The NBA Has A Tissue For Every Tear During The COVID-19 Pandemic

As of April 3rd,2020 , the NBA launched an NBA 2K “Players Only” and H-O-R-S-E tournaments to help grieving fans find comfort after the suspension of major sports amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NBA shocked all fans after the announcement that the rest of the NBA season had been suspended, on March 11th. This news came after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. In response to the growing tension from the fans, the NBA announced the NBA 2K “Players Only” Tournament.

“Beginning Friday, April 3 on ESPN and ESPN2, players... will compete in a single-elimination, player-only tournament on Xbox One,” reported the NBA.

The tournament winner will be able to choose their favorite charity to receive the $100,000 prize. Although the tournament was in place, die-hard basketball fans still want real basketball to watch. The NBA heard their cries and answered with a free NBA league pass preview through April 22nd 2020.

“The league announced Wednesday it was making its League Pass service free to all fans until April 22, allowing folks to watch games from this season and the NBA's archive of games from seasons past as well,” Timothy Rapp from BleacherReport announced.

The NBA was so eager to support their fans that they announced a “Quarantine” H-O-R-S-E tournament which includes past and present NBA and WNBA players that will be aired on ESPN.

We don’t know how long “stay- at- home” orders will last, or when the NBA season will resume, but if it does, but the NBA seems to have a lot of ideas in their bag to continue to make money and capture their fans’ attention. We’re excited to see what’s on the way!

COVID-19 Destroys The Professional Gaming Industry Causing Uproar In The Community

People gather for the largest esports competition in the world (Wikimedia Commons)

COVID-19 affects sports and communities of all kinds all across the world.Gaming and esports events all across the world have been suspended or transitioned to online platforms due to the recent outbreak. Cancelling these games are causing the industry to lose millions.

 Tournaments such as the League of Legends Championship Series and Overwatch League have been moved to online platforms. Although the amount of people who watch these events has not dropped, the revenue from live events have decreased significantly. Business Insider's Henry Blodget suggests the gaming industry won’t surpass the one billion dollar goal this year due to the coronavirus.

 “Esports revenue will dive, thanks to cancellations and postponements from the coronavirus after a $1 billion-plus estimate for 2020,” he says.

 The event E3 was canceled and many companies are scrambling to showcase their latest product to the world online. Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo live streamed their newest products such as the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X in order to make up for the lost revenue.

 “But companies have also increasingly turned to their direct channels to provide news to consumers. Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft frequently host live-streamed events to announce games and consoles,” says Vox writer Allegra Frank.

Players and the gaming community were hit hard with esport events canceled all over the world. Events with over 10,000 attendees were stopped to slow the spread of COVID-19.

 “The lack of real-world gaming events is a massive loss for the event organizers, players and the gaming community, but with many esports events holding over 10,000 attendees, the risk of infection was too high to ignore,” Kitty Bartholomew from IABUK said.

Luis Andino also contributed to this article

COVID-19 Strikes But Track And Field Athletes Fight Back

Sandi Morris Pole Vaulting / Flickr

The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games have been postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The year-long delay significantly impacts everyone involved in the Olympics, especially the Track and Field community which has the most events and athletes at the Summer Games.

The postponement means another year of training for all the runners, jumpers, and throwers hoping to compete in the Olympics. Many athletes will attempt to take advantage of this time to get in better shape; however, the coronavirus will hinder their ability to practice and deplete their finances. The athletes will have to alter their lifestyles to remain healthy during the virus outbreak.

Despite the disease’s disruption to their hopes and dreams, the majority of the athletes realize that delaying the Games was the right decision. Saving lives is more important than sports.

“Needless to say, I was really looking forward and my shape is good at the moment but for now we have to look at the bigger picture and do whatever it takes to beat the coronavirus,” Rio 2016 200m silver medallist Dafne Schippers posted on Instagram. “Let's hope for the best and let's make sure we'll celebrate even harder in 2021!”

Tianna Bartoletta is an American sprinter and long jumper who has won three gold medals and participated in two Olympics. She offered encouragement to all athletes while echoing a similar sentiment as her fellow runner.

“Dreams have NOT been cancelled,” Bartoletta tweeted. “Only delayed. Stay in it. Stay safe. Stay focused.”

Staying focused during a time like this won’t be easy with the threat of COVID-19 looming large. Some Olympians have to use all their resources on essential needs and can’t afford to pay for any equipment. The United States is giving athletes financial aid to increase their training capabilities while social distancing.

“To assist in bridging the gap between now and when restrictions are lifted and normal weight room access can occur,” the USA Track and Field organization announced, “the USATF and the USATF Foundation are partnering to allocate each Tier and [Talent Protection Program] athlete a stipend towards the purchase of simple, portable weight training equipment that they can use at home or at the track.”

Athletes’ strength, power, speed, and stamina will decrease without proper training. These attributes are especially key for track and field athletes who specialize in being the fastest and strongest.

“All sports where speed and explosiveness are required are going to be affected after two weeks,” sports scientist Lars Donath said to the Deutsche Welle media company.

