Via Twitter ( https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1 ... 7120781316 ):

Eight more players and two coaches with the Miami Marlins have tested positive for COVID-19, as an outbreak has spread throughout their clubhouse and brought the total of cases in recent days to at least 14, sources familiar with the situation tell me and @JesseRogersESPN

I get the feeling Ken Burns is going to do a documentary on this some day.

Related tweets are saying "why are you rooting for COVID?". People aren't rooting for COVID. They are just sick of these big institutions acting in their own self interest and not looking out for others. People are sick of these big institutions projecting the image that everything is normal when it's not. People are sick of others who are prolonging the crisis by ignoring medical advise and common sense.

I suspect more teams will have major outbreaks along the way, unless the season is cancelled some fans will see their teams playing with AAA and AA players.

Not surprising, when it comes to sports team, once one person got it, it will spread like wildfire. I mean, those locker rooms had long been petri dishes even before COVID-19.

zakuivcustom wrote:

Not surprising, when it comes to sports team, once one person got it, it will spread like wildfire. I mean, those locker rooms had long been petri dishes even before COVID-19.

NBA is doing it right. A small number of teams all living in a "bubble" so travel is eliminated. MLB is not. Players staying at home, traveling on buses and planes, statying in hotels when on the road. Sure it's easier for NBA teams since they're only 15 players vs 45, but that doesn't mean MLB shouldn't have come up with something far better than what they have come up with.

MLB is pretty damn dysfunctional to begin with. The owners pretty much forced this set up on the players. If I was a player I would have opted out.

Revelation wrote:

NBA is doing it right. A small number of teams all living in a "bubble" so travel is eliminated. MLB is not. Players staying at home, traveling on buses and planes, statying in hotels when on the road. Sure it's easier for NBA teams since they're only 15 players vs 45, but that doesn't mean MLB shouldn't have come up with something far better than what they have come up with.

If we can accept that the team will share the same space, breath the same air (aka live in the same bubble), does travel need to be eliminated completely, or just be carefully controlled?

Surely they could go anywhere they like, on their own team bus.

They could fly to many locations, providing they charter an aircraft for their own exclusive use. And pay for it to be disinfected before the next flight.
They should also select (smaller) airports where they can disembark with minimal contact between their group, and the remainder of humanity.

And then they must stay in a hotel/motel, again paying for the rooms to be disinfected after they leave. And no visiting local bars or take-aways, unless they block-book the whole establishment for their exclusive use.

If the game is important enough, these measures would go a long way to making it right. Or isn't there any money in the kitty for such extravagant behavior?

All of the above is based on their willingness to take a risk (mitigated by their younger ages and healthiness) and potentially "take one for the team" because that is their life. However, if a secret vote amongst team members came up short of 80% approval, nobody should be forced to participate, and no sanctions taken against those that object.

Revelation wrote:

zakuivcustom wrote:

Not surprising, when it comes to sports team, once one person got it, it will spread like wildfire. I mean, those locker rooms had long been petri dishes even before COVID-19.

NBA is doing it right. A small number of teams all living in a "bubble" so travel is eliminated. MLB is not. Players staying at home, traveling on buses and planes, statying in hotels when on the road. Sure it's easier for NBA teams since they're only 15 players vs 45, but that doesn't mean MLB shouldn't have come up with something far better than what they have come up with.

MLB is pretty damn dysfunctional to begin with. The owners pretty much forced this set up on the players. If I was a player I would have opted out.

If you think baseball is bad the NFL is going to be a disaster. A roster of 55-65 players, dozens of coaches and trainers in close quarters and not a lot of physical distancing on the field.

Baseball should have done what was initially proposed. Have half the teams in Arizona and the other half in Florida and make use of the spring training facilities. Who cares if the home ballparks are used if there are no fans at the games.
Football needs to do the same, find a few hub locations and have the teams there. I know the NFL is looking to have fans but that probably isn't the best idea and football lives of TV anyways.

