RATTLERS GET READY
Training camp at hand
The Saskatchewan Rattlers are preparing to make themselves at home on the road.
The defending Canadian Elite Basketball League champions will begin congregating early next week at the Meridian Centre in St. Catharines, Ont. — site of the CEBL Summer Series.
Training camp is scheduled for July 17-24, followed by a seven-team, 26-game tournament from July 25 to Aug. 9.
While the NHL, NBA and MLB are taking their own steps toward returning this summer, the CEBL has touted itself as the first pro sports league in Canada to restart during the COVID -19 pandemic.
“They’re telling us it’s a go,” said Rattlers head coach Chad Jacobson, a longtime assistant coach with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. “The CEBL is in a very unique position where we’re probably one of the only professional basketball leagues (on the planet) that is going to be up and running.”
Jacobson is slated to fly to Ontario on Sunday and be tested for COVID-19 upon arrival. The league put together a detailed health and safety plan in consultation with local government and health authorities.
“We’re not going to be able to get together and hit the floor until the tests come back negative,” said Jacobson, who emphasized the need to adapt on the fly. “As everyone is aware, this situation is constantly changing. But I think they have a sound plan in place. Now we have to go out there and follow it and do our very best to make sure we’re staying safe and healthy.”
Jacobson admits it’s not easy to leave home during a pandemic. While expressing confidence in the protocols, there are lingering concerns about the move to Ontario, where the virus is more prevalent.
“Let’s be honest, being in Saskatoon or Regina, it’s a pretty safe place to be right now — a very low number of cases,” he noted. “It’s a big commitment to go out to St. Catharines for four weeks, leave the family behind and take that risk of being out there. But, no question, I’m excited about it.” He’s not the only one.
“There’s a lot of fans out there who want to see sports back in action,” Jacobson said. “There are a lot more serious issues in the world right now than not having professional sports but, at the same time, I think it does give people an outlet to forget about some of the things that are going on and enjoy watching a sport that they love.”
The 2020 CEBL season was originally slated to run from May 7 to Aug. 16, including a 20-game schedule for each team.
Instead, they’re now slated to play a six-game round-robin schedule under one roof, followed by playoffs. The Saskatoon-based Rattlers are joined by the Guelph Nighthawks, Fraser Valley Bandits, Edmonton Stingers, Niagara River Lions, Hamilton Honey Badgers and Ottawa Blackjacks.
CBC plans to host a live stream for each game, in addition to a handful of nationally televised contests.
“The league has done a great job of promoting the brand,” Jacobson said. “There’s a lot of high-profile Canadian players and some really talented American players that are going to be coming into the league. Being the only professional sports league that’s going to be up and running in this country, to have the attention from the media and the spotlight that we’re in, it’s a great opportunity to show what this league is all about.”
To have the attention from the media ... it’s a great opportunity to show what this league is all about.
That said, the format does present some challenges. There are risks of injury and fatigue when teams are playing several games in a short period of time, especially after the interruption of normal off-season training regimens.
That makes it even tougher to hit the ground running in the Summer Series.
“We’re not going to have the luxury of a lot of time to get used to one another to build that chemistry,” Jacobson said. “It’s unique that way. We have to get on the same page quickly. It presents a number of challenges but at the same time it is what it is. We have to not let these factors affect us in any kind of negative way and just go out there and do our job.”