During the quarantine period, experts pointed to sports like tennis and golf as ones that could potentially return before major sports. This makes sense considering the lack of relative person-to-person contact these sports have. With the NFL and College Football season in limbo and other professional sports creating bubbles to keep their players safe, World Team Tennis has taken a different route.

Typically, World Team Tennis is played for about a month in the middle of the summer. Rosters are almost always comprised solely of American players looking to make a name for themselves.

This year, however, World Team Tennis has exploded. Not only are their matches being featured on ESPN every day, but the rosters are also hosting big-name players. Kim Clijsters, four-time Grand Slam Champion and future member of the Hall of Fame, is arguably the biggest name on the women’s side. The Bryan brothers, the best men’s doubles duo of all time, are also competing. Other notable players include current world number four Sofia Kenin, former Grand Slam Champion Sloane Stephens, Jack Sock and Genie Bouchard.

The attention that World Team Tennis has garnered is not the most surprising thing about it. Fans are in attendance.

The Greenbrier is playing host to World Team Tennis, and fans are allowed. Tickets are being sold in a way that allows six feet of separation between guests, masks are required when walking around the stadium and other guidelines are in place to ensure safety.

So far, no cases have been reported amongst fans, an excellent sign for the future of sports and their spectators.

Now that most sports leagues have a return-to-play plan in place, it’s time to consider what attendance will look like. World Team Tennis provides us with a good idea of how it might work. We will never see the same crowd we did before the pandemic – at least not until a vaccine is readily available. However, the fact that a smaller scale sporting event can go on with relatively no issues is a great sign.

World Team Tennis does not usually draw the same attendance as the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, MLS and others, but its current plans can be used as a template for the future of those sports.

It is already expected that fans will be required to wear masks and limited tickets will be sold. Further measures World Team Tennis has used include not allowing concessions to be sold, staged entry, no on-site ticket sales and more. Implementing these into major sports could allow for fans to be in attendance. The question then becomes: will teams be willing to implement these with the financial impacts they could cause?

We would hope the answer is yes, but owners are businessmen with money always on their minds. It is something owners must decide on – if it is even an option to them.  Some cities and states are canceling large gatherings, causing owners to lose even these options.

As is with everything coronavirus-related, only time will tell. It is a continually changing global disaster, and sports, ultimately, are not the most important industry to consider. We are left with the fact that it is, unfortunately, too early to tell what fan attendance will look like even later this year. However, looking at smaller sports like World Team Tennis could give us a better idea.

The past year has been a tumultuous one, with this pandemic changing the lives of everyone in the world. Just like all other aspects of our daily lives, the world of sports was also heavily affected. As for international football, things are starting to look upwards as of now, with all of the other major leagues already underway with some even finishing the season.

But as we approach the middle of the summer, the postponement of each country’s domestic league means that all the international tournaments set for the summer of 2020 had to be pushed back a year. If not for the pandemic, this past week would have seen the final of both Copa America 2020, cohosted in Argentina and Colombia, and Euro 2020, hosted in 12 nations across Europe. A few weeks ago, we looked at what could have happened if the Champions Final was never postponed. So this time, in a hypothetical alternative universe where the pandemic never occurred, and the tournaments went on as usual, let’s go through what would have been my predictions for both Euro 2020 and the Copa America 2020.

Copa America 2020
Champions: Brazil

There really is no way around it. Brazil are no doubt the best team in South America, and possibly even the best team in the world right now. Arguably the best manager in Brazilian football, Tite, is at the helm, and he was able to give a strong defensive spine to the team, allowing the flair players to perform their Joga Bonito tricks and resulting in a very well-balanced and resolute system. Not to mention that Brazil seemingly have a world-class player in every position. While there are definitely other great teams in South America, Brazil are simply head and shoulders above everyone else, even if they aren’t at the great heights of the 2002-2006 squad. Last summer, Brazil dominated the 2019 Copa America, and despite them not being on home soil anymore, I can see them doing that again.
The one possible issue that may arise is the Neymar factor. For years in the past, the Brazilian team on occasion has relied too heavily on Neymar. Interestingly, last summer, Neymar was injured and missed the Copa America despite Brazil going on to win it, leading to some believing Brazil is better off without Neymar. However, you can also look at it differently and say that with Neymar in the squad, Brazil has the third best player in the world at their disposal — not to mention that this Brazilian squad is good enough to not need to rely on Neymar.

