The Daunting Return to Sports

Photo Credit - Andrew D Bernstein/Getty

With COVID-19 still having a tremendous impact on the health and safety of society, the talk of major sports returning in the United States has been a controversial topic for athletes, fans, and league decision makers alike. In this piece, I'm going to break down how the NBA, WNBA, MLB, NHL, and NFL are planning to start, resume, or anticipate their respective seasons.

Before getting into that, I want to interject my thoughts on this return to play notion in sports. Obviously, I am not an expert. This is purely my subjective opinion. As much as I miss sports, I frankly disagree with returning to play. Thinking back to before the seasons were postponed, there were so many athletes across all sports that were testing positive for the coronavirus. It was spreading teammate to teammate. It was spreading through organizations. It was spreading through leagues. Everyday in the news, someone in sports was testing positive (and still are). Due to the sheer contact nature of sports, it spread like a wildfire. As the CDC is advising keeping 6 feet from others, social distancing, and wearing masks, how can sports blatantly break these protocols? I know that leagues will have players get tested, but this still can't prevent players from contracting the virus. Although sports leagues want to create a "bubble" to prevent the contraction of the virus, nothing will ever be 100% effective. Players will still have physical contact, be breathing on one another, and unable to wash their hands during gameplay. The virus can even spread through asymptomatic people. Although cities around the country are opening up, it does not mean that it is right or safe to do so. Overall, I am unsure that returning to play is safe at this point given that there is still so much uncertainty about COVID-19.

Regardless of how I feel, the return to sports is happening- here's how.

NBA

The NBA has an 82 regular season games. The top 8 teams from the Eastern Conference and Western Conference enter the playoff bracket where they compete in several knockout best-of-7-series until a champion is declared.

On March 11th, the NBA suspended play due to COVID-19. The playoffs were near and fans were excited, but ultimately this was done for the health and safety of fans and players. Recently, on June 4th, the NBA announced its play to return to play.

Here is a basic breakdown of the tentative plan according to the NBA:

• Play will resume on July 31

• 22 out of 30 NBA teams will play

• The Disney Resort in Florida will be used for player housing (isolation), practice, etc.

• Teams will play 8 games to determine the final seeding

• Playoff format will remain the same

• The season would end around October 12

For more regarding specific details on the plan and medical evaluation procedures, read the press release linked above.

WNBA

The WNBA just released their plan to finally start their season. A normal WNBA season has 36 regular season games. Their playoff format is different. It starts with two rounds of single elimination games before entering best-of-5 series for the remainder of the playoffs.

Here is a basic breakdown of the tentative plan according to ESPN:

• The season will start late July

• 22 game regular season

• The plan is to host and house at IMG Academy in Florida

• Playoff format remains the same

For more regarding specific details on the plan and medical evaluation procedures, read the article linked above.

MLB

Due to COVID-19, the MLB season was unable to start as the season was postponed during spring training. The season runs in a 162 game regular season ending in a playoff consisting of some one-game Wild Card series, best-of-5 series, and best-of-7 series before crowning a champion in the World Series. Baseball has had a tricky time with their plan and acceptance from players. MLB Commissioner, Rob Manfred, doesn't think there will even be a season. With salary cuts and a shortened season, the MLBPA continues to deny the MLB's various plans. Seeing as there is not an official plan yet, it is very likely there may not be a season.

For more on the chaos within the MLB, read this article from CBS Sports.

NHL

Although I am not a hockey fan, I was fortunate to be at the last Chicago Blackhawk before the season was suspended due to COVID-19. On March 12, the NHL suspended play. Close the end of their 82 game regular season, the NHL has a plan to come back.

Here is a basic breakdown of the tentative plan according to the NHL:

• Play will resume on July 10

• Games will be played in various formats (qualifiers, best-of-3, best-of-5) to determine seeding

• Players will be tested everyday

For more regarding specific details on the plan and medical evaluation procedures, read the article linked above.

NFL

As we know, the NFL season ended in February with the Super Bowl. So, their season escaped the threat of COVID-19. However, as the pandemic is still serious, the start of the 2020-2021 may not have the full green light. The NFLPA has met constantly to figure out what is going to happen with the next season.

Here are some of the key takeaways according to Pro Football Network:

• Training camps are still on hold

• Salaries will be cut

• Potentially smaller rosters

Although there is no definite plan, fans can expect a major change to their beloved sport.

Plans and changes aside, this is still a scary time to trying to go back to playing sports. With this pandemic still looming over society, it is important to put health and safety first.

How do you feel about sport returning amidst a pandemic?