A glimpse of summer heat. Air conditioning was on full blast. Jersey Shore beaches were open. Friday night T-storms. The Yankees were playing at the Stadium before an almost packed house.
Don’t be fooled. While the heat furnace that Friday offered is a one day event as is the use of the air conditioner, none of the rest is the way it should be.
Although the beaches were open, only for walking and swimming were permitted. The boardwalks were fuller, but they were populated by the curious who were socially distancing and wearing masks to protect the spread of the coronavirus.
And no, the Yankees were not playing, and are nowhere near playing this season, if at all. MLB has given the MLBPA a proposal which entails an 82 game schedule and a 50-50 split of revenue.
Rays star pitcher Blake Snell was the first to signal that this was unacceptable. A bit over dramatic, Snell pointed to the fact that the players would be grossly underpaid in the MLB proposal.
Previously, the owners and players agreed to a pro-rated payment of salaries. That is off the table and the rank and file of the union are not very pleased. Rightly so.
This is the owners trying to make as much money from a season where they are going to take a big financial hit. It is also a ruse—the owners have been attempting, seemingly forever, to establish a salary cap on players salaries. To them, this is an opportunity to try once more to control the players and enhance their own revenue stream, amidst the clamor for baseball in a society looking for the normalcy which major league baseball offers.
I don’t know if this is maneuvering by both sides with a middle ground available for baseball to be played in 2020. Not that I am necessarily for it, based upon the risk factors Snell cited in his interview and which medical professionals have warned us about.
What is certain is this—the players and the owners are at a place which could determine if baseball is played this Summer. A lot more must be discussed and agreed upon. It is mid-May. Time is not an ally for either side.
Meanwhile, good news from Yankees GM Brian Cashman about a number of injured stars. Aaron Judge is healing as expected; the team does not anticipate his return until mid-summer, which would coincide with the proposed schedule. Aaron Hicks ,rehabbing from shoulder surgery, is on schedule to return this summer. Lefty pitcher James Paxton is throwing simulated games, which means he is healed from his surprise back surgery.
Perhaps the most surprising Yankees news was a picture of a slim, muscular C.C. Sabathia which surfaced on the Internet this week. This prompted speculation as to whether C.C. could come back for a limited season. Naysayers believe that he would not be as effective with his new-found chiseled body. No one has said that C. C. Is throwing or that his knees are better. If those questions are answered, then he might give it a shot. Otherwise, he is still slated for the broadcast booth.
Another Internet piece involved Mike Tyson. Video of the 53 year old former heavyweight champion showed his speed and agility in the gym, along with Tyson’s famous power.
This prompted another former heavy weight champ, Evander Holyfield, a mere 57 years old, to state that he is willing to fight Tyson once more, in an exhibition with the proceeds to go to charity. Since Tyson bit Holyfield’s ear in a previous title bout, there was instant interest in this. People sure are desperate for sports these days.
NBA facilities are slowly reopening. NFL facilities are going to be unlocked and be without staff in locales where permitted. Yet the virus persists and children are now falling ill and dying. Plus there are varying degrees of compliance with ways to prevent further infections—it depends on who gives the information and what people are willing to believe. A lot of individuals and groups have their own agendas.
All of this posturing affects how sports will be played in the upcoming months. If at all. Remember, the NFL schedule is loaded with contingency plans, with makeup dates available in case the season is unable to start on time. After all, the NFL cannot afford to lose televising those 5 prime time games with Tampa Bay and Tom Brady, or the 4 games in Las Vegas. Plus that unfair advantage given to New England—they have two consecutive games in Los Angeles within 10 days, while the Rams, their second opponent, has to fly to Arizona for a game. A consolation prize for losing Brady?
Speaking of the Rams, they unveiled their new uniforms and logo for 2020, to commemorate the new stadium they and the Chargers will share. The best way to describe the uniforms is to say they are hideous, a sacrilege to the history of the franchise, and very much panned by their former star running back, Eric Dickerson. Plus the logo looks more like it belongs to the Chargers than to the Rams.
What has still got me going is the landscape of college football. The California State system has stated that there will not be any on-campus classes this fall. One would surmise that there would then be no athletics for the predominantly DII schools, which led the California Collegiate Athletic Association to announce that fall sports would be canceled.
Not so fast said the bigger schools. San Diego State, San Jose State and Fresno State have a different interpretation. The chancellor’s edict allowed for exceptions after “thoughtful consultation” with a bevy of interested parties, taking into account health considerations. The leaders at each of the aforementioned schools cited programs which would be exceptional and would permit the schools to potentially field football teams.
The parent Mountain West Conference, which had fallen in lock step with NCAA President Mark Emmert’s stance about no students on campus meaning no sports, has now taken a wait and see position.
The bigger schools—UCLA and the University of California are going to meet next week to discuss their future in terms of the Chancellor’s statement. You know that they too want to play football.
As does the Pac 12, which has had internal discussions about playing a conference-only schedule. In Oregon, Governor Kate Brown has banned large gatherings in her state. This directly impacts a scheduled meeting between Oregon and Ohio State. Rumors abound that talks will begin about locating an alternate site.
So what is the driving force behind this mania to play football this fall, as conferences like the Mid-American and Southern look to trim their fall sports schedule? A pair of articles from reporters for The Washington Post point to what is the cause for this hubbub.
It is money. Schools across this country are suffering staggering losses form the pandemic. In New Jersey this week, Division III Rowan University announced that they lost $33 million in projected revenues. Legislators are clamoring for refunds to students and administrators are arguing that they don’t have the cash on hand to accomplish such.
That’s where football comes in. Football money drives the universities, not tuition, room and board. No President of a school wants to anger the alumni and at the same time not run a top flight university. The billion dollar college football entity somehow makes the academics workable, even if the money is not shared and some schools, like the University of Georgia, that have a $100 million reserve fund for athletics or conferences have also saved money for a rainy day.
So as one writer referred to “college sports’ craven system,” college football money is part of a “trickle-down financial model” for athletic departments. In the meantime, coaches and administrators are hell bent on finding a way to make football happen—without losing their salaries.
Jerry Brewer a columnist at the Post and author of this most informative article wrote that maybe a delay until January might solve the problem. Or that the second wave will be “tame.” Or perhaps the third scenario—that the virus is as bad or even worse than advertised—brings a recognition that sports including college football is not a good thing.
He opined that playing sports with a vacant campus is a “firm no.” He said that the health of the players is foremost. Stop treating the kids like they are pros. The intentions of the adults running the show is clear. Brewer, simply ended his column with this: “No school. No ball. No excuses.”
So I guess this isn’t a good time to say that Rutgers landed a high profile graduate transfer QB from Nebraska by way of UCF who has 2 years of eligibility left. Nope.
I leave you on this note as to why money is so important. The Philadelphia Eagles have offered free wedding ceremonies at Lincoln Financial Field for frontline workers who had their weddings postponed due to COVID-19. The normal fee for the ceremony alone is $30,000. Couples still have to pay for the reception at rates between $50-$70 a head.
Not to worry. Philadelphia still has a ban on large gatherings. And there remains a pandemic.
To quote from the movie “Jerry Maguire”: “Show Me the Money!”
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