Runners-Up: Colombia
Last summer, Colombia was arguably the best team in the group stage, despite exiting rather meekly against Chile in the quarterfinals on penalties. The team under Carlos Queiroz has a new defensive solidity, all while still retaining the attacking talents of James Rodriguez, Radamel Falcao and Juan Cuadrado. I believe that Colombia will be able to build upon their performance last year and play more consistently. Also, being cohosts of the tournament and having the home fans behind the team will greatly help. As evidence: the last time Colombia hosted the Copa America in 2001, they were champions. Will that be enough to topple Brazil, however? I don’t think so.

3rd Place: Argentina
Just as with Colombia, being a host nation and having the home fans behind you greatly helps. Argentina is a tricky team to predict, as they have world-class players up top and the best player in the world right now in Lionel Messi, but their midfield and defense are nowhere near as strong. And even more damaging, the Argentine FA is incredibly incompetent and famously corrupt. That being said, Argentina were able to find a good system and sustain a string of good performances at the end of the last Copa America, and I think that they be able to utilize it much more this summer.

4th Place: Paraguay
Last summer, Paraguay played very well and surprised many people. While far from perfect, this was the best form Paraguay was in since 2011 when they reached the final. Possessing a good attack all centered around Miguel Almiron, I believe Paraguay is set for an even better summer in 2020 than they were in 2019. Their weaker defense will hold them back, but an amazing tournament from Almiron will carry them to great heights.

Top Scorer: Lautaro Martínez
Out of all the world-class strikers that Argentina possess at the moment, Lautaro Martinez is the one who performs the most consistently over the short amount of time he’s been with the National Team. I expect him to continue that trend, especially since this current Argentine team directly benefits his style of play. Not to mention that Argentina has been drawn into a group that will see plenty of goals. Close runners up will be Gabriel Jesus of Brazil, Josef Martinez of Venezuela and Almoez Ali of Qatar.

Best Player: Miguel Almiron
As mentioned before, both Paraguay and Miguel Almiron are destined for great things this summer. Coming off a great season with Newcastle, Almiron is an explosive player with a lot of talent. This tournament will be where he announces himself on the big stage internationally. Other players worthy of mention will be James Rodriguez of Colombia, Marquinhos of Brazil and, of course, Lionel Messi of Argentina.

Best Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker
Just like last tournament, in which Brazil had the best defense in the tournament, I expect the same to occur. This environment will allow Becker to thrive, showing why he is the best goalkeeper on the continent and in contention for best in the world. Other players worth a mention are David Ospina of Colombia and Wuilker Farinez of Venezuela.

Biggest Surprise Team: Paraguay
As I said before, this will be a tournament to remember for Paraguay. Every tournament sees a team surprise the world and make a great run; last summer it was Peru, and this time it will be Paraguay. A team that has a good mixture of young players and veterans, Paraguay will hit the right form at the right time. Other teams that could do better than expected are Qatar and Venezuela.

Biggest Flop Team: Peru
Speaking of Peru, as well as they did last time — making it to the final and valiantly standing up to Brazil — I don’t think they will be able to replicate that form this time around. A majority of the best players in this team, such as Paolo Guerrero, Pedro Gallese and Jefferson Farfan, are all in their thirties. For a Peruvian generation who did great things over the past few years, this will be the beginning of their decline. Other teams who may potentially disappoint are Chile and Uruguay.

Euro 2020
Champions: Portugal
Many people forget that Portugal have conquered Europe twice in the past two tournaments, winning both Euro 2016 and the 2019 UEFA Nations League. This team is one of the best in the world at the moment and have all the tools to climb to the top of the pile. While Portugal were definitely lucky to win Euro 2016, the team are far better now than they were four years ago. Of course, they still have one of the greatest players of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo, but they no longer have to solely rely on Ronaldo as Portugal now possess an array of bright young stars.
But along with those flourishing talents, they still retain a lot of experienced veterans from that squad that won the Euros in 2016, creating one of the most balanced teams in the world. Not to mention that they still have manager Fernando Santos, who, while not the most well-known, is no doubt a top-class manager and tactician. And of course, there is the Ronaldo factor. Just like with Argentina and Messi, even if the team doesn’t play to its potential, there always is the possibility that Ronaldo takes the tournament by storm and wins it for Portugal himself. The difference between Ronaldo and Messi is that Ronaldo has the more competent supporting cast.

