Saints News Network

Novel Coronavirus altering the Sports World

Sports teams and leagues across the globe have begun taken precautionary measures in efforts to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus.  We provide some context and ask what might be in store for the NFL.

Aaron Miller

The ‘novel coronavirus’, or COVID-19 as it is formally known, has wreaked havoc on a global scale across over 70 countries, killing thousands of people and infecting 100,000 more.   Now, it's impacting the sports world.

Italy has taken drastic self-quarantine steps to in an attempt to contain the virus, recently requesting non-essential business and service providers shutter their doors until further notice. 

Earlier today, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a ‘global pandemic’ and there is every indication that society in the age of the pandemic will get more restrictive as efforts to abate the spread of the virus escalate. Here in the United States, there have been in excess of 1,200 reported cases and, in that vein of containment, the sports world has taken notice.

IMPACT ON MAJOR SPORTS ORGANIZATIONS

The NBA has suspended their season on yesterday because of Utah Jazz's C Rudy Gobert positive test for the novel coronavirus.   Today, league sources confirmed his Utah Jazz teammate Donovan Mitchell has contracted the novel coronavirus as well.  

In a recent press engagement, Los Angeles Lakers superstar forward LeBron James was recalcitrant at the notion that he might have to play games for empty arenas.

Upon learning that the NBA and league stakeholders are indeed taking this prospect into consideration, James revised his stance shortly thereafter.

In just the past few days, there has been a groundswell of momentum across many sports leagues to play their part in attempting to contain the spread of the virus by limiting large gatherings. NCAA President Mark Emmert declared that the men’s Division I basketball tourney, known affectionately by most Americans as “March Madness”, will be played with only family members and essential personnel in attendance. 

NBA spokesman Mike Bass announced that the Golden State Warriors will not admit fans to Thursday’s contest with the Brooklyn Nets, and San Francisco Mayor London Breed has banned gatherings of greater than 1,000 people in the city.   Now that the NBA has suspended their season, it will be interesting to see the additional measures the league will put in place.

MORE REACTION, MORE CANCELLATIONS

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the largest event of its kind in the world, has been cancelled and cities from Boston to New Orleans (Louisiana has had 6 confirmed cases of the virus as of writing) have cancelled their planned St. Patrick’s Day parades.

Yahoo Sports initially reported that the New Orleans Saints would remove their scouting personnel from their planned pro-day road show.  However, Saints reporter Nick Underhill tweeted that Yahoo reporter Charles Robinson has recanted the Saints plans.

Most recently, NBA reporter Adrian Wojnarowski provided some context around discussions NBA owners are having around either playing for mostly empty arenas, or altogether postponing the season until further notice, seemingly favoring the former option.

The implications of the virus as it relates to any actions taken to owners and franchises range from potential liabilities in terms of players or fans getting sick to further exacerbating the issue by going against the building trend of limiting large gatherings - all of which is weighed against a significant fiscal burden to owners not putting fans in seats. 

TOO SOON TO SPECULATE?

It is far too premature to speculate on the implications reactive social policies may have for the 2020 NFL season in the face of the current outbreak. Will the pandemic persist through to the fall and, what precedent might the NHL and NBA’s decisions have in terms of how the NFL handles this situation?  Do domed arenas, like the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, confer more or less risk relative to open stadiums/ball parks?

Of more timely relevance, how might the NFL proceed with the NFL Draft starting April 23? Previous events have drawn hundreds, if not thousands, of spectators. The NFL made a recent statement to this end.

“Our plans remain in place,” the league said in a statement. “The NFL continues to closely monitor coronavirus developments and has been in contact with the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the NFL-NFLPA’s medical experts at the Duke Infection Control Outreach Network (DICON). We will continue to monitor and share guidance as the situation warrants and as our experts recommend.”

We will provide more information as it becomes available and as we learn more about the implications of the COVID-19 outbreak on the NFL and the Saints.  Please connect with us on @SaintsNews and sound off in the comments below with your thoughts on this developing story.

This article is a collaboration between Saints News Network writers Aaron Miller and Brendan Boylan.

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Aaron Miller
AARON MILLER