SheikhDjibouti wrote:

Revelation wrote:

NBA is doing it right. A small number of teams all living in a "bubble" so travel is eliminated. MLB is not. Players staying at home, traveling on buses and planes, statying in hotels when on the road. Sure it's easier for NBA teams since they're only 15 players vs 45, but that doesn't mean MLB shouldn't have come up with something far better than what they have come up with.

If we can accept that the team will share the same space, breath the same air (aka live in the same bubble), does travel need to be eliminated completely, or just be carefully controlled?

We should not speak in absolutes such as "totally eliminated", it is all relative.

Breathing the same air is also relative to how long you're doing it, what are the odds you aren't wearing a mask properly, what are the odds a water particle carrying the virus bypasses your mask, etc.

The "bubble" is actually a resort and most things are within walking distance and if not open air trolleys or golf carts can be used. All the workers are screened and masked.

Compare/contrast to living at home, interacting with friends/family, getting from home to team bus/plane, travelling to distant city, checking in at hotel, getting to stadium, returning to hotel, back to airport, back home.

That's a *lot* more time breathing the same air with teammates and lots of exposure to other people who probably aren't as well screened as those in the Disney bubble, a lot more exposure to a lot more places that probably aren't being sanitized as regularly, etc.

Wives, girlfriends, children, medical people all multiply the difficulty of social distancing. It can become pretty porous if you are looking at more than several days. The Navy seems to be quarantining ships before departure for 2 weeks, and pretty strictly. I'm doubting non-military could begin to do it in the same way.

I wonder how long the NBA will be able to last even in its bubble. The Covid-19 testing for the NBA in Florida is done daily with results in a day or two while 'regular' people in Florida are waiting up to 3 WEEKS to get their test results. That is unfair, especially to the 99% of people who make a tiny fraction of what even a rookie player makes.

The resumption of sports during the Pandemic is mostly about money, not the public health. Professional players and top coaching staffs must accept massive cuts in pay for this season, especially those paid millions. Team owners must realize the liability risk to them if a player dies from it. The networks who pay for rights and despite for programing must face reality and be able to get out of paying until game can safely resume. I don't see almost any sports realistically resuming until enough getting infected or a vaccine is substantially distributed to cause 'herd immunity',

910A wrote:

I suspect more teams will have major outbreaks along the way, unless the season is cancelled some fans will see their teams playing with AAA and AA players.

Yes I mean I love sports but the feasibility of this was iffy. Once all those states started spiking they should have canceled the season I mean it sucks but this sucks more.

ltbewr wrote:

I wonder how long the NBA will be able to last even in its bubble. The Covid-19 testing for the NBA in Florida is done daily with results in a day or two while 'regular' people in Florida are waiting up to 3 WEEKS to get their test results. That is unfair, especially to the 99% of people who make a tiny fraction of what even a rookie player makes.

Since the technology exist - unlike a vaccine - to test and provide results in 2 days, I would want to know why 99% of the people do not have access to 2 days test / results before I say it is unfair. If it is just a cost issue, then perhaps the government money would have been better spent on testing to allow the economy to reopen in safe zones versus paying salaries and or incentives to private companies to keep staff employed and paid.
Like it or not we are in new times, even if a vaccine is discovered tomorrow and is 100% effective with no side effects, it will be a long time before the entire USA and numerous other countries in the world are inoculated, so the key to functioning in the "new normal" is knowing where the virus is and responding effectively.

A question based on what is being done, when persons go to take a test, do they quarantine while awaiting the results to ensure that they do not get infected?
I know in my country at present, you can be driven to take the test then leave to await your results, if one makes a stop at a food store or elsewhere, you can get infected then, so when you get your clear results and start mingling.....

ltbewr wrote:

I wonder how long the NBA will be able to last even in its bubble. The Covid-19 testing for the NBA in Florida is done daily with results in a day or two while 'regular' people in Florida are waiting up to 3 WEEKS to get their test results. That is unfair, especially to the 99% of people who make a tiny fraction of what even a rookie player makes.