Runners-Up: England
Just like Portugal, England are far better than they were in the past few years, despite already achieving great things. After finishing fourth at the World Cup and making the semifinals in the Nations League, this English generation has progressed even farther when looking at player quality. Players like Raheem Sterling and Jordan Henderson, who were very good, are now world-class, and there are also newer additions to the first team such as Jadon Sancho and Trent Alexander-Arnold. While I don’t see them eclipsing Portugal, this will could be the best showing England has had at a major tournament in a very long time.

Semifinals: Netherlands and Italy
Akin to both Portugal and England, the Netherlands — and Italy, for the matter — have squads littered with great young talent that they did not have in previous years. The Netherlands possess possibly the strongest starting backline in the world, with Virgil van Dijk, Matthijs de Ligt, Stefan de Vrij and many other talented players throughout the team. However, while they do have a great squad, it isn’t strong enough to top Portugal and England, nor do the Netherlands have a proper striker.
Italy is in the same boat. In terms of young players, they arguably have the most exciting midfield in the world, with Stefano Sensi, Federico Chiesa and Nicolo Zaniolo, along with established players, like Marco Verratti and Lorenzo Insigne. However, while they have an arsenal of youth players, there exists an absence of veterans, and this lack of experience will bar Italy from reaching higher heights.

Top Scorer: Memphis Depay
In a team without a designated striker, a lot of pressure will be Memphis Depay to be the primary goal-scorer — pressure that he has thrived on in the past. With a strong team behind him, including a particularly formidable midfield, Memphis will be the sole focal point of all of the Dutch attacks. Not to mention that the Netherlands have been drawn into a group with teams who do not have the best defenses. Other players who will score high will be Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal and Ciro Immobile of Italy.

Best Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
I predict Portugal to win Euro 2020, and no one embodies the Portuguese National Team more than Cristiano Ronaldo. Not only does he chip in with goals and assists, but his role in the team as a leader and captain makes him so important. Even off the pitch, his presence in the locker room is essential, as was evident in the Euro 2016 Final, when he was injured yet still motivated his team from the touchline and pushed them to victory. If Portugal do as well as I think they will, Ronaldo will have a major part to play, with goals or otherwise. Other individual players who will do very well are Bernardo Silva (also of Portugal), Raheem Sterling of England, Christian Eriksen of Denmark and Virgil van Dijk of the Netherlands.

Best Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Donnarumma
One of the most promising young goalkeepers right now, Euro 2020 will be the tournament that Gianluigi Donnarumma announces himself to the world as a top-class goalkeeper. Only 21 years of age yet already Italy’s starting goalie, Donnarumma will benefit greatly from Italy’s strong defensive system and show up greatly when his team needs him. Other notable keepers will be Rui Patricio of Portugal and Sinan Bolat of Turkey.

Biggest Surprise Team: Turkey
Turkey is a team with all the tools to be a potential dark horse. Despite having a squad of relatively unknown players, the squad has a lot of talent. In Caglar Soyuncu, they have arguably the best defender in the Premier League of this season, as well as a plethora of underrated attackers, such as Cengiz Under, Cenk Tosun, Hakan Calhanoglu and Enes Unal. Other potential dark horse teams are Denmark and possibly Ukraine.

Biggest Flop Team: Croatia
Unfortunately for Croatia, I do not think they will be able to replicate their wonderful run to the World Cup Final two years ago. Much of the strong spine that made up the team is either no longer there or below where they were at the World Cup. Veterans like Mario Mandzukic, Danijel Subasic and Vedran Corluka have retired, while stars Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic are nowhere near as good as they were in 2018. As sad as it is to see, Croatia’s Golden Generation has passed, and their younger players are simply not good enough to replace them. Other teams who have a big chance to disappoint are Belgium, France and Russia.

If one were to list the best goalkeepers in the world currently, several names would be thrown into the hat. One man at the top of many lists is the Brazilian and Liverpool shot-stopper, Alisson Becker. However, if several key events in the past happened differently, Becker’s career as well as the whole world of football could have looked very different today.

Alisson Becker started his career in the Brazilian Serie A with Internacional. Over the course of three seasons, he eventually established himself as the club’s number one keeper, winning the top-flight title three times. Becker’s strong performances earned him his first call up to the Brazilian National Team as well as a contract with Roma in Italy, set to begin in the summer of 2016.

Despite being a young player, Becker became Brazil’s starting goalkeeper after a string of disappointing performances saw the veteran Jefferson dropped by Dunga. Becker went on to play all three matches for Brazil in the 2016 Copa America Centenario where Brazil was embarrassingly eliminated in the group stage. Dunga was then sacked and replaced by Tite, who still stuck with Becker as the Brazilian number one.

