The Los Angeles Lakers ultimately won the NBA championship while the Tampa Bay Lightning hoisted their first Stanley Cup in 16 years. The players have all left the security of the bubble and have returned to their homes, waiting for the new season to begin.
Bubble boys
As we all know, the major North American professional sports leagues were forced to shut down last March due to the global pandemic and reopened ever so carefully in late July. The NBA and NHL decided to shorten their respective seasons and usher in the playoffs sooner than later. Those two leagues also mandated that whatever was left of the regular season, and the ensuing playoffs would be held in a bubble, effectively quarantining the athletes to make sure all remained healthy and tested negative for the novel coronavirus.
And while the NBA’s accommodations at five-star resorts in Disney World were undoubtedly more hospitable than the NHL’s guest quarters in Edmonton and Toronto, the fact remains that living in isolation for weeks and sometimes months depending on how far the team advanced through the playoffs, took its toll.
One NHL player, speaking on the condition of anonymity, talked freely about living in the bubble, "We love playing this sport, and I don't think there is one guy who wasn't appreciative for the chance to win the Cup this summer. But also, I don't think a lot of fans realize what an emotional toll the bubble took on some guys — the isolation, the grind, being away from our families and loved ones during a really stressful time, to begin with. To be honest, after the first few days, I noticed a lot of guys were more down than they usually are. Some guys were legitimately sad. It's not easy living like that for two months."
Those are the intangibles that affect the players and thus the outcomes of games.
Those of us who like to back our sports opinions with cold, hard, cash could very well be unwittingly wagering on games without considering the emotional toll on the athletes. Even the best betting sites could be vulnerable to loose lines and point spreads, as the mental health and welfare of the players could be compromised, which is why there were some odd scoring results, all of this is taking into account by the experts when making their picks.
However, according to another NHL player who requested anonymity, any concerns about catching the virus dissipated quickly as testing protocols were rigid and strictly adhered to, "Security was very tight. For all the guys that were questioning how safe it would be, that quickly went away. It was one of the safest places you could be. They were constantly checking your credentials, constantly checking our Clear App, constant security. In that sense, they did a really good job."
Traveling a concern
The Los Angeles Lakers ultimately won the NBA championship while the Tampa Bay Lightning hoisted their first Stanley Cup in 16 years. The players have all left the security of the bubble and have returned to their homes, waiting for the new season to begin.
However, Major League Baseball and the NFL are currently active but without the protection of the bubble. League officials chose to employ testing protocols but the players have been free to travel back and forth to their practice facilities while flying to their road games. This has not been without its consequences as games have been canceled or postponed and there is far more uncertainty in this approach.
Recently, New England Patriots’ quarterback, Cam Newton, had tested positive for COVID-19 and when the Pats traveled to Kansas City to play the Chiefs, the franchise sent two planes, one with approximately 20 players who had had close contact with Newton shortly before he tested positive, and another for the rest of the team. All-Pro defensive back, Stephon Gilmore, was on the smaller plane with those who had contact with Newton and subsequently tested positive himself for the virus.
A total of four New England players would test positive and their Week 5 game against the Denver Broncos was postponed until later on in the season due to all of these recent infections. This is not the only game affected due to positive testing among players, as the Tennessee Titans have also experienced a breakout which has affected their schedule as well.
NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, has put the onus of keeping players safe squarely on the franchises. If players are not practicing social distancing, wearing masks, and adhering to all of the other protocols that go hand-in-hand with maintaining safety from the novel coronavirus then penalties will be levied on the franchises, and if games are ultimately canceled, the offending team may be hit with a forfeit loss on its record.
In a recent NFL call to owners, GM’s, and coaches, Goodell was clearly troubled by the lack of concern and protocols being employed by some of the franchises. "It was very clear that Roger is not taking this lightly at all," said one team executive who took place on the call. "You don't hear language like that (forfeiture) very often. Hopefully, it got people's attention, because some of these teams don't seem to be taking it seriously enough at all."