Silver medallist pole-vaulter Sandi Morris is adapting on the fly to prepare for 2021. Her father is making a pole-vaulting pit to help her train during quarantine. Unfortunately, Morris has to travel over 600 miles and rent a house to be able to use it. Those expenses are more significant now that she has no income.

“[Morris] was concerned how she would support herself through the pandemic and the postponement, with no opportunities for appearance fees and prize money on the horizon,” Juliet Macur, et al. of the NY Times reported.

This is an unprecedented time filled with uncertainty for the whole world. The track and field stars have embraced the challenge of living in a pandemic while still preparing for the Games. They are not giving up or making excuses and look forward to proving themselves next summer.

Andy Jiang also contributed to this article.

Forget LeBron Or Giannis, A Microscopic Virus Is Taking Center-Stage In The NBA

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers wearing mask in light of COVID-19/ Basketballforever.com

After coronavirus scares forced the NBA season’s suspension two months ago, officials are considering canceling the season altogether. This unprecedented situation has also cast doubt about both players and staff salaries.

COVID-19’s spread to the United States caused large gatherings for sports, rallies, and other events to be canceled. For the NBA, their hiatus began after Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested positive for Coronavirus in early March.

The NBA has not released an official statement regarding what will become of the NBA’s 2020 season. Several different ideas going forward are being discussed, and multiple contingencies are being arranged to prepare the NBA for any course of action.

Resuming the season would ultimately cost the NBA more money as employees would be paid for longer. Their pay would be extended to include the rest of the season, in addition to the gap caused by its suspension. Therefore, even with the massive revenue the league brings in, it could make more economic sense for the NBA to cancel the season.

In the event of a cancellation, the NBA and the Players’ Association decided that player salaries will be reduced by 25%. As for stadium employees, some players and owners, such as notorious billionaire Mark Cuban and rising star Zion Williamson, have also pledged millions to cover their pay.

“Today I am pledging to cover the salaries for all of those Smoothie King Center workers for the next 30 days,” Williamson said on Instagram. “This is a small way for me to express my support and appreciation for these wonderful people who have been so great to me and my teammates.”

However, while canceling the entire season makes sense from an economic standpoint, it could have complications for the following season. There is uncertainty regarding determining the NBA Draft order, which decides what teams rookies go to. If there is no season, how does the league create an objective draft system? It is also the sheer will to win of the many basketball players and fans that would desperately want to see a champion crowned this season, however strange it has been.

"Factoring those things in, where will we be in May?” Commissioner Adam Silver said in an interview with TNT’s Ernie Johnson. “Will there be an opportunity, and I think beyond the virtue of crowning a champion, what will the symbolism be of major league sports starting back up in this country?”

One possible solution would be to have the playoffs behind closed doors with everyone quarantined in Las Vegas. Every player would be properly vetted beforehand, and any member of any organization still suffering from the coronavirus would not be allowed to participate. Silver, in support of this idea, stated that he is eager to restart the season once he is given the “all clear” from health officials.

There are strong reasons to both shut down the season and to keep it going. Economic advantage, players’ desire to win, and next year’s draft picks are all important, but they ultimately won’t be the deciding factors. In terms of a global health crisis, the NBA is of very minor importance, and the only factor that will truly decide the NBA’s next step is this deadly pandemic’s time frame. If the health experts deem it safe to play by June-July, then the league will undoubtedly resume in the summer; if not, this season will probably be the league’s first-ever cancellation.

Blake Owen also contributed to this article.

What Is MLB's Future Amidst a Global Crisis?

Adam Dunn striking out / Wikipedia Commons

MLB fans, players, and coaches were all shocked when the news broke out on March 12th that spring training was canceled and the season would be pushed back by at least two weeks. Currently, it remains unclear whether or not baseball will happen at all this year. This uncertainty will cause problems for the entire league and raises concerns for everyone involved in baseball.

The announcement comes amidst a series of suspensions across all professional sports, with leagues stopping their games until further notice. Now, one month after the planned opening day for baseball, some people are having doubts if the season will happen at all.

Christian Yelich, the 2018 National League MVP, spoke about the current situation and what it means for baseball. For him, it's a toss-up if the season will be canceled entirely.

"There's a very real chance that we don't play as much as there is that we do play,” he said on WEEI Radio's Ordway, Merloni & Fauria show. “I would say it is probably 50/50.”

With no games being played, the league has set a tiered payment system for the players. This system, however, only applies to players signed to a major league contract. Minor league players are paid by a stipend-based system instead. To help the ballpark employees, the MLB laid out a $30-million fund to support those put out of work.

“The health and safety of everyone in our communities is of the utmost importance to us,” MLB said in a press release last week.

This pandemic also hits hard on a local level, as many teams saw 2020 as a year of opportunity. The New York Mets, for example, had assembled a team full of star players like Marcus Stroman, Noah Syndergaard, Michael Conforto, and Pete Alonso. Now, there are concerns over who will stay and who will leave for free agency.