In line with his contract, Becker officially left Internacional for Roma in the summer of 2016. At first, he was the deputy to Roma’s main goalkeeper, Wojciech Szczesny, and thus spent most of the season on the bench. Szczesny left the next season, however, leaving Becker as the number one. It was the 2017/18 season where Alisson announced himself to the world stage.

Following a masterclass performance against Atletico Madrid where Becker made a series of fantastic saves to ensure a clean sheet, he was instantly put on the radar for the world’s best keepers. This was also a year to remember for Roma fans, as they went on a heroic run to the Champions League semifinals, as well as also finishing third in Serie A, with Becker playing a major part in their success.

After the season, he was awarded the Serie A goalkeeper of the season trophy as well as being included in both the Serie A and Champions League squad of the season. Due to his great form, he was able to keep his spot as Brazilian number one through the 2018 World Cup, holding off Brazil’s other world-class shot-stopper, Ederson of Manchester City.

After the 2018 Champions League Final ended in a 3-1 loss to Liverpool, largely in part to goalkeeper Loris Karius, Liverpool knew the only thing they needed to bridge the gap between them and Europe’s elite was an elite goalie. So that summer, Liverpool signed Becker. His debut season was possibly his best season to date, keeping over 21 clean sheets and winning the Premier League Golden Glove as Liverpool finished in an ever-so-close second place behind Manchester City. Alisson saved his most famous performances for the Champions League, however, as he was absolutely pivotal in Liverpool’s dominant victory, winning him his first-ever Champions League trophy as well as the Goalkeeper of the Season award in that tournament.

That summer, Brazil hosted the 2019 Copa America and ended up as dominant champions as well, with Becker being one of the best players in the tournament. Between the sticks, he kept five consecutive clean sheets and only conceded one goal the entire tournament, which was a penalty in the final. Alisson ended the Copa America by winning the Golden Glove award and as a champion of South America.

2019 was an individually great year for Alisson as he was included in FIFPro World11, won both the Best FIFA Goalkeeper and the inaugural Yashin Trophy while also finishing seventh in Ballon d’Or rankings.

In the current season, Becker has not been able to reach the heights of the previous one, but that is only due to several injury problems he has had throughout the past half-year. Even amongst the injuries, Becker was still able to win the 2019 Club World Cup with Liverpool as well as Liverpool’s first-ever Premier League title since the beginning of the EPL era.

However, all these years of success for Alisson Becker and all the teams he played for could have ended up very differently had a particular referee decision gone the other way.

On June 4, 2016, Brazil kicked off the Copa America Centenario with their first match against Ecuador. In a tightly contested match, neither side could break the deadlock. However, in the 66th minute, Miller Bolanos was played the ball out on the wing and drove into the Brazilian penalty area. His touch was heavy, and as he brought the ball far too close to the touchline he shanked his cross and sent it towards goal instead of cutting it back to his teammates in the box.

Possibly caught off guard by the skewed cross, Becker attempted to collect the ball, but with his palms open, the ball ricocheted off his hands, up his arm and into the back of the net, leaving him to hang his head in shame. But apparently, God was wearing a Brazil jersey that night as the referees disallowed the goal saying the ball went out of play before it was crossed in, saving both Becker and Brazil their blushes. However, in an era before VAR (Video Assistant Referee), the replays later showed that the ball had only partially crossed the line, and therefore the goal should have stood.

Given the apparent referee mistake, the match ended 0-0. Brazil ended up losing to Peru in their last group stage game and were eliminated in the group stage. Since Becker’s blunder was chalked off, it received minimal media attention. But had it stood, Becker’s career could have gone upside down in a matter of minutes. Brazil would have lost to Ecuador, and the media, especially the harsh Brazilian press, would have put Becker to the sword. His fumble would’ve been thrown across all social media and been the highlight mistake in YouTube compilations. Brazil still would have been eliminated in the group stage regardless, making the situation even worse. In the end, this probably would have been Becker’s last match in a Brazilian shirt.

From there on, Dunga still would have been sacked and Tite would’ve been hired as well. But due to the media backlash, Becker would not be called up. Becker’s career at Roma would have been cut short as well. Despite agreeing to come to Roma before the summer, Roma would have been less confident in Becker’s abilities and probably would not have sold Szczesny. Becker himself said that in the 2016/17 season, he debated leaving Italy due to a lack of game time. If Roma stuck with Szczesny as their number one, Alisson would’ve definitely left, with a return to the Brazilian Serie A his likely destination.

