To bubble or not to bubble

The NBA and MLB face the impacts of the coronavirus as they try to finish their seasons and protect their players

BY ALEXANDER BRAZDA, STAFF WRITER

After months of inactivity in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Major League Baseball (MLB) due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many professional sports teams have returned to the stadiums. However, games are far from normal, as the leagues have faced a multitude of challenges trying to finish their seasons. To ensure the safety of fans and all other parties invested in the sports, teams are continuing their seasons without fan attendance.

According to the Atlanta Journal and Constitution, the NBA is thriving in its bubble — an isolation zone in Orlando that they cannot leave until the season ends—with zero confirmed coronavirus cases since the seasons resumed.

On the other hand, the MLB made the decision to not continue their season in a bubble, which is reflected in the dozens of cases their players contracted. Their decision to play in their home stadiums led to positive COVID-19 results in 26 MLB teams, including 18 players on the Miami Marlins and 102 total players as of mid-August.

“I do not think any system that deals with containing or contacting is perfect or completely effective. [The] MLB plan is relying on a system that relies on the individual to be selfless and think of others ahead of themselves,” head baseball coach Ernie Padron said.

Consequently, the quick outbreak of the virus has caused the league to have to further postpone their games. Although MLB players were given the choice to play in a quarantine facility, many feared being away from their families for several weeks in one location with over 900 players would be ineffective.

Nonetheless, these leagues are also facing huge financial problems even after the restart of their seasons. According to ESPN, the NBA commissioner announced that the league earns approximately 40% of its revenue from ticket, a feat that is impossible now.

The lack of funding has also resulted in many team owners putting their teams up for sale, including the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Golden State Warriors are considering making a deal with Goldman Sachs, a leading global investment banking company, to raise $250 million to pay for team expenses. Doing so would give them a huge advantage, preventing them from having to trade valuable players, like Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. While according to FOX Business, the total MLB player compensation is expected to be about $1.5 billion, or nearly 37% of full-season salaries.

Moreover, stadium workers whose entire incomes come from working at the games are being impacted. According to The Nation, Miami Marlins stadium worker Jackie Walker worries about her future because after the shutdown of the MLB she lost her health insurance. Walker and the other 39,000 MLB stadium workers are outraged that they are receiving little to no help from the organization.

Playing games with no fans in attendance and in different stadiums is very different from what they are used to and has a large effect on the performance of athletes. To accommodate for the loss of fans and crowd noise that makes a sports game special, the NBA has virtual fans and noises while the MLB has cardboard cutouts of fans. According to CrownHoops, free throw and three-point shooting percentages in the NBA have risen in the bubble. Before, players were shooting 38.9% from the corner and that number has gone up to 42.8%. Evidently, the change in scenery and audience has had a positive effect on how well the players are performing.

Given that it will take time until fans can go to stadiums to watch their favorite players, the solutions to the financial issues in the leagues are still in question.