UNDATED (AP) – Sports fans hoping for a fast return to the games they love
might need to temper their expectations. Although sports leagues talk publicly
about their desire to return to competition before summer, those are best-case
scenarios.
Behind closed doors, they are hatching different potential plans: all 30
baseball teams playing in Arizona; home run contests to decide tie games; the
Stanley Cup being hoisted in an empty arena that neither team calls home;
end-of-season soccer standings decided by vote; college football games in
spring.
Over the past week, The Associated Press interviewed more than 20 policymakers,
coaches and players across the globe for their assessments of the situation.
They all conceded that sports may not restart for months, if at all this year.
Most agree that what’s needed is a drastic ramp-up in testing, a vaccine or some
type of improved treatment to make players feel safe to compete.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the infectious disease expert, has suggested sports could conceivably return with no fans in arenas and constant testing for the players, who would likely need to be quarantined in hotels for weeks or months. Not all players are on board.
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