Risk vs. Reward
As Americans celebrate the Fourth of July weekend, it appears the spread of COVID-19 has not receded. If anything, according to the Centers for Disease Controls and Prevention, it is spreading rapidly. On Monday. Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the CDC said, the coronavirus is spreading too rapidly and too broadly for the U.S. to get it under control as some other countries have. She added. “This is really the beginning.” Under these circumstances sports in the United States is returning. The leagues that plan to play as soon as possible, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, and the National Hockey League have reported COVID-19 positive test results among the players. The leagues that are playing or getting ready, the National Women’s Soccer League and Major League Soccer have reported personnel who have tested positive for COVID-19. The Professional Golf Association is in the same boat. The PGA scheduled stop in Silvis, Illinois that was slated to begin on July 9th was canceled with that tournament being moved to Dublin, Ohio. Organizers of the Quad Cities event cited problems with COVID-19 in Illinois for the reason that the show could not go on.
Some Major League Baseball players have decided to forego playing in 2020 because of various concerns all related to COVID-19. The Minnesota Twins ownership has decided it is too risky for two older coaches to work and has reassigned them in order to reduce their health risks. The NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has acknowledged there is a health risk for players, coaches and other NBA personnel but the league is still planning to finish out the season in a Disney World bubble. Money talks. Television needs programming, sports can provide programming and at the end of the day, the decision comes down to risk and reward. Sports movers and shakers think reward wins.
