Mark Madden: No chance pro athletes follow all covid-19 protocols - TribLIVE

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About an hour ago

I have little confidence that any of America’s big-time pro sports leagues will see their seasons through to a conclusion, or even start/resume them.

The NBA has the best plan. It doesn’t matter that Florida is a covid-19 hot spot as long as all NBA personnel stay inside the Disney World bubble. Workers that move in and out of the bubble pose a minimal threat, but it’s one that can be coped with.

But will NBA players keep the bubble intact? Don’t bet on it. What happens when they want fun, or sex, or something besides the bubble? (We won’t even wear masks here in Pittsburgh.)

Cases of covid-19 must be treated like injuries. But, said NBA commissioner Adam Silver, “If we were to have significant spread of coronavirus through our community, that ultimately might lead us to stopping.” So, that option is being mooted before a ball is dribbled.

Stir in absurdities like the NFL considering the admission of fans. Tom Brady is refusing to cease informal workouts in Tampa despite being told to do so by his union (which, as a result, has a tougher time playing the danger card when it negotiates terms of resumption). The NHL insanely will not quarantine players during training camp.

American sports are clueless about the virus. We’re in the middle of a global pandemic that is rebuilding momentum in the U.S., and Steelers coach Mike Tomlin frets openly about the snaps his team missed at OTAs and mini-camp. Like Brady, Tomlin can’t see beyond football.

The leagues may make the proper plans. I don’t trust the players to execute.

Dozens of players might get covid-19. Worse yet, maybe a player’s wife or child gets it, or a father or mother, or a grandfather or grandmother.

When that happens, panic will lead to shutdown.

But it’s a safe bet that any surge of covid-19 within the context of sports won’t originate in the workplace. Nobody gets on the field, court or rink unless they’ve tested negative. It can’t spread in practice or during games. Sports workplaces will be among America’s safest.

Unless an athlete brings it into the locker room because he broke the bubble or didn’t obey whatever safety protocol the league has in place.

Like Brady in Tampa, who does what he wants because preparing to win trumps a pandemic. Brady posted a quote by Franklin Delano Roosevelt on social media: “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” Tell this stupid idiot that FDR caught polio, a contagious virus. It put him in a wheelchair.

America is being embarrassed by Europe, which handled covid-19 much better. That trickled down to big-time soccer resuming across the continent. That was made easier by negotiation with the players being kept to a minimum. Guess what? They all showed up. MLB, on the other hand, had an unseemly labor dispute where nothing got solved.

The nickel-diming when/if sports resumes will be maddening. I see hypotheticals like, “What if Kansas City is in the NFL playoffs and Patrick Mahomes gets covid-19?”

That’s easy: The backup quarterback plays, and the Chiefs probably lose. This is a unique situation. Odd things will keep occurring. It’s only one season. (We hope.) Maybe the best team doesn’t win. (The best team very often doesn’t win even in normal times.)

Covid-19 is an injury. The protocol of the leagues seems to understand that. But will the leagues execute that protocol if one team has 10-12 cases, or will they be triggered?

Next man up. Tomlin says that all the time. Pro athletes are young and fit. The virus poses them almost zero risk of significant damage. Dying in a car wreck is much more probable.

In this space, I originally predicted we wouldn’t see big-time sports in America until there is a vaccine or cure. (New Orleans safety Malcolm Jenkins says he won’t play until the virus’ threat is eliminated. That’s easy for him to do, having already earned $59.4 million. Jenkins says football is a non-essential business. It’s been pretty essential to him.)

I’m tempted to stick by that prediction.

Some sports may start/resume. I doubt they’ll finish. I have no faith in the players to have the discipline to execute the protocol. I have no faith that the leagues have confidence in their plans or will stay the course. I have no faith that Pittsburghers will wear a mask.

Categories: Mark Madden Columns | Sports