Still, every team identifies with the struggle of not playing an entire season. The Mets stand to lose $42.1 million, and the league is expected to lose around $4 billion altogether if the 2020 season is lost.

Even so, there is a plan to start the baseball season in Arizona. No fans will be allowed, but games will be played in the Arizona Diamondbacks' Chase Field while players and coaching staff stay in local hotels in self-isolation. While this is just an idea, there is hope that we will have baseball in 2020. One thing is for sure, it’s going to take an unprecedented effort to play the game amidst a crisis the world has never seen before.

Jaedon Satchell also contributed to this article.

Reshaping The NCAA In The Wake Of COVID-19

The Kansas Jayhawk's wrapping up a practice section for the NCAA tournament (Phil Roeder / flickr.com) 

The NCAA made the tough decision to cancel the Men’s Division I basketball tournament on March 12th. This comes as a result of growing concerns about the novel coronavirus. The March Madness cancellation comes as the first since the NCAA started in 1939.


NCAA member schools shut down campuses and sent students home before the cancellation. Schools like Duke University also suspended all athletic events, including their involvement in March Madness amidst growing coronavirus fears. As more major sports leagues suspended their seasons, NCAA President Mark Emmert decided to cancel the Division I basketball tournament, as well as all remaining winter and spring tournaments.


“Today, NCAA President Mark Emmert and the Board of Governors canceled the Division I men’s and women’s 2020 basketball tournaments, as well as all remaining winter and spring NCAA championships,” Emmert said in a statement on the NCAA website.


The league now has to deal with pressing issues. A decision was made on the eligibility of spring sport athletes, with the NCAA approving an extra year of eligibility for all spring sport athletes whose seasons were canceled due to COVID-19. To athletes, this news is bittersweet. Those who agree to return for another year may receive a smaller amount of scholarship money. Coaches from all across the country also begin recruiting in the spring, something now made impossible by the ongoing pandemic.


The NCAA makes about one billion dollars from the tournament annually; however, the decision to cancel March Madness also heavily impacted small businesses, especially sports bars and restaurants. When the event was announced as being closed to the public, there was still hope that people would come in to watch it on TV, but being entirely shut down will cause huge economic damage on these small businesses.


“It’s those local institutions and hourly people, who survive on tips and getting those extra shifts — that’s what will be lost,” sports economic professor Victor Matheson said in an interview with USA Today.


The decision to cancel the March Madness tournaments heavily impacts all aspects of college sports and beyond, even down to local businesses. With the NCAA’s ongoing changes, one can only wonder what will happen for college sports in the coming years.

Thomas O'Shea also contributed to this article.

IPL 2020 | Everyone Loses At The Hands Of COVID-19

Match between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knightriders during DLF IPL 2008 (Chandrachoodan Gopalakrishnan)

At the beginning of 2019, the novel coronavirus began to emerge and spread. Due to the risks of contracting the virus, the Indian Premier League has been suspended. The indefinite suspension of the IPL 2020 will affect the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s annual revenue. Additionally, the suspension will also affect many players financially and professionally.

The IPL is the richest cricket league in the world, bringing in the best cricketers from around the world. This tournament is played during an eight-week time frame usually between the end of March to mid-May. However, due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Indian government suspended all visas, and later on, implemented a nationwide lockdown. These two actions led to the IPL 2020 being suspended indefinitely as overseas players were not able to get visas and spectators could not come to watch the games at the stadiums.

 Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the BCCI and IPL stakeholders are projected to lose up to ₹60,000,000,000 ($788,000,000).

“Obviously if the organization takes a financial hit, the salaries of the employees get affected as well. The pay cuts are a possibility,” a BCCI official said to the Times Now News.

The BCCI and the teams are losing money due to the possibility of no IPL which would lead to many players getting no salary. The players are not only facing financial problems but they are also facing job insecurities.

“For athletes, there would be a range of experiences, from welcome relief for the established to anxiety and insecurity, both professionally and financially, for possibly a greater number,” former Rajasthan Royals coach Paddy Upton said to the Hindustan Times.

The IPL is a platform for many new and young players to show their talents to get a chance to play international cricket. Without the IPL many of the new players could have anxiety professionally and finality as they would have to wait another year to show their talent and get paid. However many including fans, players, the team owners, and the BCCI would want to see some form of the IPL in 2020.

“If it was a choice of no IPL or a domestic player-only IPL I would choose the latter,""I think we will have some form of the tournament this year. It will probably be a shortened tournament”Rajasthan Royals majority owner Manoj Badale said to ESPNCricInfo.

Badale still wants to see an IPL regardless of whether it be a shortened season without fans and international players. An official has mentioned that playing behind closed doors will be the last resort as it would hurt the BCCI financially and the games would not have the same feeling. There are talks for having the IPL later in the year when the COVID-19 Pandemic becomes controlled. Yet for now, the IPL is indefinitely suspended, players are not getting paid, and the BCCI is losing a lot of money.

Jacob Robles also contributed to this article