We are getting closer! The NBA, NHL, and MLB are negotiating deals with the players to proceed with playing in the very near future! Each one is different from each other as expected however they are in talks to complete the scenarios needed to get started.
The NHL is eying a playoff format. The top 4 teams in each conference will play each other in a mini-tournament for the top seeds. The remaining 16 teams will play each other in a 5-game series “play-in” round. This gives the better teams a higher seed and automatic bids while the lesser teams must play their way into the tournament. Questions remain over many issues, but it seems that there is a one site location to hold this tournament thought that is currently prevalent. The going city that has the buzz is Las Vegas. There are others in mind, but it is the prevailing thought based on hotel accommodations the city has. Non-playoffs teams will have a 10-month break between games due to the pandemic.
The NBA looks in one way at least like the NHL in that it wants to be in a primarily local as well. They have chosen Orlando, FL as that city. They working to forge a deal with Disney / ESPN to use the sites available there. The Arena and the Visa Center are set up for games and practices, and there are multiple facilities for housing in the Disney complexes that are around Orlando. There is no consensus on what the remainder of the season will look like. The NHL is going tournament style and we have not crossed that bridge yet with the NBA.
The hardest one to make an agreement on is and will be the MLB. Their season has yet to begin. They are planning a shortened season in terms of games and want to play in the home stadiums of the teams. There are many questions surrounding this and the toughest one is regarding how to split op the revenue. Setting that aside for a minute, it seems both sides agree on the safety and health of the players. That is a hurdle that seems like tweaking might be necessary to accommodate any issues and should not get in the way of coming to an agreement. There are stumbling blocks regarding the pay. The owners want to reduce the player's salaries more than the original agreement made from March and the players are not having it. However, it was reported today that both sides understand the magnitude of a lost season especially based on revenue sharing. IF MLB cannot get this off the ground, there would be irreparable damage done to the sport. At least both sides understand and have mastication to come to an agreement. We may not get a complete answer on this by the time we know what the NHL and NBA are doing but I would wager on the idea that an agreement will be made thus a season of some sort will be played.
I have been involved in the KBO. I can’t wait for them to allow fans in the stands as I think that will make that league much more watchable. The play is not up to par with MLB thus I miss the MLB players. I always look for starting pitchers who do not average more than 88mph and best against most of them in MLB games. KBO pitchers are virtually all this way! It is no wonder the hitters tend to tee off. It could one of the greatest summers in history as we could have the 3 major sports all competing at the same time for the majority of it. We will need the daylight savings time and the endless summer nights to use as prep work and study time to find our edges and make wagers. I would much rather have the warmth of the sun than the coldness of winter. As the states open, I can only envision this to be right for timing, and to enjoy the summer with sports! I can wait!
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