Without Becker, Roma’s 2017/18 season would not have gone as successfully as it did. That season in the Champions League, Roma was relatively poor away from home, heavily relying on a strong defensive performance and heroics from Becker to keep clean sheets at the Stadio Olimpico against the likes of Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Shakhtar Donetsk, Barcelona and several others. In fact, until the semifinals against Liverpool, Roma conceded zero goals at home in the Champions League. But without Becker, the net would not have been so impervious, and Roma would most likely have been eliminated in the group stage.

Luckily for the Brazilian national team, they were blessed with two world-class keepers in both Becker and Ederson. If Becker had been out of the picture, Ederson, who is stylistically very similar, would fill his gap. Brazil’s 2018 World Cup run and 2019 Copa America victory would have occurred without change.

Liverpool, on the other hand, would not have been so lucky. For at least the past decade, Liverpool has been a team that struggles with goalkeeper problems; an issue that persists to this day whenever Becker doesn’t play. Throughout the 2018/19 Champions League season, there have been numerous occasions where Becker saved Liverpool’s entire campaign, making saves arguably only he could.

Becker’s most crucial save, possibly in his entire Liverpool career up until now, came against Napoli. Liverpool had been drawn in a very tough group with PSG, Napoli and Red Star Belgrade, and due to some questionable results needed to beat Napoli to avoid first-round elimination.

On the final matchday of the group stage, Liverpool welcomed Napoli to Anfield. In a match where Liverpool dominated but did not convert most of their chances, the Reds were slightly ahead with a close 1-0 lead. In the dying embers of the match, a defensive mistake by Liverpool’s backline left Napoli’s Arkadiusz Milik one-on-one with Becker. With a sprawling save and split-second reaction time, Becker blocked Milik’s shot with his legs saving his entire team. If Becker had not been there to make that save, Liverpool wouldn’t even had gotten out of the group stages let alone won the tournament.

Later in that same competition, Becker continued to stand up for Liverpool when they needed him most. Most crucially, he made several key saves against Barcelona as Liverpool made their historic 4-0 comeback at Anfield; the most important of which came in the second half when Becker got to ground quickly and saved a low shot from Luis Suarez with his right hand. Had Becker not been there to make that fast-reaction save, Barcelona would have tied the score 1-1 with a 4-1 aggregate score, and Liverpool’s famous comeback would have been impossible.

Later in the Champions League Final, Becker was arguably the best player on the field in the second half, working extremely hard to keep a clean sheet. Within the final 20 minutes of the match, Tottenham gained the upper foot and was really pressing Liverpool for an equalizer. Becker was forced into making save after save, the most impressive one being a curling freekick from Christian Eriksen that Becker palmed away to safety. Without him, Tottenham would have gone on to score an equalizer, and with the momentum in their favor, they could have been the ones crowned European champions of 2019 instead.

So overall, if the referee had given the goal to Ecuador all the way back in 2016, Becker’s career could have been ruined, stopping him from becoming one of the best goalkeepers in world football. And without Becker, Roma never would have made their memorable run in the 2018 Champions League and Liverpool would not have won that same competition the next year. Football is a strange sport, and Becker’s career as well as the success of Roma and Liverpool are evidence that sometimes, the smallest decisions can have the biggest impact.

On June 28, the football world was buzzing when it was reported that the 2015 MVP Cam Newton had signed with the New England Patriots. The deal is for one year and a maximum of 7.5 million if Newton hits all the incentives.

While it was rumored in the offseason that Newton was a possibility for the Patriots, there was no mention of the parties that were engaged in negotiations, which is why it was shocking to fans when the news broke. This is the same offseason that Tom Brady left the Patriots. Brady is arguably the greatest quarterback of all-time with six Super Bowls in his 20 seasons with the Patriots. Despite all of Brady’s success, the Patriots are better off with Newton and Brady did them a favor by leaving.

From an age standpoint, Newton is 31 years old, which for many quarterbacks is the prime of their career. On the other hand, Brady is 42, going on 43 as of August 3. In the 2019 season, the Patriots were not their usual selves with Brady under the helm. While he did throw for 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions, the offense was extremely limited given the lack of receiving talent and Brady’s lack of mobility. In comes Cam Newton, who has 4,806 career rushing yards compared to Brady’s 1,037 rushing yards.

The Patriots’ roster from last year remains the same with the exception being the addition of former Jaguars wide receiver Marqise Lee. The Patriots also managed to draft not one but two tight ends in the 2020 Draft with Devin Asiasi out of UCLA and Dalton Keene out of Virginia Tech. A strong case could be made that the offense Newton is inheriting this year is better than the one Tom Brady had last year.

