The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.
Everybody wants LIVE sports. I had a taste of it the past two weekends, when two golf events were presented for charity without fans. I found one (Tiger and Phil) quite entertaining while the other had very little excitement. I found it ironic in the one sport where fans must be quiet during a golfer’s swing, the absence of a crowd to reward a good shot made competition, dare I say, both interesting in one telecast and boring in the other.
So what will the “interest meter” register when baseball makes its return, which it, surely, will do in a short while? Remember, there will be no fans in the stands.
This past week, Major League Baseball presented a 67-page document (the number is not a misprint) to the players’ union outlining the rules teams and players must follow. Baseball is going to have to hire someone who really has memorized all of the rules just to oversee every game. I certainly can’t imagine players, managers, and umpires remembering everything they need to do to comply.
Let me give you some examples of the procedures outlined:
- Players and, I assume, all personnel, must take their temperatures twice before coming to the ballpark. It must register under 100. Upon arriving at the park, temperatures will be taken twice again.
- They must take their own car or team bus to the stadium. No public transportation allowed.
- Lockers will be at least six feet apart and everyone must wear a mask.
- Team meetings will be “virtual” or held outside with proper spacing and team meals will be “box lunches”, no more buffets.
- Dugouts will only have managers, coaches, and players ready to enter the game. All other players will be in the stands.
- No mascots, ball girls, or bat boys.
- No meeting at home to exchange lineups. Lineups will be presented electronically.
- No spitting (Geez, what will the cameras shoot between pitches?)
- Players are to wash hands after every half inning.
- No high-fives, hugs, fist bumps, or fighting (obviously bench-clearing is a no-no).
- Baseballs will be changed after multiple “touches” by players.
- No throwing “around the horn”.
- No postgame victory celebration.
- And players must shower at home or in their hotel room after the game.
Remember this is a 67-page document. I have, obviously, only scratched the surface here.
And remember, the players came out with a response document of their own and players’ paychecks are still being debated, so nothing is firmly in place yet.
And with the only fans being television viewers, the real interest, other than the game itself, might be sitting around the TV, six feet apart, and spotting some of the new rules violations. Sounds like a potential drinking game to me.
Play Ball!!
ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
- Tom Brady’s birdie shot on the seventh hole on Sunday was nothing short of miraculous. Not only did it earn an extra $100,000 for charity from Brooks Koepka, but it came right after Charles Barkley got under his skin for his poor performance up to then. Any golfer knows how rare such a shot is for an amateur and for it to come at that moment was storybook material. I did wonder, though, after the shot why someone who makes the money Brady makes would wear a pair of pants that split in the back.
- I have one other question about Sunday’s match – How can four players, and two are the very best in the world, take almost five hours to play 18 holes? They each had their own individual “souped” up carts; played nine holes in a format that is like playing as a twosome; and could pick up their ball when a hole was decided. If that was the group I played with, a ranger would have asked us to leave the course.
- With the SEC announcing there will be football this year, it is beginning to appear more likely that college sports will be back in the fall. And with some fans. Obviously, a lot can happen between now and then, but, at least, there appears to be hope.
- Congratulations to Bob Hartman, the District XI Chairman, for being elected to the position of PIAA Vice-President.
- Keep enjoying RCN TV’s look back of some of the memorable broadcasts of this past year. We will be back eventually, hopefully, sooner and safer than ever.
