Mary Beth Yeary

From players contracting the coronavirus to entire conferences being canceled, saying the pandemic has done a real wringer to the sports word feels beyond an understatement. When or even if things will ever go back to “normal,” no one can say. However, there are steps sports have taken to make sure the impact of the virus is at least lessened

 

One of these steps can be seen in the NHL and the NBA, the playoff bubble. The basic gist is that leagues have sanctioned off areas, the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida for the NBA and parts of the Canadian cities of Toronto and Edmonton for the NHL, for playoff games and practices.  The rules of these “bubble” areas are extensive, but here are some of the highlights of how the leagues are playing with safety as the top priority, while also providing the most enjoyable experience possible:

 

Restricted Contact and Allowed Areas

At first, only players, coaches, and team or league personnel were allowed in each league’s bubbles, along with the staffs of any hotels, restaurants, or other buildings or services in the bubble area, according to sportingnews.com. Fans are not allowed to come and watch the games, but plans were made in both leagues to allow for limited guests (friends and family of the players). Now that it has reached its playoffs, the NBA has allowed players to invite family and friends into the hotel room, and only two people, one guest and one young child, to watch games in person. The NHL, however, is not allowing any guests until the finals.

 

Players in both leagues are not allowed to be in each other’s hotel rooms, which are occupied by a singer player each. Regular testing for COVID-19 occurs in both leagues, with quarantine plans for anyone who tests positive. 

 

People aren’t just limited to arenas, practices areas and hotel while they are in the bubbles. Each bubble area also has areas for dining, entertainment, and recreation.

 

Leaving the Bubble

Sportingnews.com states players cannot leave the NHL and NBA bubbles unless they meet certain criteria, such as for medical reasons, family events like the birth of a child, illness/death in their family or a wedding.  

 

The website also states the NBA allows players to leave any time, but if they leave without permission, which requires being excused because of life events similar to the NHL’s criteria, they face a reduction in salary for any games missed. NBA teams can also suffer consequences like 

 

Players in both leagues are quarantined if they come back to the bubble, with a 10 to 14 day quarantine for all NHL players and NBA players who left without permission and 4 days of quarantine for NBA players who left with permission as long as they test negative for the virus each day they are outside of the NBA bubble.

 

These practices; which help keep track of the teams, who they are with and where they go; are essential for keeping COVID numbers down, but most likely not obsolete This is risk management,  not elimination, as players are not forced to stay in the bubbles outright and even leaving for an approved event has its risks. 

 

However, it is a much better option than transporting teams like regular playoffs and certainly much better than letting just anyone attend games or be in contact with players, coaches, and staff. A bubble allows for security than just playing one or two cities without any kind of zoning of people would not have. It is basically like an expanded version of what people have been experienced in their own home quarantine, with a limited “family” of necessary people.

 

The playoffs also stand to be much quicker, thanks to less travel days for the NHL, who plans to have just one bubble city, Edmonton, for the final rounds, and no travel for the NBA teams. A faster playoff season could be a blessing as everyone will not have to be around each other as long as a regular season. 

 

All in all, whether we’ll see a Stanley Cup or NBA final completely COVID-free is unlikely, but the leagues are doing their best to make it a reality. Quick, early decisions have gotten both leagues to realized and enact these “bubbles.” The MLB and NFL, now considering the practice for their own teams, would do well to study what these leagues got wrong and got right in making their decision. The healthy and safety of all those involved in major league sports depends on it.

 

Mary Beth Yeary designs pages for The Valdosta Daily Times, The Tifton Gazette and The Moultrie Observer. She lives and works in Valdosta.