Many will question whether the personalities will mesh between Bill Belichick and Cam Newton. Newton’s QB coach, David Whitefield spoke to ESPN on July 1 and was very confident that the relationship between the former MVP and Hall of fame Coach will do just fine. “Suggesting that Cam can’t adapt to Belichick is a lazy narrative,” Whitfield said. “Cam recognizes this as a singular opportunity. I can imagine Belichick telling him, ‘You have goals, and you have a chip on your shoulder. We have goals, and our shoulders look the same as yours — just not as big.’”

Despite Newton being put in the best situation possible given all the circumstances and inability for him to be able to have a workout in front of teams, it’s not a guarantee that his partnership with the Patriots is going to work. First, it’s not a lock that Newton is going to start week one or even be on the roster. He has not had time to learn the playbook yet, and the Patriots have second-year man Jarret Stidham on the roster and veteran journeyman Brian Hoyer who both already know the plays. Another factor is that Newton’s contract with the Patriots only guarantees him $550k. In addition, Newton’s base salary is just $1.05 million with $5.75 million in incentives. That gives the Patriots a very easy way out in case they decide to go in a different direction. In the past two years, Newton has also had a lengthy injury history including having shoulder surgery on his throwing arm in 2018 as well as having a pedal Lisfranc strain that saw him sidelined for 14 games in the 2019 season.

While Newton’s injury history is a legitimate concern, no one can take away the fact that the Patriots are getting the 2015 NFL MVP, who when healthy is one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Time will tell if Newton can return to his old self and if the relationship with the Patriots coaching staff will mesh well.

Almost three months after the season was supposed to start, Major League Baseball announced that the season will officially begin on July 23 and consist of 60 games. The announcement comes just eight days after MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said that he was “not confident” that a season was going to happen this year. Manfred’s doubt came from the ongoing negotiations and turmoil between MLB owners and the MLB Players Association.

It was as recently as last week that MLPA Executive director Tony Clark wrote on behalf of the players, explaining how they felt about the whole situation.

“Players are disgusted that after Rob Manfred unequivocally told players and fans that there would ‘100 percent’ be a 2020 season, he has decided to go back on his word and is now threatening to cancel the entire season. Any implication that the Players Association has somehow delayed progress on health and safety protocols is completely false, as Rob has recently acknowledged the parties are ‘very, very close.’ This latest threat is just one more indication that Major League Baseball has been negotiating in bad faith since the beginning. This has always been about extracting additional pay cuts from players and this is just another day and another bad faith tactic in their ongoing campaign,” said Clark. (CBS SPORTS)

The disagreements regarded the salaries players would be making when the season started. From the player’s standpoint, they felt that it was fair to get the full payment for the number of games that were to be played. On the other hand, the owners and Manfred wanted the players to take on reduced salaries. Due to this, multiple proposals were sent — and rejected — by both sides.

On July 13, Tony Clark made a statement to the league and ended it saying, “tell us when and where.” (Twitter) Clark was basically empathizing with the decision of the season being up to the owners because the players were all in; they just wanted to be treated fairly.

Fast forward to June 23, and now that agreement is in place for the season to start. The details of the season have now been released: starting July 1, players are to be in their respective home cities to start spring training, which is expected to last around three weeks. In terms of health protocols, the games will look a lot different than they did pre-COVID. Players not participating in the game will no longer be in the dugout. Instead, the players will be required to sit in the stands at least six feet apart from each other.

In terms of celebrations, high-fives, fist bumps and hugs will not be tolerated. This is good news for Jose Altuve of the Houston Astros, as he will no longer have to worry about teammates ripping his shirt off after hitting a walk-off home run after it was reported that underneath Altuves’ jersey was a buzzer telling him pitch information. Also, gum chewing, tobacco chewing or chewing of tobacco seeds will no longer be allowed to occur during a game.

Players also will have to have their temperature taken multiple times a day and undergo COVID-19 tests multiple times per week. This information was reported on ESPN. In terms of changes made to the game, every team now will have a designated hitter, meaning pitchers in the National League will no longer be required to hit. According to Jon Heyman of the MLB Network, MLB plans to use the Minor League rule of having a runner on second to begin each extra inning of a game. This is an effort to speed up the conclusion of extra-inning games, since the spring will be short, the schedule will be tight and there will be a desire to avoid elongated games. (Twitter)