Trump Wants Live Sports Back Sooner than Later

1. "WASHINGTON—President Trump is pushing for live sports in America to end their coronavirus hiatus “soon, very soon,” part of a broader push by the president to get the country back to normal life in the face of opposition that the suggestion is dangerous and premature.

The president spoke Saturday afternoon by telephone with league commissioners, in a call that was intended to focus on leagues’ and teams’ roles as employers, but which veered into a discussion of a resumption of the sports calendar that was abruptly ripped up in March.

During that call, Trump said he wanted to see fans back in the stadiums by August and September—when the National Football League season is due to begin—and for live sports to start without fans much sooner than that, a White House official said.

A few of the commissioners suggested mid-to-late May as a starting point for live events without spectators, the official said. The official did not identify which participants had made that suggestion.

“Absolutely I want fans back in the arena,” Trump told reporters later Saturday. “I can’t tell you a date, but I think it’s going to be sooner rather than later.”

Publicly, Trump declined to specify when he wanted seasons to start or fans to return, though he did say there were no contingency plans for the Republican National Convention, which has been scheduled for August. He predicted the country will be in “good shape” by then.

“These are all the great leaders of sports and they want to get back, they’ve got to get back, they can’t do this. Their sports weren’t designed for it. The whole concept of our nation wasn’t designed for it. We’re going to have to get back, we want to get back soon, very soon,” Trump said in the White House briefing room."

2. "California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday took a dim view of the NFL season opening in California in September with fans in the stands. [t]hat’s not something I anticipate happening in the next few months,” he said."

3. "Soon after the call, Trump tweeted at Little League chief executive Steve Keener.

“To all of our youth who are missing the start of their @LittleLeague seasons, hang in there! We will get you back out on the fields, and know that you will be playing baseball soon….” he wrote. “We will get through this together, and bats will be swinging before you know it. In the meantime, take care of mom and dad, and know that this will not be forever! @littleleagueceo.”

Little League has suspended all activities through May 11."

https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-makes-push-for-sports-to-end-hiatus-soon-11586040167?mod=article_inline paywall

I gotta say I could get free tickets to the super bowl and I would be hesitant to go. Hope it is clear and safe by that time but not sure I will ever look at crowded venues the same way. Nothing like sharing air with 100,000 of your closest strangers.

I agree with Trump. The FCS and Montana in particular can gauge the success of its 2020 program based upon its restart.

Not so fast Donald! You also wanted to see the churches packed by this next Sunday for Easter because it would be "...a beautiful day, a beautiful date." As much as we all want organized, fan-based sports to resume, lets not be a part of further spread with persistent rolling waves throughout the country endangering peoples' lives. This will be with us for a long time. Sports will emerge when the time is prudent for it to do so.

Meanwhile, influenza, for which we have a vaccine, has killed twice as many people in the US this year(and every year) and there is no talk of social distancing, shutting down schools or businesses, straining medical resources, etc. Financial markets don't crash, store shelves don't run bare, state boundaries don't close. Why the disparate reactions?

MikeyGriz said:

Meanwhile, influenza, for which we have a vaccine, has killed twice as many people in the US this year(and every year) and there is no talk of social distancing, shutting down schools or businesses, straining medical resources, etc. Financial markets don't crash, store shelves don't run bare, state boundaries don't close. Why the disparate reactions?

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I would like to know, of the people who have passed away, how many of them were killed by the Flu and not C-V? No one is stating this.

The President is stating no more than almost any sports fan in the world. He WANTS sports to get going just like we all (most) do. He is not ordering or telling or dictating that it will begin, just like filling the churches. However, it is sad that in America, people have to be told common sense things for them to understand and adhere to.

"Another pessimistic report that this NBA season may be lost
There may not be enough time to ramp up to games, and then play even a condensed playoffs."

"Nobody knows what happens next, because nobody knows where we will be as a nation in fighting the coronavirus in six weeks, 10 weeks, or even September. Not Adam Silver, not Dr. Anthony Fauci, and certainly not politicians or pundits. As Fauci puts it well, the virus determines the timeline.

That said, there is a real hunger from the NBA league office, its owners and players, to find a way to finish off this season.

There’s also a growing pessimism that is going to happen. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski went on SportsCenter Sunday and echoed that idea but using the term “realism,” reports Adam Zagoria of Forbes.

“There’s still hope around the league and there’s a tremendous amount of planning and contingencies and brain-storming going on with the league office, with teams, executives, sports science, medical staffs for the league and for teams, as well as the Players Association.

