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Report: Orlando the frontrunner for NBA return (Update: and Vegas?)

Posted: Wed May 20, 2020 6:40 pm
by HotRocks34
https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/258214/Orlando-Emerges-As-Clear-Frontrunner-For-NBAs-Return-To-Play-Site

The NBA has identified Disney World in Orlando as a clear frontrunner for its return-to-play site for resuming the 19-20 season, sources tell The Athletic.


As far as I know, the UFC's 3 recent events in Jacksonville went off without a hitch. One fighter and two of his cornermen tested positive (the fighter did not participate in the event and was sent home once he tested positive, I think the day before his scheduled bout), but so far that seems like the only negative occurrence from those outings. More time will be needed to see if anyone else got sick.

ESPN and Disney probably are liking the news.

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EDIT: See Page 4 of the thread for information about Vegas possibly (also) being in the mix for the NBA's return

Re: Report: Orlando the frontrunner for NBA resumed season

Posted: Wed May 20, 2020 6:44 pm
by binjumper
HotRocks34 wrote:One fighter and two of his cornermen tested positive, but so far that seems like the only negative occurrence from those outings. More time will be needed to see if anyone else got sick.


How is this not insanely alarming?

Re: Report: Orlando the frontrunner for NBA resumed season

Posted: Wed May 20, 2020 6:47 pm
by heatwillbeback
binjumper wrote:
HotRocks34 wrote:One fighter and two of his cornermen tested positive, but so far that seems like the only negative occurrence from those outings. More time will be needed to see if anyone else got sick.


How is this not insanely alarming?


They got tested and the fighter was removed from the card and as I understand it, isolated. I'm sure it was the same with the cornermen.

If he had fought when positive it would be a much bigger issue.

Testing is the key to this whole thing.

Now in a team sport it will suck if a team has to go without a top player, especially in a playoff setting. But you better bet positive testing players will be isolated.

Re: Report: Orlando the frontrunner for NBA resumed season

Posted: Wed May 20, 2020 6:49 pm
by HotRocks34
binjumper wrote:
HotRocks34 wrote:One fighter and two of his cornermen tested positive, but so far that seems like the only negative occurrence from those outings. More time will be needed to see if anyone else got sick.


How is this not insanely alarming?



If you're going to resume playing (or fighting), you have to be willing to work through positive tests. Both the NBA and NFL have said they want to be able to do that.


https://ftw.usatoday.com/2020/05/adam-silver-on-how-the-nba-would-deal-with-a-positive-coronavirus-test-after-season-restart

According to Silver, the NBA hopes that it will be able to continue playing games even in the event a player tests positive, and plans to have the affected individual self quarantine while continuing to test all those who came in contact.



https://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/sports/nfl-expects-positive-coronavirus-tests-focuses-on-proper-response/article_f1925e39-3cc3-539f-80b8-a9f54d01e0de.html

As the NFL prepares for the eventual return of football activities and the start of a season amid the coronavirus pandemic, its chief medical officer is focused on responding properly when some players and staff inevitably test positive for the virus.

"We fully well expect that we will have positive cases that arise," Dr. Allen Sills told reporters on a conference call Tuesday. "Because we think that this disease will remain endemic in society, it shouldn't be a surprise that new positive cases arise.

"Our challenge is to identify them as quickly as possible and prevent spread to any other participants. We're working very diligently on that, and we'll have some detailed plans at a later time."



With a disease this contagious, and with so many people involved (I think the UFC events had like 300 people at each), there is no way that all the tests will be negative. Then it becomes how well and how rapidly leagues can adapt to the positive tests.

I personally think it's tough for the NBA, like if a star tests positive and they miss a playoff series. But until a vaccine arrives, there is probably no way to attempt to play without expecting to have positive tests come back.

Re: Report: Orlando the frontrunner for NBA resumed season

Posted: Wed May 20, 2020 7:03 pm
by HotRocks34
binjumper wrote:
HotRocks34 wrote:One fighter and two of his cornermen tested positive, but so far that seems like the only negative occurrence from those outings. More time will be needed to see if anyone else got sick.


How is this not insanely alarming?



I added that the guy tested positive BEFORE the event and was sent home. The way I wrote it did not make that clear. You're right -- if he had tested positive and then fought, that could have been a disaster. But they caught it early.

Re: Report: Orlando the frontrunner for NBA resumed season

Posted: Wed May 20, 2020 7:08 pm
by bisme37
Shout out to Keith Smith aka Smitty731. I believe he was the first one to suggest Orlando/Disney World as the best place to finish the season and shared his thoughts here and on other sites over a month ago.

Re: Report: Orlando the frontrunner for NBA resumed season

Posted: Wed May 20, 2020 7:09 pm
by NyKnicks1714
Nah, they'll be swept by Milwaukee.

