Chris Mannix thinks NBA season can continue in Vegas sometime in the summer

[RockinRyA]

According to Woj, there's a chance that fans won't be in attendance of games for A FEW years (at least through 2021). Though NBA games can be played again some time in the future, it's likely to be without attendance for a while. The logic is that they don't want to have fans gathering into arenas until a vaccine comes out, but that could take between 12-18 months

That would be a blow to the Celtics because I think Celtics crowd is a real advantage, even in away games. I understand why though.

[Redz]

So more information coming out about MLB plan.

It includes, no umpires and will have a fully electronic strike zone.  The players would not be in the dugout but would be spread out in the empty stands with the only real close contact coming with the catcher at the plate and the plays at the bases. 

They are also discussing radical realignment for the season such that the Grapefruit and Cactus normal spring training sites would end up being the two leagues and the home games (they are discussing 26 home sites including the Rays, Marlins, and Diamondback domed stadiums).  Thus significantly reducing travel and interaction but giving some level of home for the home team.  Obviously the states of Florida and Arizona need to sign off on such arrangement.  The schedule would be 12 games against each of your new division and 6 games against the other teams in your state, and they are looking at the World Series in the domed stadiums in November.  They would work in double headers each night since there are an odd number of teams in each state (i.e. 15 each).

Kind of just reeks of desperation. Unfortunately none of this seems feasible any time soon. So many major blocks to it, not least of which is many players don’t want to leave their families during a pandemic. Chatter on NBA returning has quieted down this week as well.

There was an article on ESPN that I linked to in the Coronavirus and Sports threads that had quotes from player after player saying they wouldn't make the sacrifice of being away from family for possibly up to 4 months during this pandemic crisis.

MLB can come up with all the plans in the world, the NBA and NHL too. But if the players aren't going to leave their loved ones behind in the crisis, there will be no games.

exactly !   why would they want to risk their lives or health of their families.   It might take a  hundred people , security,  transpotation ,  medical staff,  lights , maintenance,   police , on and on to open up just for them even if no fans are there.   This doesn't sound appealing as a player to me or to watch .

I think what several players said multiple times in the ESPN article I mentioned bares repeating and that was(paraphrasing):

Hey, my wife is pregnant. I am not leaving her with a baby due.

Or

Hey, I have teammates who's wives are expecting. I can't imagine them leaving their wife and family now, during all this, to play ball like that for months. Nor would I expect them to.

Is there a chance they would go the replacement player route like they did during one of the strikes?

[nickagneta]

Is there a chance they would go the replacement player route like they did during one of the strikes?

Good question. I do not know.

My guess is that all the major sports are going to have to get their respective player's unions to agree with all of these ideas for play during the coronavirus crisis. Now if the unions don't agree or if the union vote is approved going forward, but there is a sizeable amount of players that say they still won't show then, it could be game on between owners and players in these sports.

The NBA, I read, has the legal ability to pull off a nuclear option and just rip up the current CBA, so that would essentially start a lockout by the owners. Guaranteed as part of that option is invoking the forced majeure clause that would allow the NBA to hold back or make the players pay back up to 25% of their salaries.

I guess if the MLB and NFL doesn't get their way they could do something similar by locking out players and trying replacement players. But, let's face it, neither league had a good experience going that route in the past, so maybe that's not an option. I just don't know.

I really don't know enough about the hockey labor relations with ownership to comment on that situation.

[SHAQATTACK]

Maybe Chris should look for other employment for the next year .   I hear the TP companies are hiring.

[Redz]

Maybe Chris should look for other employment for the next year .   I hear the TP companies are hiring.

TP for TP jokes 

[Phantom255x]

According to Woj, there's a chance that fans won't be in attendance of games for A FEW years (at least through 2021). Though NBA games can be played again some time in the future, it's likely to be without attendance for a while. The logic is that they don't want to have fans gathering into arenas until a vaccine comes out, but that could take between 12-18 months

That would be a blow to the Celtics because I think Celtics crowd is a real advantage, even in away games. I understand why though.

It's a blow to a lot of teams. I also think it'd make the regular season even more "meh", because without fans, who really cares about what seeding you get? Homecourt advantage wouldn't even exist. Just finish Top-8 in the conference and battle. You can worry about matchups when it comes down to it, but that's probably not until like the last 15-20 games of the season when the playoff picture starts to get clearer

[saltlover]

According to Woj, there's a chance that fans won't be in attendance of games for A FEW years (at least through 2021). Though NBA games can be played again some time in the future, it's likely to be without attendance for a while. The logic is that they don't want to have fans gathering into arenas until a vaccine comes out, but that could take between 12-18 months

That would be a blow to the Celtics because I think Celtics crowd is a real advantage, even in away games. I understand why though.

It's a blow to a lot of teams. I also think it'd make the regular season even more "meh", because without fans, who really cares about what seeding you get? Homecourt advantage wouldn't even exist. Just finish Top-8 in the conference and battle. You can worry about matchups when it comes down to it, but that's probably not until like the last 15-20 games of the season when the playoff picture starts to get clearer

Yeah, I think there’s zero chance that a consensus of mayors and governors will allow large groups of people to congregate inside arenas and concert venues until there is wide distribution of a vaccine and/or significant supplies of a drug that treats the virus at a very high rate of success without a lot of adverse side effects.  I was scheduling around performing in Carnegie Hall next spring —
I think there’s about a 10% chance of that happening now.

[Phantom255x]

According to Woj, there's a chance that fans won't be in attendance of games for A FEW years (at least through 2021). Though NBA games can be played again some time in the future, it's likely to be without attendance for a while. The logic is that they don't want to have fans gathering into arenas until a vaccine comes out, but that could take between 12-18 months

That would be a blow to the Celtics because I think Celtics crowd is a real advantage, even in away games. I understand why though.

It's a blow to a lot of teams. I also think it'd make the regular season even more "meh", because without fans, who really cares about what seeding you get? Homecourt advantage wouldn't even exist. Just finish Top-8 in the conference and battle. You can worry about matchups when it comes down to it, but that's probably not until like the last 15-20 games of the season when the playoff picture starts to get clearer

Yeah, I think there’s zero chance that a consensus of mayors and governors will allow large groups of people to congregate inside arenas and concert venues until there is wide distribution of a vaccine and/or significant supplies of a drug that treats the virus at a very high rate of success without a lot of adverse side effects.  I was scheduling around performing in Carnegie Hall next spring —
I think there’s about a 10% chance of that happening now.

Exactly. And it's a little different for every state. Like, maybe one state isn't hit hard, but then you have states like NY/NJ getting hammered. I have a feeling that while people start gradually going back to work, they will still force people to avoid gatherings of over 1,000+ for a long time (like concerts, sports, etc.)

[celticsclay]

Chinese basketball association delayed again, this time till July. People really think we can still start in June? That would be a bit shocking to me https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29034717/chinese-basketball-association-pushes-back-restart-least-july

[hpantazo]

I'm most worried about the quotes coming from the Celtics players, like Tatum saying he hasn't even touched a ball since the NBA shut down, and Hayward playing video games and saying he would need a long time to get back to game shape.

IF the NBA tries to salvage the end of this season, the Celtics are going to be hurting. I imagine some wealthier players like Lebron and AD have indoor home courts and great home gyms, but it looks like the Celtics players dont, probably because their team athletic center is so central and state of the art they never felt they would need anything else.

[Monkhouse]

Chris Mannix probably got paid $$$ to make this bold statement.