Warriors release statement following the NBA’s decision to suspend season due to coronavirus

The NBA has suspended the season until further notice following a player from the Utah Jazz preliminarily testing positive for coronavirus.

Due to precautions set for the coronavirus, the Golden State Warriors were scheduled to host the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday with no fans in attendance at Chase Center in San Francisco.

Yet, the Warriors game against the Nets has been put on hold. After a player for the Utah Jazz preliminarily tested positive for the coronavirus, the NBA has decided to suspend the season. The NBA will use their “hiatus” to figure out the next steps for the league.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Utah’s All-Star center Rudy Gobert preliminarily tested positive for coronavirus. Gobert was listed as questionable against the Oklahoma City Thunder with an illness.

The contest between the Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder became the first official game postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Following the league suspending play until further notice, The Golden State Warriors released a statement in support of the NBA’s decision to halt the season in wake of the growing COVID-19 threat.

Via @loganmmurdock:

The Warriors have 17 games left on the calendar, with seven of them scheduled to take place in San Francisco. However, the future of the 2019-20 season is entering uncharted waters.

4 NFL activities that could be affected by novel coronavirus

Nothing has been moved, canceled, or rescheduled yet, but the NFL has formulating answers to the COVID-19 questions that will surely arrive.

Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

It’s important to note that as of right now, the NFL has not canceled or delayed anything. Of course, the current situation with COVID-19 is causing the NBA to delay the season, NCAA conference tournament games and the NCAA tournament set to be played in empty stadiums, and a bunch of other professional sports making decisions about their games and upcoming activities, it’s time to take a look at the NFL calendar and figure out what major events could be affected.

Coronavirus updates: Sporting events canceled/affected due to the outbreak

All the latest of what’s been moved, altered, or canceled in the sports world due to coronavirus.

The continued rise in the reported cases of the coronavirus (Covid-19), both domestic and internationally, has forced the WHO to declare a pandemic. There have now been more than 1,100 cases in the United States, forcing people from all over the country to alter their daily lives while workplaces, schools, and public event coordinators are quickly altering schedules due to the concerns about spreading the virus.

Sporting events, from youth leagues to professional sports, are also experiencing the effects of the unknowns surrounding coronavirus. The ATP/WTA tennis tournament at Indian Wells, California—which is often referred to as Tennis’ Fifth Major—was called off this week due to cases being reported in the Coachella Valley. Since then, more sporting events have been altered or canceled, following the similar steps taken in Europe.

And there will most likely be more to come, adding to a list that already includes major concerts, movies, and festivals.

To help keep you aware of what’s been moved, altered, or canceled thus far in the sports world, below is a current list (as of 3/11/20).

NCAA

  • According to a release by NCAA president Mark Emmert, all NCAA championship events will take place, but with only essential staff and limited family in attendance. These restrictions are included at both the men’s and women’s D-1 basketball tournaments.

Here is the statement released by Emmert:

While I understand how disappointing this is for fans of our sports, my decision is based on the current understanding of how Covid-19 is progressing in the United States.

  • The opening games in Dayton, Ohio (the First Four) and the first two rounds of play in Cleveland will take place without any fans in attendance. Ohio has prohibited ‘mass gatherings’ in the state.
  • College Basketball Invitational Tournament—the 16-team tournament for teams that don’t get into the NCAA Tournament or the NIT—has been canceled.
  • The Ivy League canceled its conference tourney on Tuesday, crowing regular-season champ Yale as the overall winner.
  • USC and UCLA: Both schools announced that all home sporting events (regardless of sport) will take place without fans.

NBA

  • Golden State Warriors home games: After the San Francisco Health Office (SFHO) declared that no events with more than 1,000 people in attendance would take place, the Warriors announced that they will not permit fans for home games.

Note: The NBA continues to discuss what precautions should be taken for the remainder of the season, including the playoffs. As of now—with exceptions of informing the players of safety etiquette to avoid the virus, the halt of Chinese Basketball League players signing NBA contracts, and the limited media access—there have been no more updates regarding the cancellation or altering of events.

MLB

  • Currently, only restricting access to all media (for spring training and into the season) has been decided by the MLB.