The resumption of sports during the Pandemic is mostly about money, not the public health. Professional players and top coaching staffs must accept massive cuts in pay for this season, especially those paid millions. Team owners must realize the liability risk to them if a player dies from it. The networks who pay for rights and despite for programing must face reality and be able to get out of paying until game can safely resume. I don't see almost any sports realistically resuming until enough getting infected or a vaccine is substantially distributed to cause 'herd immunity',

I think most people accept life is "unfair".

Money is a resource. Rich people have more of it. Rich people can trade that resource to get things I can't get. Short of confiscation and redistribution that ain't going to change, and that ain't going to happen.

Yes, most of this is about rich people wanting to keep making money, both players and owners. This situation shows rich people aren't particularly intelligent or disciplined. A small amount of discipline, a small amount of compromise, and they could be doing things in a much safer way. Now the entire enterprise is at risk, IMO.

StarAC17 wrote:

If you think baseball is bad the NFL is going to be a disaster. A roster of 55-65 players, dozens of coaches and trainers in close quarters and not a lot of physical distancing on the field.

Albert Breer ( https://twitter.com/AlbertBreer/status/ ... 6434925568 ) is already uploading lists of NFL players who have COVID-19 or are opting out. It's a pretty worrying trend. In my case, the only sport I usually watch closely is NFL and it's pretty worrying that they are off to a poor start.

SheikhDjibouti wrote:

Revelation wrote:

NBA is doing it right. A small number of teams all living in a "bubble" so travel is eliminated. MLB is not. Players staying at home, traveling on buses and planes, statying in hotels when on the road. Sure it's easier for NBA teams since they're only 15 players vs 45, but that doesn't mean MLB shouldn't have come up with something far better than what they have come up with.

If we can accept that the team will share the same space, breath the same air (aka live in the same bubble), does travel need to be eliminated completely, or just be carefully controlled?

Revelation wrote:

Breathing the same air is also relative to how long you're doing it, what are the odds you aren't wearing a mask properly, what are the odds a water particle carrying the virus bypasses your mask, etc.

Thanks for the health lecture; I really had no idea it was that complicated.

However, it's all rather irrelevant when soccer players are still engaging in hot sweaty heavy breathing group hugs after a goal is scored. (yes, this is going on right now in Europe!)
Such behavior suggests they are happy to accept the risk from their team-mates, much as there isn't a government on the planet who would dare suggest you maintain social distancing from your spouse. For many players, their team mates are "family".

thx wikipedia

The "bubble" is actually a resort and most things are within walking distance and if not open air trolleys or golf carts can be used. All the workers are screened and masked.

But what happens within the bubble? Are players free to socialize with other players, without masks, without maintaining any specific distance? Do they train together, use the gym together, eat in the same restaurant? If so, spending an extra eight hours together on a bus, or two hours on a chartered plane, is again somewhat irrelevant.
I am reminded of the situation in some parts of Australia where mask wearing is compulsory outdoors, unless you are engaged in exercise such as jogging or cycling. Ironically, these periods when you are breathing heavily are exactly the times when you are most likely to transmit or receive covid-19. The only answer is to train in isolation. Is that happening in the NBA "bubble"?

Compare/contrast to living at home, interacting with friends/family, getting from home to team bus/plane, travelling to distant city, checking in at hotel, getting to stadium, returning to hotel, back to airport, back home.

That overly long list needs pruning. All the references to travel, travel, checking in at hotel, travel, travel, and more travel..... were covered by my suggestions above. Once you have accepted the risks that your team-mates present, the rest is just an extended itinerary.
And checking in at the hotel simply requires some masks backed up with some screens, and maybe one representative signing in for everybody. It really doesn't need to be the drama you make out.

The main thing is that ordinary people are managing these risks every day, unless they are in specific lock-down.
Hotels are open, people are travelling.
I'm struggling to see why MLB or NBA players must be treated as such a special case? It's discrimination!

That's a *lot* more time breathing the same air with teammates....

How can it be more time than being locked up with them 24/7?

... and lots of exposure to other people who probably aren't as well screened as those in the Disney bubble, a lot more exposure to a lot more places that probably aren't being sanitized as regularly, etc.

Just like millions of regular Americans going about their daily business.