Re: Report: Orlando the frontrunner for NBA resumed season

Posted: Wed May 20, 2020 7:15 pm
by Ralnor
My only really question is what happens to the employees of Disney World? I am guessing the park will not be open if the NBA is using it to play their season since the 'bubble' will be up.

Re: Report: Orlando the frontrunner for NBA resumed season

Posted: Wed May 20, 2020 7:15 pm
by Duke4life831
binjumper wrote:
HotRocks34 wrote:One fighter and two of his cornermen tested positive, but so far that seems like the only negative occurrence from those outings. More time will be needed to see if anyone else got sick.


How is this not insanely alarming?


Isn't it the opposite? Jacare and his cornermen got the virus prior to the fight. It actually showed their precautions worked and didnt spread to anyone else at the event. If a good amount of people at the event ended up testing positive because of Jacare, then ya that would be alarming because that would've meant all the precautionary measurements taken didnt prevent anything. Now the UFC made the mistake of knowing Jacare had been in contact with family members who had tested positive and still had him come to the event. Dumb move by them and now that has been changed and if a fighter has been in contact with someone, they have to run through a gauntlet of tests before they could fly out to the event.

Re: Report: Orlando the frontrunner for NBA resumed season

Posted: Wed May 20, 2020 7:21 pm
by madmaxmedia
HotRocks34 wrote:With a disease this contagious, and with so many people involved (I think the UFC events had like 300 people at each), there is no way that all the tests will be negative. Then it becomes how well and how rapidly leagues can adapt to the positive tests.

I personally think it's tough for the NBA, like if a star tests positive and they miss a playoff series. But until a vaccine arrives, there is probably no way to attempt to play without expecting to have positive tests come back.


Right- once everyone signs off on the new playoff format and the rules for testing and safety, it is going to be up to each team to proceed as safely as possible to minimize chances of infection. If your team's star player (or worse multiple players) test positive, they're simply not going to be able to play, period. The NBA obviously can't put the entire playoffs on hold until an infected player beats the virus and tests negative, no matter who the player is.

The good news is if all your players and staff follow proper precautions, they will all likely stay COVID-free.

I'd say it's impossible to have an infected player play without a very large probability of infecting other players. Especially if it's Lance Stephenson and he keeps blowing in other dudes' ears.

Re: Report: Orlando the frontrunner for NBA resumed season

Posted: Wed May 20, 2020 7:27 pm
by HotRocks34
Ralnor wrote:My only really question is what happens to the employees of Disney World? I am guessing the park will not be open if the NBA is using it to play their season since the 'bubble' will be up.


Good question and I don't know the answer.

Re: Report: Orlando the frontrunner for NBA resumed season

Posted: Wed May 20, 2020 7:28 pm
by NBAFan93
Ugh. I have such a hard time wrapping my mind around thé course of events if someone tests positive. Regular season games not a big deal, but to go into high stakes playoffs w/ that looming is such a mess. Again - teams w/ immune stars at such an advantage. Like what if a big star tests positive and gets isolated? That would be such a quagmire. Gamblers/odds setters can’t be a fan either.

They really need to play some low stakes games first IMO. Going right to playoffs sounds too risky.

Re: Report: Orlando the frontrunner for NBA resumed season

Posted: Wed May 20, 2020 7:28 pm
by HotRocks34
madmaxmedia wrote:I'd say it's impossible to have an infected player play without a very large probability of infecting other players. Especially if it's Lance Stephenson and he keeps blowing in other dudes' ears.


:lol:

Re: Report: Orlando the frontrunner for NBA resumed season

Posted: Wed May 20, 2020 7:33 pm
by Ralnor
HotRocks34 wrote:
Ralnor wrote:My only really question is what happens to the employees of Disney World? I am guessing the park will not be open if the NBA is using it to play their season since the 'bubble' will be up.


Good question and I don't know the answer.
Yeah that seems like a big deal, IMO. There is what about 75k people that work there.
My wife and I moved to Orlando, right before everything went wrong. She works in their engineering department and they are thinking once the park opens back up, they will be going back to work. So if NBA is there, park is closed or opened? Do not get me wrong all the NBA teams being this close to me is sweet but people need to get back to work there also. It is an interesting proposal there.

Disney makes the most sense with ESPN there and such. Disney is its own City which helps out with everything.

Re: Report: Orlando the frontrunner for NBA resumed season

Posted: Wed May 20, 2020 7:33 pm
by NBAFan93
HotRocks34 wrote:
Ralnor wrote:My only really question is what happens to the employees of Disney World? I am guessing the park will not be open if the NBA is using it to play their season since the 'bubble' will be up.


Good question and I don't know the answer.


