PRO, COLLEGE TEAMS DEAL WITH CORONAVIRUS
As the country comes to grips with the growing threat over the spread of coronavirus, Bay Area teams from high schools to the pros on Tuesday faced questions about whether games should be held and what actions to take. On the day California Gov. Gavin Newsom criticized the major pro sports leagues for their handling of fans, NCAA officials announced that March Madness would go off as planned and the Ivy League canceled its postseason conference basketball tournament.
The sports world has been thrown into a logistical challenge as public health officials issue updated recommendations to help slow the spread of COVID-19. The major pro leagues Monday banned reporters from locker rooms and by Tuesday the Pac-12 Conference adopted the guidelines for the men’s basketball tournament in Las Vegas.
But Newsom said in a news conference that the policy of keeping media out of locker rooms drew a striking contrast to efforts to pack thousands of paying fans into arenas to watch games.
“I found it quite curious, and I mean this with respect … The four major organizations — NHL, soccer, Major League Baseball and the NBA published guidelines to protect their athletes but not their fans,” Newsom said. “I think they owe you and their fan base an answer as to why it’s more important to keep reporters away from their players in the locker room than fans” from other fans in highly contagious parts of the country.”
NBA owners are reportedly scheduled to hold a conference call today to address emergency plans. The teams have been asked to prepare to play games with
only essential team personnel and no fans, ESPN reported.
Meanwhile, the NCAA men’s and women’s Division I tournaments will be held next week as planned, officials said. But Stanford officials did not immediately address questions Tuesday about whether the school would play host to the first and second rounds of the women’s tournament at Maples Pavilion in light of Santa Clara County’s threeweek ban beginning today on all events with 1,000 or more attendees.
Two more people tested positive for COVID-19 in Santa Clara County, officials said Tuesday, raising the county’s total number of confirmed cases to 45. So far, officials have announced one person in the county has died from the virus.
Stanford had announced Friday that it canceled all in-person classes for the final two weeks of the winter quarter.
Here is a breakdown of the how Bay Area teams are handling the situation: THE WARRIORS >> The issue came into focus with the Warriors playing host to the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night at Chase Center. Although San Francisco City & County public health officials have yet to issue an order to ban large gatherings, City supervisor Aaron Peskin criticized the Warriors for holding the game. THE GIANTS >> Major League Baseball officials do not expect a delay to start the season in two weeks.
The Giants plan to return to the Bay Area after their Cactus League finale in Scottsdale, Arizona, on March 21. The team may consider playing preseason exhibitions against the Sacramento River Cats and Oakland Athletics scheduled for Oracle Park elsewhere in Northern California.
The Giants are scheduled to open the season March 26 in Los Angeles against the Dodgers. League officials are discussing holding games without fans sports teams are doing in Italy. THE A’S >> The team is scheduled to play the Giants on March 23 at the OaklandAlameda County Coliseum. The A’s open the season March 26 with a seven-game homestand.
However, the Alameda County Public Health Department has recommended postponing or canceling nonessential mass gatherings and large community events that involve more than 1,000 people. A department statement said it will assess the situation on a “rolling” 30-day basis.
THE SHARKS >> A day after
Santa Clara County officials implemented a ban on large gatherings, the Sharks were not sure what will happen with scheduled games at SAP Center against the Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins and Arizona Coyotes. Options the NHL and the Sharks are discussing include playing games at SAP Center as scheduled without spectators, moving the contests to neutral sites outside of Santa Clara County or postponing home games until after the end of March. THE EARTHQUAKES >> An Earthquakes executive said Tuesday the team had nothing to announce because officials were weighing options for the March 21 game against Sporting Kansas City and a March 28 friendly featuring Chivas de Guadalajara and Club Leon. Neither game will be held at Earthquakes Stadium as the Quakes comply with the ban.