NFL

  • No updates regarding the draft or any measure for late summer.

NHL

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets, per Ohio’s ban on ‘mass gatherings,’ have now restricted fans from attending home games.

International soccer

  • This week, the Noord-Brabant province in the Netherlands called off all professional soccer matches. Included in this cancellation is Eindhoven, where the U.S. is scheduled to play the Dutch national team in an exhibition on March 26.
  • Atletico Madrid President Cerezo says UEFA considering postponing Euro 2020 to 2021 due to COVID-19 coronavirus.
  • All professional soccer games in Spain, France and Portugal with played without fans in attendance.
  • Champions League, Europa League have restricted fans from attending games.
  • The Spanish league (first and second divisions) is restricting fan access for two weeks.
  • Italy suspended all sporting events in the country—which includes Serie A soccer games and prep for the Tokyo Olympics—until April 3.
  • The French league will play without fans until April 15 (as of now).

MLS

  • Seattle Sounders have postponed a home match against Dallas that was scheduled for March 21.

XFL

  • The Seattle Dragons will play the Los Angeles Wildcats on Sunday without fans in attendance.

Tennis (ATP/WTA)

  • The Masters 1000 (ATP) and Premier Mandatory (WTA) event at Indian Wells (CA) has been canceled.

Summer Olympics

  • The status, according to talks with the IOC, is that a concrete set of guidelines for the 2020 Olympics—including if the games even take place— might not happen until late May.

NASCAR

  • NASCAR is implementing new procedures, beginning at Atlanta Motor Speedway, that aim to protect the drivers, fans, and everyone involved during the event. The precautions range from asking drivers to pre-sign memorabilia for fans (as opposed to signing autographs) to respecting a six-foot buffer zone with the media to open-air meetings. An infectious disease specialist has also been assigned to the medical staff.

Motocross

  • Washington’s ban on events of more than 250 people in three counties—one of which is King—has forced organizers to cancel the Seattle Supercross.

MISC. sporting events in US

  • MotoGP, which is the Grand Prix of the Americas in Austin, Texas, was postponed until November.

Coronavirus forcing NCAA basketball tournaments to make changes to fan attendance

As conference tournaments are underway and automatic bids for the Men’s and Women’s NCAA tournaments are up for grabs, it has been announced that the games played in the NCAA Tournament will be played without fans in the stadium due to the rapid …

As conference tournaments are underway and automatic bids for the Men’s and Women’s NCAA tournaments are up for grabs, it has been announced that the games played in the NCAA Tournament will be played without fans in the stadium due to the rapid spread of the COVID-19 Coronavirus.

It was announced earlier today by NCAA President Mark Emmert that the tournament is scheduled to go on as scheduled, but without fans in the arenas.

Emmert states that only family members and essential staff will be allowed to attend the games, no word yet on what the protocol will be for media members.

The NCAA is not the only organization to close it’s doors to fans out of fear of COVID-19. The NIT, also referred to as the tournament for the teams that didn’t make the cut for ‘March Madness,’ also announced it will be played without fans.

The College Basketball Invitational (CBI) tournament announced that it won’t be playing at all in 2020.

There are rumors surrounding the location of games for both the NIT and the NCAA Tournament, especially the Final Four which was scheduled to be held in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Roll Tide Wire will keep you updated on what the next steps are from all organizations involved.

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BREAKING: NCAA Basketball Tournaments to be played without fans in attendance

In a shocking announcement, the NCAA President and Board of Governors have determined that NCAA March Madness will be played without fans.

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In a major move, NCAA President Mark Emmert announced on Wednesday afternoon that the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments will be played without fans in attendance amidst concern over the COVID-19 Coronavirus outbreak, outside of family and essential staff. Emmert says the decision was made after consulting with medical advisors and the NCAA Board of Governors.

This is particularly interesting for Michigan State and Big Ten schools because the Big Ten Tournament kicks off today and fans will be allowed to attend.