Revelation wrote:

ltbewr wrote:

I wonder how long the NBA will be able to last even in its bubble. The Covid-19 testing for the NBA in Florida is done daily with results in a day or two while 'regular' people in Florida are waiting up to 3 WEEKS to get their test results. That is unfair, especially to the 99% of people who make a tiny fraction of what even a rookie player makes.

The resumption of sports during the Pandemic is mostly about money, not the public health. Professional players and top coaching staffs must accept massive cuts in pay for this season, especially those paid millions. Team owners must realize the liability risk to them if a player dies from it. The networks who pay for rights and despite for programing must face reality and be able to get out of paying until game can safely resume. I don't see almost any sports realistically resuming until enough getting infected or a vaccine is substantially distributed to cause 'herd immunity',

I think most people accept life is "unfair".

Money is a resource. Rich people have more of it. Rich people can trade that resource to get things I can't get. Short of confiscation and redistribution that ain't going to change, and that ain't going to happen.

Yes, most of this is about rich people wanting to keep making money, both players and owners. This situation shows rich people aren't particularly intelligent or disciplined. A small amount of discipline, a small amount of compromise, and they could be doing things in a much safer way. Now the entire enterprise is at risk, IMO.

Got to object big time here. I mean, I understand what you mean, but this is not a normal peace time situation. I think the big issue overall that explains all the other issues is the fact that people and governments refuse, completely REFUSE to accept the fact that this should be similar to a war mobilization type event. Sure, people with more money have access to more resources, that does not mean that we shold ENCOURAGE it under certain extreme circumstances. During war, many commodities have been rationed... I don't see any difference here.

The people that refuse to wear mask of follow other instructions are NO different than people that try to avoid the military during a war, simple as that. In the future, those people should have no right whatsoever to question the patriotism of anyone else who refuses to go to a conflict, especially when most recent modern conflicts since Vietnam, India-China, Falklands, etc all were wars of posturing or geopolitics and nothing to do with any nation's actual survival. If all those, usually conservative anti-government people, are actually interested in being fair, then they should never in the future question anyone that refuses a 'tyrannical government" ordering them to go and possibly die for some political cause totally unrelated to them or their country direct security.

Revelation wrote:

I think most people accept life is "unfair".

Money is a resource. Rich people have more of it. Rich people can trade that resource to get things I can't get. Short of confiscation and redistribution that ain't going to change, and that ain't going to happen.

Yes, most of this is about rich people wanting to keep making money, both players and owners. This situation shows rich people aren't particularly intelligent or disciplined. A small amount of discipline, a small amount of compromise, and they could be doing things in a much safer way. Now the entire enterprise is at risk, IMO.

I don't agree with the class hatred here but people that own sports teams are in business. They weren't handed this "resource" they earned it. We are all in uncharted waters and a lot of people are effected by this so I don't understand the disdain for trying to salvage any part of the season especially since it's blowing up in their faces.

NIKV69 wrote:

Revelation wrote:

I think most people accept life is "unfair".

Money is a resource. Rich people have more of it. Rich people can trade that resource to get things I can't get. Short of confiscation and redistribution that ain't going to change, and that ain't going to happen.

Yes, most of this is about rich people wanting to keep making money, both players and owners. This situation shows rich people aren't particularly intelligent or disciplined. A small amount of discipline, a small amount of compromise, and they could be doing things in a much safer way. Now the entire enterprise is at risk, IMO.

I don't agree with the class hatred here but people that own sports teams are in business. They weren't handed this "resource" they earned it. We are all in uncharted waters and a lot of people are effected by this so I don't understand the disdain for trying to salvage any part of the season especially since it's blowing up in their faces.

It’s not just class hatred it’s failure for government to do its job vis-a-vis public safety and welfare. Floridians are waiting so long for COVID test results the tests themselves are useless for prevention and tracing, and that’s why FL is up shit creek. Meanwhile Marlins players and staff get nearly immediate results - are they as ‘essential’ as restaurant or healthcare workers? I love MLB as much as anyone, but the answer is NO.

