Over the weekend we learned that the NHL and NBA were consider banning media from locker rooms (among other measures) in response to the increasing spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus.
Tonight, in a fairly unprecedented move, four American sports leagues issued a joint statement announcing that they would all end media access to locker rooms as part of a coronavirus response plan.
Prior to this statement, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Brian Windhorst announced that the NBA would implement these rules.
By ESPN:
The league informed teams Monday that they will have to remove what the NBA considers nonessential team personnel — including members of the media — from locker rooms, sources said.
The NBA expects coaches, general managers, basketball and public relations personnel to be among those who will continue to have access to players in locker rooms, sources said. The NBA is preparing for media access outside of locker rooms, which includes a directive to keep players and media six to eight feet apart, sources said.
The NBA told teams on Monday that the measures were part of recommendations from infectious disease and public health experts, sources said.
The revelation comes as the NBA plans a conference call with league owners and governors for Wednesday afternoon, league sources said.
Meanwhile, Woj’s ESPN colleague Jeff Passan reported that MLB would be instituting similar policies, in which he indicated that the league would continue to play games as scheduled for the time being:
Major League Baseball remains committed to playing a full schedule of spring training games and starting its regular season on time, but has joined the NBA in closing locker rooms to the media to prevent the possible spread of the coronavirus, sources told ESPN.
In a conference call with owners Monday night, the league continued its plan to stay on schedule for a March 26 season opener, sources familiar with the call told ESPN. MLB acknowledged its strategy could change at any time and instructed teams to develop contingency plans — including the possibility of playing games in alternate locations if the virus spread hits a particular metropolitan area, sources said.
The closure of the locker rooms to the media will be temporary, sources said, and will be replaced by press conferences. Additional access to players will be allowed, but they will be advised to keep a distance of 2 metres from journalists during interviews.
It’s obviously unusual to see leagues working together in this way, and it shows how seriously they’re taking the situation. (The fact that they’re still willing to let tens of thousands of fans gather to watch games seems a bit incongruous at this point, even if it’s a much easier step to take in the first place.)
(ESPN)