“But there’s also a level of realism that is starting to sink in it, that it’s going to be difficult to return to play this season, that a runway for how many days it would actually have to be able to have a representative rest of the season, a few regular-season games at minimum and then a playoffs that would crown a legitimate champion, that would have a playoff structure, that would be enough to have someone to wear that crown and do it without an asterisk, that’s the challenge around the league right now. And they know they’re up against it, they’re up against the clock and there’s certainly a lot of concern about whether this league will be able to return to play or not.”
The sense I get talking to people around the league is the regular season is all but dead. As much as the league wants to play even a few regular-season games, getting 14 teams to go through everything it would take — getting the players and staffs to self-quarantine for a couple of weeks, get tested, then go through a three-week training camp — to play five or so games that will not change the standings much at all is asking a lot.

Read in NBC Sports: https://apple.news/Aia2HwOpwRrKPV6inZ23wqg

reinell30 said:

MikeyGriz said:

Meanwhile, influenza, for which we have a vaccine, has killed twice as many people in the US this year(and every year) and there is no talk of social distancing, shutting down schools or businesses, straining medical resources, etc. Financial markets don't crash, store shelves don't run bare, state boundaries don't close. Why the disparate reactions?

Click to expand...

I would like to know, of the people who have passed away, how many of them were killed by the Flu and not C-V? No one is stating this.

The President is stating no more than almost any sports fan in the world. He WANTS sports to get going just like we all (most) do. He is not ordering or telling or dictating that it will begin, just like filling the churches. However, it is sad that in America, people have to be told common sense things for them to understand and adhere to.

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"This season CDC estimates that, as of mid-March, between 29,000 and 59,000 have died due to influenza illnesses.

This year's flu season is shaping up to be possibly less severe than the 2017-2018 season, when 61,000 deaths were linked to the virus. However, it could equal or surpass the 2018-2019 season's 34,200 flu-related deaths.

Overall, the CDC estimates that 12,000 and 61,000 deaths annually since 2010 can be blamed on the flu. Globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the flu kills 290,000 to 650,000 people per year. "

https://www.health.com/condition/cold-flu-sinus/how-many-people-die-of-the-flu-every-year

I'm personally judging the health of the US economy by what happens with sports (professional & college). If sports can get back to 2019 levels of attendance/participation everything is fine. If not there is still a problem in US. If in 2020 people can't attend games/teams practicing or have to social distance when trying to attend games or viewing spring, summer or fall training then things aren't fine.

I personally want sports back sooner than later.

SoCal Surfer said:

I'm personally judging the health of the US economy by what happens with sports (professional & college). If sports can get back to 2019 levels of attendance/participation everything is fine. If not there is still a problem in US. If in 2020 people can't attend games/teams practicing or have to social distance when trying to attend games or viewing spring, summer or fall training then things aren't fine.

I personally want sports back sooner than later.

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That seems like a good test to me.

"MLB, Union Considering Plan To Play All Games In Arizona: Report"

" Major League Baseball and its players are considering the possibility of starting their season with all teams playing at closed facilities in the Arizona area, according to reports from multiple media outlets late Monday night.

The plan, which has reportedly been "embraced" by MLB leadership and the MLB Players Association, could allow the season to start as early as May.

The Arizona plan would see all 30 MLB teams play in fields scattered across the greater Phoenix area with no fans in attendance, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. The facilities would include Arizona Diamondbacks' Chase Field in Phoenix, 10 spring training fields and possibly other nearby locations.

Players, coaching staff and other essential personnel would stay at local hotels and would live in relative isolation, traveling only to and from the stadium, sources told ESPN."

https://news.yahoo.com/mlb-union-considering-plan-play-181351618.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9zZWFyY2gueWFob28uY29tL3NlYXJjaD9laT11dGYtOCZmcj1hYXBsdyZwPW1ham9yK2xlYWd1ZStiYXNlYmFsbCt0bytzdGFydCtpbittYXk&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAKkA5l3wqwl6fanGgN7havLIk4NoMp9mUuVAgyArizYwAOu2YZRzxTgCcZZV8vWG8tIWN_8CH7opALTjTSyG4I2_5w7CoKIIjqMRhiYsZ-W8ZdahEIQ--6aKK8OsBHWYQCKrTZ8ztsrxbziGy7O_wjBoPypgbj4t5fkc7i9dVJc8

Are professional athletes taking a pay cut due to the covid-19 virus? Playing in an empty stadium doesn't generate any ticket or concession revenue. The tv, cable and streaming revenue will be helpful. To me the general public will take it favorably if MLB opens in May. The general public is hungry for sports (any sport). The sooner the better.