Aaron747 wrote:

It’s not just class hatred it’s failure for government to do its job vis-a-vis public safety and welfare. Floridians are waiting so long for COVID test results the tests themselves are useless for prevention and tracing, and that’s why FL is up shit creek. Meanwhile Marlins players and staff get nearly immediate results - are they as ‘essential’ as restaurant or healthcare workers? I love MLB as much as anyone, but the answer is NO.

Who is organizing public tests for Floridians? And most importantly, who is paying for it?

Now - who is organizing daily tests for Marlins players, and (of course) who is paying for it? Just maybe they are paying a $$$premium to get the results faster?

Do you think we might be comparing apples to oranges here?
(or a school bus versus a private taxi?)

SheikhDjibouti wrote:

Thanks for the health lecture; I really had no idea it was that complicated.

Then I don't see where your push back is coming from. All the things I'm advocating are common sense. Limit the number of people the athletes come in contact with. Screen those people and the athletes themselves heavily via testing. Clearly a "bubble" is a very effective way to do that. Baseball is now demonstrating what can go wrong, and football seems to also be off to a terrible start.

SheikhDjibouti wrote:

The main thing is that ordinary people are managing these risks every day, unless they are in specific lock-down.
Hotels are open, people are travelling.

They really aren't. People doing non essential travel right now are fools, IMO. We had all the indicators going in the right direction while people were avoiding travel, then people decided curing their own boredom was more important than containing the virus. The numbers show I'm right.

Derico wrote:

Got to object big time here. I mean, I understand what you mean, but this is not a normal peace time situation. I think the big issue overall that explains all the other issues is the fact that people and governments refuse, completely REFUSE to accept the fact that this should be similar to a war mobilization type event. Sure, people with more money have access to more resources, that does not mean that we shold ENCOURAGE it under certain extreme circumstances. During war, many commodities have been rationed... I don't see any difference here.

The people that refuse to wear mask of follow other instructions are NO different than people that try to avoid the military during a war, simple as that. In the future, those people should have no right whatsoever to question the patriotism of anyone else who refuses to go to a conflict, especially when most recent modern conflicts since Vietnam, India-China, Falklands, etc all were wars of posturing or geopolitics and nothing to do with any nation's actual survival. If all those, usually conservative anti-government people, are actually interested in being fair, then they should never in the future question anyone that refuses a 'tyrannical government" ordering them to go and possibly die for some political cause totally unrelated to them or their country direct security.

Nice to find someone whose opinion is more extreme than mine. I don't think it's a battle of national survival. I do think it is an issue of avoiding many relatively easily avoidable deaths and lifetime impairments.

To me the issue isn't that the government isn't forcing people to make common sense adjustments to their life styles, it's that people are shirking their responsibility to others by not making common sense adjustments to their life styles.

NIKV69 wrote:

I don't agree with the class hatred here but people that own sports teams are in business. They weren't handed this "resource" they earned it.

Some earned it, some inherited it (the owner of the Jets, our President), some married it (the owner of the Patriots).

NIKV69 wrote:

We are all in uncharted waters and a lot of people are effected by this so I don't understand the disdain for trying to salvage any part of the season especially since it's blowing up in their faces.

It's always been misguided, self indulgent and poor leadership. The owners didn't have answers for many of the basic questions players and fans were asking, and they still don't.

And now, a bunch of NFL players are choosing to 'opt out' of the 2020-1 season:

https://www.nfl.com/news/list-of-nfl-pl ... 020-season

Revelation wrote:

And now, a bunch of NFL players are choosing to 'opt out' of the 2020-1 season:

https://www.nfl.com/news/list-of-nfl-pl ... 020-season

More than any other sport, football has almost constant close person contact. If the NFL season starts as it is currently scheduled, I would be shocked. I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot more players opt out, maybe to the point of there not bing enough players for some teams to field a complete squad.
There are only a few sports that can more or less safely operate in the current environment, such as golf, auto racing and to some extent tennis. Even tennis is a big tricky because both players (as well as some others) repeatedly touch the ball and could pass on the virus to others that way. Strange times we are in

Saw USA today report the MLB has now suspended the Marlins.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/m ... 528651002/

T18 wrote:

Saw USA today report the MLB has now suspended the Marlins.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/m ... 528651002/

It's amazing how the story buries the lede:

Hours before the Marlins' season suspension, the Nationals' players voted not to travel to Miami for the weekend games, expressing the level of concern among players and manager Dave Martinez that he said "went from an eight to a 12" in the wake of the Marlins' outbreak.

