As professional sports leagues fight to play out their 2020 seasons, teams and leagues continue to face complex obstacles that reach beyond the well-being of their players.
This week MLB players and owners failed to agree on terms for a shortened season (again), and NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving challenged players around the league to boycott this season on the basis of racial injustice.
While financial negotiations and social causes have added complexity to an already delicate situation, COVID-19 has continued to present danger both to the American public as well as its institutions. So much so that the NBA issued a 113 page safety protocol guideline this week in a pro-active measure that could potentially shape the season's outcome. Regardless of the enactment's effect, commissioners and owners clearly view such guidelines as necessary for their leagues and teams to return in 2020.
But if the NBA and MLB do return, this year's champions will undoubtedly see an asterisk next to their championship title. In this episode, Professor Mike Lewis and I dive deep into the factors at play and the leagues that aren't.
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