It's a situation analogous to directions for a prescription: "Take ALL of this medication, even if you start feeling better." Can't rush this thing. The virus determines all, not us. Difference between this & the flu is there's a vaccine for flu and not for this, yet. No, listen to the experts, the doctors, the adults in this thing, not be like spoiled brats like Trump.

Totally irrelevant and off topic, but Linda Tripp died today. Got bad cancer recently and died very fast. Monica Lewinsky sent a nice tweet before she died.

60,000 deaths in America every year from something that has a miracle vaccine....

Think about that for a second

Bear Axed said:

60,000 deaths in America every year from something that has a miracle vaccine....

Think about that for a second

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Yep.

"Coronavirus: Over 70 percent of Americans say they won't attend sporting events until vaccine available

The push for sports leagues to restart so soon doesn't have support from the general public."

"On Thursday, Seton Hall University’s Stillman School of Business released the results of a poll it conducted this week.

While the sample size is a little small — 762 respondents — the results show that the vast majority of Americans aren’t ready to return to arenas (margin of error: +/- 3.6 percent).

Asked whether they’d attend games before the development of a coronavirus vaccine, 72 percent of all respondents said no, with 12 percent saying they would attend if social distancing protocols could be maintained.

Only 13 percent said they’d feel safe attending games with no changes, as they’ve attended in the past.
Seventy-four percent responded they believe it’s possible, likely or very likely sports will be canceled for the rest of this year.

Among respondents who identified as sports fans, the number who said they wouldn’t attend games until development of a vaccine was a still-significant 61 percent."

Read in Yahoo Sports: https://apple.news/ANzEOBimST8WMBAORYqSm3w

MikeyGriz said:

Meanwhile, influenza, for which we have a vaccine, has killed twice as many people in the US this year(and every year) and there is no talk of social distancing, shutting down schools or businesses, straining medical resources, etc. Financial markets don't crash, store shelves don't run bare, state boundaries don't close. Why the disparate reactions?

Click to expand...

Because approx. 1%-2% of covid19 cases are fatal. If the flu had that mortality rate, it would make the effects of the covid19 seem negligible. Unfortunately ,there is no comparison between the two. Covid19 is probably 100 times as lethal as the flu. That's why you don't see financial markets crash, empty store shelves, closed borders.

srgrizizen said:

MikeyGriz said:

Meanwhile, influenza, for which we have a vaccine, has killed twice as many people in the US this year(and every year) and there is no talk of social distancing, shutting down schools or businesses, straining medical resources, etc. Financial markets don't crash, store shelves don't run bare, state boundaries don't close. Why the disparate reactions?

Click to expand...

Because approx. 1%-2% of covid19 cases are fatal. If the flu had that mortality rate, it would make the effects of the covid19 seem negligible. Unfortunately ,there is no comparison between the two. Covid19 is probably 100 times as lethal as the flu. That's why you don't see financial markets crash, empty store shelves, closed borders.

Click to expand...

I'm astounded people keep making the comparison of run-of-the-mill flu to Covid. Far more people die in auto accidents every year as well. But if you had a 2% chance of dying every time you got in your vehicle, I promise you there would be a significant reaction.

The reason those steps were taken is to avoid overwhelming hospitals, something that would absolutely have happened without strong social distancing rules. That isn't a risk with the flu.

EverettGriz said:

srgrizizen said:

Because approx. 1%-2% of covid19 cases are fatal. If the flu had that mortality rate, it would make the effects of the covid19 seem negligible. Unfortunately ,there is no comparison between the two. Covid19 is probably 100 times as lethal as the flu. That's why you don't see financial markets crash, empty store shelves, closed borders.

Click to expand...

I'm astounded people keep making the comparison of run-of-the-mill flu to Covid. Far more people die in auto accidents every year as well. But if you had a 2% chance of dying every time you got in your vehicle, I promise you there would be a significant reaction.

The reason those steps were taken is to avoid overwhelming hospitals, something that would absolutely have happened without strong social distancing rules. That isn't a risk with the flu.

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There isn't a 2% chance that you will die from the Virus. Of the people who test positive for it, about 1% or so are dying. Almost all of them them are older and have other underlying conditions.

Im not sure that hospitals in MT would have been overwhelmed if nothing had been done.