So, the opposition players gave the team and the league the finger, and now the league is spinning the story as they're deciding to suspend the team rather than the players are refusing to travel to play the team.

This part of the story is in the 14th paragraph of the piece!

Revelation wrote:

I don't see where your push back is coming from. All the things I'm advocating are common sense. Limit the number of people the athletes come in contact with. Screen those people and the athletes themselves heavily via testing. Clearly a "bubble" is a very effective way to do that.

Or a "bubble" that has an element of mobility. Team bus. Team plane. Team hotel. Hence limit the number of people the athletes come in contact with (hang on, isn't that what you wanted?). I think you'll find I'm advocating common sense too.

SheikhDjibouti wrote:

The main thing is that ordinary people are managing these risks every day, unless they are in specific lock-down.
Hotels are open, people are travelling.

Revelation wrote:

They really aren't. People doing non essential travel right now are fools, IMO.

The push back from me is the all about the definition of essential /non-essential.
For an athlete, travelling to a venue is essential for their "job". Their job, lest we forget, is to provide entertainment for the masses, just possibly so that the masses might feel happier about staying at home. Maintaining the population's morale isn't just about shrinks and taking anti-depressants.

I contend that there are (tens of) millions of people arguing that their job is "essential" when it's very far from the truth.
Hell, I know a certain company who maintain the grass pitches at some of these sports venues, and they didn't take a break. Is cutting the grass essential? (particularly if the teams themselves are not playing).
Ok, so grass grows, and you still need bio-chemicals and lawn maintenance staff on site. But surely less often. And why were the Sales Team still travelling far & wide across the country? They were the ones racking up the (air) miles.

I freely admit I don't know current load-factors for the many many aircraft flying right here / right now. But I sincerely question whether that many of the pax on board genuinely have greater justification for their journey compared to MLB or NBA players.
But they are getting away with it because they are anonymous individuals, hundreds of thousands of individuals.
I'm just asking that you give the MLB / NBA / NFL the same break as a man in a suit attending a meeting that he could just as easily manage by phone.

(I recall from a previous thread that the argument was all these "essential" flyers must be Doctors, or other medical professionals dealing with Covid. Yeah, right! )

p.s. Just in case you are in any doubt, I am 110% behind the players now opting-out in each of these sports. I believe it should be their call. It would only be our right to interfere if they resumed their season without any attempt to mitigate the risks.

SheikhDjibouti wrote:

Revelation wrote:

I don't see where your push back is coming from. All the things I'm advocating are common sense. Limit the number of people the athletes come in contact with. Screen those people and the athletes themselves heavily via testing. Clearly a "bubble" is a very effective way to do that.

Or a "bubble" that has an element of mobility. Team bus. Team plane. Team hotel. Hence limit the number of people the athletes come in contact with (hang on, isn't that what you wanted?). I think you'll find I'm advocating common sense too.

I suppose we can think of travel as a mobile bubble, but there are so many more variables to control. I think the difference is in the NBA bubble it's the league that's making sure the players have a very limited number of people they interact with and those who get into the bubble are screened, whereas without the bubble when at home the players themselves are responsible for such, and it's hard to expect a bunch of young and extremely wealthy men who are used to getting what they want to be disciplined. The bubble becomes both home and away so the variables are a lot easier to control.

In this case, the MIA team was in PHL when the negative test results hit. Now the infected players are presumably stuck in PHL or are finding safe transport home, and the rest of the players are scattering since their team isn't going to be playing for more than a week. What are the odds they all test clean when they all get back together?