Here is the original statement from the NCAA COVID-19 Advisory Panel:

“The NCAA COVID-19 Advisory Panel recognizes the fluidity of COVID-19 and its impact on hosting events in a public space.  COVID-19 is spreading rapidly in the United States, and behavioral risk mitigation strategies are the best option for slowing the spread of this disease.  This is especially important because mildly symptomatic individuals can transmit COVID-19.  Given these considerations, coupled with a more unfavorable outcome of COVID-19 in older adults – especially those with underlying chronic medical conditions – we recommend against sporting events open to the public.  We do believe sport events can take place with only essential personnel and limited family attendance, and this protects our players, employees, and fans.”

Steelers confirm changes to pro day travel schedule in response to Coronavirus

Concern about COVID-19 has altered the Steelers pro day plans.

The panic over the Coronavirus also known as COVID-19 has now spread to the NFL. According to the NFL Network and confirmed by Pittsburgh Steelers director of communications Burt Lauten, the Steelers are among the teams who are adjusting their pro day travel plans for the safety of their staff.
“We have adjusted our travel plans temporarily as it pertains to pro days,” Lauten said. The Steelers are typically very active when it comes to attending pro days but this could certainly impact their draft plans.
Some parts of the country have seen reported cases of COVID-19 and with growing concerns about it spreading it further, travel has been limited all over the country.
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Report: Warriors ‘very likely’ to soon play in front of no fans due to Coronavirus

A looming decision in San Francisco could leave the Warriors playing in front of no fans due to Coronavirus.

The NBA, along with the NHL, MLS and MLB, have limited locker room access to only players, coaches and essential personnel due to the Coronavirus outbreak.

Leagues cutting back on locker room access could only be the start of precautions against COVID-19. According to The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami, it’s “very likely” the Golden State Warriors could soon be playing games in an empty home arena.

It’s something that the league has been discussing in recent days, and is something that has been contemplated for the better part of the last few weeks. As the number of cases in the United States have increased, municipalities across the country have been taking various precautions to limit public exposure.

Before the Warriors hosted the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night, head coach Steve Kerr spoke with reporters about the potential of playing games in front of no fans.

Via Chris Alvarez ABC News Bay Area:

Yeah, It’s absolutely a possibility, and I haven’t given it a whole lot of thought. I’ve played on a couple of teams where it felt like that was the case at times. Again we’re in uncharted waters. We will cross that bridge when we come to it.

Due to the Coronavirus outbreak, Santa Clara County has banned public events in which more than 1,000 people are expected to be present. As a result, Golden State’s neighbors — the San Jose Sharks and San Jose Earthquakes — have had to either play games with no fans in attendance or temporarily relocate to new playing grounds.

The Warriors may follow suit.

Due to the outbreak, college campuses in the Bay Area have suspended classes while high schools in San Francisco have canceled events such as playoff basketball tournaments.

The Warriors will welcome the Brooklyn Nets to San Francisco on Thursday, March 12. Following the Nets game, Golden State will begin a five-game road trip. The team will return to Chase Center on March 25 when they play host to the Atlanta Hawks.

Things may be much different by that point.

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SEC MBB Tournament to close locker rooms to media, use sanitized balls

The SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament is set to be played in Nashville from Mar. 11-15 where one team will walk away as the conference champion and a bid to the NCAA tournament later this month. It has been reported by Emily Proud of WKRN in Nashville …

The SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament is set to be played in Nashville from Mar. 11-15 where one team will walk away as the conference champion and a bid to the NCAA tournament later this month.

It has been reported by Emily Proud of WKRN in Nashville that the conference has decided to close the locker rooms from media availability and sanitize the game balls amid fears over the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Media availability to players and coaches will be limited to traditional press conferences.

As shown in the press release tweeted out by Proud, the SEC is taking sanitation very seriously. They will be sanitizing the locker rooms, the game balls and even the benches following each game. Hand sanitizer, Lysol spray, and disinfectant wipes will be available inside the locker rooms and the scorer’s table.

They still plan on having fans attend the event. The NBA has raised the possibility of games being played in empty stadiums, a move made over seas for heavily infected countries.

Roll Tide Wire will keep you updated on all things on and off the court during the 2020 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament.

