especially those whose facilities happen to be located in coronavirus epicenters.
As for the NBA, their season has been approved to resume on July 31st. The games will be held at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando and players will be housed on-site as well. Many precautions will be taken and the league will make sure to adhere to strict protocols to ensure everyone’s safety. The format for games has been strategically done and well thought out to be fair and also logical. If the season can resume on July 31st, the 2020 NBA draft will be rescheduled to October 15th and the 2020-2021 season may begin on December 1st.
July 4th was a projected date for Major League Baseball to start their season but with the difficulty of coordinating teams in 27 different cities and even a foreign country, it isn’t official. Reports have been circulating regarding a major league baseball team in Tokyo calling off their preseason game due to two players being tested positive for coronavirus. This casts a dark cloud of uncertainty whether sports teams and organizations can resume their seasons and also keep their players healthy.
All in all, there is no way to know what the future holds for major sports teams or any gathering like it. At a certain point, companies like the NFL, NBA, and even universities who receive funding from their sports may never fully recover financially if they are unable to play on. As time goes on, we know more and more about the virus that has claimed the lives of so many, but enough to return to normalcy?
