The Centers for Disease Control said Sunday that it was recommending that no one gather in groups of larger than 50 people for the next eight weeks, and that smaller gatherings practice “social distancing” of six-foot gaps between people, making it unlikely that American sports return in the next eight weeks.
NOTE: It was just a recommendation, not a federal ban on large gatherings while the coronavirus spreads.
And while the CDC said that its recommendation included “large events and mass gatherings include conferences, festivals, parades, concerts, sporting events, weddings, and other types of assemblies,” it also said that it “does not apply to the day to day operation of organizations such as schools, institutes of higher learning, or businesses.”
ESPN reported Sunday night that NBA owners believe that the best-case scenario is a “mid-June” return with no fans, putting the NBA Finals into August. ESPN also reported that most teams think the G-League season will be canceled.
Any baseball game is a gathering of more than 50 people, which means that teams won’t even be able to resume spring training until mid-May, which could push the start of the regular season into June. Does that mean a 100-game MLB season? Does it mean a World Series during Thanksgiving? USA Today reported that some MLB executives believe the season won’t start until Memorial Day (May 25) or later. .