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Michigan State Basketball HC Tom Izzo comments on Coronavirus outbreak

MSU head coach Tom Izzo shared his thoughts on the COVID-19 virus on Tuesday.

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There is, without a doubt, no bigger topic in the world today than the COVID-19, commonly known as the ‘Coronavirus’, outbreak that has permeated communities around the globe. With the virus starting to affect the willingness (or recommendation) of fans to attend large events right as we are gearing up for tournament season in college basketball, it was only natural that Michigan State Basketball head coach Tom Izzo was asked for his thoughts on the situation.

Izzo gave a wide-ranging response to the media on Tuesday about the virus and Chris Solari of the Detroit Free Press and Kyle Austin of Mlive.com reported his words via Twitter, which you can read below:

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Coronavirus update: Should I attend a sporting event at a stadium? A youth sports tournament?

Understanding the latest on COVID-19 coronavirus and answering questions about attending large sporting events or youth sports tournaments.

The spread of COVID-19, a strain of coronavirus, has quickly reached pandemic levels in countries like China and Italy and sent the global economy tumbling.

Global health experts have stated that the disease is past containment, and we should now focus on limiting the spread to communities, especially those who are immunocompromised.

With this in mind, we have answers to some of your questions about how to do so, especially with regards to sporting events. You may have tickets to an upcoming professional game, or a youth sporting tournament that your children are set to participate in.

Should you attend? Does it make a difference if the event is indoors or outdoors? We have the best answers we could find.

It’s not you … it’s others to worry about

Before we get into anything, we should say: When deciding if to attend a large gathering, you need to think about the entire population. As of now, there hasn’t been much evidence that COVID-19 affects children. Because of this, you may not hesitate attending a children’s sporting tournament.

But the main fear of COVID-19 is uncontainable spread. Doctors and researchers don’t know enough about this disease, and want to limit its growth before they understand it better and, hopefully, eventually design a vaccine. Even if you don’t personally feel threatened, or you don’t feel your children are, you can still carry and transmit the virus to elderly or immunocompromised people who are threatened by it.

Avoid large crowds if you can, especially indoors

In an interview with the USA TODAY Editorial Board, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, who served as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration from 2017 to 2019, said: “I think right now, we should be limiting large gatherings, especially in areas where we know that there’s spread.”

Gottlieb would go on to specify that large gatherings that are indoors are especially worrisome, as the disease transmits more easily there. If you can avoid large gatherings, especially indoors ones, like a youth tournament or a basketball agreement, you should do so.

For outdoor events, especially if the weather is warm, it’s slightly more manageable a risk, but if you have heard about an outbreak in your area, you will probably want to avoid all large gatherings, indoors or out.

Wash hands often, and definitely stay home if sick

COVID-19 appears to spread through small droplets, which can be transmitted from the face or hands. This is why doctors are encouraging people to avoid touching their faces. Another way to combat the spread is to wash your hands often, and thoroughly.

Likewise, even if you feel a small cough coming on, avoid other people. Stay home. Work from home if possible. The disease is believed to be transmittable even before symptoms come on, and even if you are just fighting a common cold, you should be limiting the transmission of any virus during a time like this.

The decision may not be up to you

More and more leagues around the world are canceling sporting events, or playing them behind closed doors.

Again, this is former FDA commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb:

I think we’re going to be at a point very soon where we think of canceling sporting events (or holding) them in empty stadiums like they’re doing in South Korea. You don’t want to bring together a lot of people in closed spaces, especially indoors, where you can have easy transfer. Look at what happened with the CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) and AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) conferences. Do you want to continue to hold conferences and have to run the risk that your entire attendee list is put into a quarantine because there was someone there who is infected?

Basically, we’re most likely headed to closed stadiums for sporting events, especially if this starts to spread like they think it might.

How long will this last?

We don’t know. Dr. Gottlieb pointed out that the virus seemed to struggle with hot, humid air, and pointed toward July and August as a possible stop point, but those are estimated guesses. We aren’t sure how long this will go on.

For now, we need to try to limit the spread of disease and give the global medical community time to work. If you can, avoid large gatherings, especially large sporting events indoors.

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