Revelation wrote:

SheikhDjibouti wrote:

Or a "bubble" that has an element of mobility. Team bus. Team plane. Team hotel. Hence limit the number of people the athletes come in contact with (hang on, isn't that what you wanted?). I think you'll find I'm advocating common sense too.

I suppose we can think of travel as a mobile bubble, but there are so many more variables to control.

Yes, it's a compromise.
Much like you & myself.

Revelation wrote:

I think the difference is... without the bubble when at home the players themselves are responsible for such, and it's hard to expect a bunch of young and extremely wealthy men who are used to getting what they want to be disciplined.

And that is exactly the point.
All the time their chosen sport is not functioning, these "young and extremely wealthy men" (with far too much time on their hands) will be doing just what they want anyway. Including a lot of unnecessary travel. Absolutely unnecessary travel, in it's purist & most ugly form.

Compared to that, restricting them to a less than perfect bubble, and a routine that gives them a purpose, could be advantageous. No?

SheikhDjibouti wrote:

Revelation wrote:

SheikhDjibouti wrote:

Or a "bubble" that has an element of mobility. Team bus. Team plane. Team hotel. Hence limit the number of people the athletes come in contact with (hang on, isn't that what you wanted?). I think you'll find I'm advocating common sense too.

I suppose we can think of travel as a mobile bubble, but there are so many more variables to control.

Yes, it's a compromise.
Much like you & myself.

Revelation wrote:

I think the difference is... without the bubble when at home the players themselves are responsible for such, and it's hard to expect a bunch of young and extremely wealthy men who are used to getting what they want to be disciplined.

And that is exactly the point.
All the time their chosen sport is not functioning, these "young and extremely wealthy men" (with far too much time on their hands) will be doing just what they want anyway. Including a lot of unnecessary travel. Absolutely unnecessary travel, in it's purist & most ugly form.

Compared to that, restricting them to a less than perfect bubble, and a routine that gives them a purpose, could be advantageous. No?

I'll give the weak response that "time will tell".

NBA was able to get a pretty strict bubble up and running, mainly because relationships between the players and the leagues are better than most leagues, and a few of the key players were OK with the plan and were willing to be vocal with their support. Basically the players decided a strict bubble was in their own best interest.

MLB is quite different from that. The Commissioner is a former lawyer and it's not even clear he likes the game. The previous commissioner of long tenure was one of the owners! The players have a great sense of entitlement because they have great negotiating power and the owners lack self discipline so key players have been able to get themselves some very large long term unrestricted contracts. There's no love lost between players and union. And now we've had a few games canceled due to this COVID outbreak and a pretty broad lack of confidence in the rest of the season.

As an aside, I'm old enough to remember players unionizing and then suing leagues for free agency (the right to play for other teams once their initial contract is up) back in the 1970s. MLB was first, and it was a vicious court battle. It set the tone for player/team relationships ever since. NFL was different. Their commissioner at the time realized they would lose in court and so there was a long negotiation where revenues were split between players and teams in exchange for players allowing a salary cap tied to total league revenue. It's far from perfect but at least the owners have some limits on the growth of salaries and the players get a huge slice of the total revenues (roughly half). Both sides have prospered.

So, I guess there is something to be said for compromise....

Another game canceled due to CV19:

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2 ... ive-tests/

Looks like the Cardinals have more than one infection amongst players/staff.

Interesting how the early commentary - not on this site - seemed to blame the Marlins, let's see what is said now that a "respected team" has an out-break.
Disclaimer, I am a fan of the two time champs.

As for sports and Covid-19, the better story will be the non-professional leagues that generate billions from "student athletes".
https://www.espn.com/college-football/s ... ake-happen

par13del wrote:

Interesting how the early commentary - not on this site - seemed to blame the Marlins, let's see what is said now that a "respected team" has an out-break.
Disclaimer, I am a fan of the two time champs.

As for sports and Covid-19, the better story will be the non-professional leagues that generate billions from "student athletes".
https://www.espn.com/college-football/s ... ake-happen

First the Marlins, now the Cards.

I think it'll only take one more team getting hit hard enough to start missing games for the season to be shut down, especially now that there is solid evidence that COVID-19 can be career threatening.