That's really interesting. I understand that the teams outside of this restart are at a disadvantage but making an 8 team bubble in Chicago seems like a costly solution to the problem. If the 22 team bubble is costing the league 150 million but it's generating far more than that in mostly TV revenue, I just think it would be odd to invest something like 50 million in a smaller bubble with little chance to generate revenue and likely no chance to recompense the entire cost. I guess you could just look at the collective bubble cost as around 200 million to keep the league going. I guess that is a more egalitarian and longsighted way to look at it but it's still a little curious to me that making another of these costly bubbles is the best solution both fiscally and competitively.
Um after reading this article... https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id...ssing-second-bubble-non-playoff-teams-chicago I realize that the time in the bubble which looks like it would be around one month would mean it would cost far less than 50 million. That being said, if I were the players especially I wouldn't be cool with anything that unnecessarily increases league expenses and therefore eats into the league revenue since they're already on the hook to basically lose a bunch due to lost revenue. This again would give the league a bleaker financial outlook which will give the owners leverage in a renegotiation of the CBA.
"Having a case is almost inevitable, so it'll be about minimizing the chain reaction," said a person who is familiar with the plans developed by the NBA and MLB, who was not authorized to discuss them publicly. "The whole strategy is to minimize the chance of being shut down again, but they’re fully prepared to have some players become infected.” Can sports return responsibly during the COVID-19 pandemic? The NBA’s plan, which may be the most extensive and viable, has received praise from several experts, including the nation’s top infectious disease specialist, Dr. Anthony Fauci. But it still may not work if cases spike within the league or to extreme levels in the host cities. That raises the question of just how feasible it is for sports to return, especially for leagues without the more than 100-page safety protocol being adopted by the NBA. https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nc...ibly-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/ar-BB16egSF
It’s absolutely happening. Only 25 players have tested positive and no one on any of the travelling parties will be allowed to fly to Orlando until they test negative. And if there is testing every day and you’re only on the court if you test negative, this should work.
I hope so, and really want it to, but the risks are really high. The Pacers have already mailed it in and said they are only showing up because they have to. The championship will absolutely be full of asterisks. And regarding the cases, this is all assuming that people who do test positive don't get seriously ill. We all are guessing they will simple stay quarantined and get better and return eventually. If a coach/player does not recover, what are the contingencies for that?
