NEW YORK, NY – With the major sports set to resume over the next few weeks, there are still some major concerns over whether the sports can pull off the restart safely. The NBA bubble is up and going. 
Think of the Orlando facility like a fortified compound in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. The teams will spend roughly six weeks at a minimum in the bubble to complete the 2019-20 season.
The success of the NBA bubble depends on how well they can control everyone coming and going from the facility. Florida is in the middle of a massive spike in COVID-19 cases. One or two positive results in the bubble could derail the endeavor and end the season for good. And we will see how the players cope with being isolated from the outside world for two months. It could be a trying experience and lead to players looking to wander off for a break.
Baseball’s return is imminent and that too could be doomed. The shortened season is set to start next week with no fans in the ballparks. The amount of travel required for even a shortened season along with the rise in Coronavirus cases throughout the country make me think that this baseball season could get shut down before too long.
The Yankees are set to open the season against the defending champion Washington Nationals next Thursday in Washington.
The Mets will open their season when they host the Braves on Friday.
My guess is that Baseball doesn’t complete their season with COVID cases on the rise throughout the United States. they may have to finish the season in a central location like the NBA and the NHL.
Hockey is set to return on August 1st with a 24-team tournament to determine the 2020 Stanley Cup Champions. The Eastern Conference games will take place in Toronto with the western conference set for Edmonton. Of the three sports mentioned, the NHL restart has the best chance of success.
With all games set to be played in Canada, where they have their sh*t together during this pandemic. The Rangers and Islanders will both be in the tournament. The Rangers start their tournament against the Hurricanes on August 1st. The Isles take on the Panthers later the same day.
The Broadway Blues will have Chris Kreider back from injury for the tournament and they have a chance to make some noise. I don’t think anyone knows what to expect for this season. The Bruins were the odds-on favorites to win the Cup back in March before the shutdown. A four month layoff could change things. Teams are essentially playing preseason in terms of conditioning and the playoffs in terms of the stakes.
A slow start for a team could spell the end of their season. The Blueshirts and Canes will play a best-of-five series to qualify for the playoffs. Any slip-ups could be dire for the Blueshirts. The same goes for the Islanders in their series against the Florida Panthers.
I’m excited to see how things pan out with all of these sports. I’m hopeful they all can safely complete their seasons but I’m not optimistic.
That’s all for me today. Stay safe out there and come back tomorrow for Short Matt, who has yet to complete anything.
