Baird negotiated a deal with the NWSLPA to pay players a full salary even if they sat out '20GETTY IMAGES
NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird addressed the challenges COVID-19 presented "head on, and under her leadership the NWSL not only became the first professional sports league in the U.S. to return to play during the pandemic, but it staged two separate -- and successful -- tournaments," according to Kevin Baxter of the L.A. TIMES. The league also saw its TV ratings "jump 493%, drawing an average of nearly 463,000 viewers for six broadcasts on CBS and adding corporate sponsors in Google, P&G and Verizon." Additionally, Baird "hammered out a deal" with the NWSLPA that "would pay everyone a full salary whether they played through the pandemic or not and moved forward with plans to add teams" in Louisville, Sacramento and L.A. Baird said, "The people that deserve credit are my owners -- for really getting behind me even when I was asking them to take a leap of faith -- and most importantly, the players." Baxter writes at the club level, it "took Baird -- with some unwelcome help from the COVID-19 shutdown -- to make people notice." The commissioner "laid a foundation by listening to players and allaying their concerns about COVID-19 protocols, pay and other benefits." Still, five of the "brightest stars" on the world champion USWNT "left the NWSL" for the FA Women's Super League. Baird: "We had some successes this year and they all bode well for the future. But we still have challenges ahead of us" (L.A. TIMES, 10/27).