If they do it at the Wide World of Sports complex that’s not the same as the parks. They’d probably pick one hotel that’s only for NBA and use the same transportion back and forth only for the NBA.

Parks wouldn’t need to be involved as long as no players or players families left the bubble and went.

I wonder if there will be quarantine punishments if a player or his family member gets busted breaking the lockdowns? Now that I’m thinking about it that would be a very repressive type of situation. Stuck there for all that time unable to leave. It wouldn’t surprise me if a lot of family members say screw this and go back home half way through.

Re: Report: Orlando the frontrunner for NBA resumed season

Posted: Wed May 20, 2020 7:34 pm
by Smitty731
Ralnor wrote:My only really question is what happens to the employees of Disney World? I am guessing the park will not be open if the NBA is using it to play their season since the 'bubble' will be up.


Few things here:

1. Walt Disney World is 4 parks. Likely they will be a slow re-opening. Right now all eyes are on Shanghai Disneyland and how things are going for them, since they recently re-opened.

2. There are roughly 70,000 Walt Disney World Cast Members (employees) on furlough right now. Many of them are dying to get to back to work, including several of my close family and friends. Some would be recalled to work to help in hosting the NBA. How they get there is likely to be a combination of volunteers and call-backs. It will be folks like front desk, custodial, housekeeping, food services, etc.

None of this is easy, but there is real motivation from all parties involved to make it happen.

Re: Report: Orlando the frontrunner for NBA resumed season

Posted: Wed May 20, 2020 7:37 pm
by HotRocks34
Ralnor wrote:
HotRocks34 wrote:
Ralnor wrote:My only really question is what happens to the employees of Disney World? I am guessing the park will not be open if the NBA is using it to play their season since the 'bubble' will be up.


Good question and I don't know the answer.


Yeah that seems like a big deal, IMO. There is what about 45k people that work there.

My wife and I moved to Orlando, right before everything went wrong. She works in their engineering department and they are thinking once the park opens back up, they will be going back to work. So if NBA is there, park is closed or opened? Do not get me wrong all the NBA teams being this close to me is sweet but people need to get back to work there also. It is an interesting proposal there.

Disney makes the most sense with ESPN there and such. Disney is its own City which helps out with everything.


Cool. Hope you guys like it there. It seems like a nice city. I hope your wife can get back to work soon.

Re: Report: Orlando the frontrunner for NBA resumed season

Posted: Wed May 20, 2020 7:38 pm
by madmaxmedia
NBAFan93 wrote:Ugh. I have such a hard time wrapping my mind around thé course of events if someone tests positive. Regular season games not a big deal, but to go into high stakes playoffs w/ that looming is such a mess. Again - teams w/ immune stars at such an advantage. Like what if a big star tests positive and gets isolated? That would be such a quagmire. Gamblers/odds setters can’t be a fan either.

They really need to play some low stakes games first IMO. Going right to playoffs sounds too risky.


I guess the risk seems the same to me whether it's regular season or playoff games (if you're talking about safety risks.) It's not just teams with immune stars that have an advantage, it's simply teams with non-infected players who have an advantage (although I get your point, an immune player hypothetically is most advantaged of all.)

As far as players testing positive, it's really up to players and teams to practice safe behaviors. I don't morally judge anyone who catches the virus, but at least players can significantly influence their chances of catching it (as opposed to say blowing out a knee during non-contact drills.)

If the league just started up willy-nilly with no safety and testing protocols in place, then there would be a good chance of players being thrown into unsafe situations and being infected through no fault of their own (other than coming to the arena and playing basketball.)

I think if they started this thing, and say it turns out 20% of NBA players test positive and can't play, they will just cancel it.

Re: Report: Orlando the frontrunner for NBA resumed season

Posted: Wed May 20, 2020 7:39 pm
by levon
I don't understand how the "no asterisks" argument works here. If any rotation players gets this disease and god willing is tested and isolated before it spreads, that team will be down a rotation player. What if a star goes down in a league where stars are everything? You have THAT in addition to injuries that can produce super unlikely upsets.

I'm excited for more basketball but let's call a spade a spade. Fans are going to be contesting the results of this championship for a long while, especially if a team outside the top 4 wins.

Re: Report: Orlando the frontrunner for NBA resumed season

Posted: Wed May 20, 2020 7:39 pm
by binjumper
HotRocks34 wrote:
binjumper wrote:
HotRocks34 wrote:One fighter and two of his cornermen tested positive, but so far that seems like the only negative occurrence from those outings. More time will be needed to see if anyone else got sick.


How is this not insanely alarming?



I added that the guy tested positive BEFORE the event and was sent home. The way I wrote it did not make that clear. You're right -- if he had tested positive and then fought, that could have been a disaster. But they caught it early.


ok yeah I was confused.