SBJ Unpacks: Coronavirus -- Testing, Testing

The most intriguing number that has made its way across the virtual desk here at the home offices/school/kennel the last few days is 1,200. That’s the number of antigen and antibody tests that the UFC had in tow as it headed to Jacksonville for what figures to be a closely watched back-in-the-saddle pay per view event Saturday night.

When the Professional Bull Riders circuit made its return, the PBR said it tested each of about 140 people on entry and exit. It had no problem sourcing them and was not torched for it the way the NBA was when it tested some of its players and staff. The UFC will have four times that many test kits available. 

It said it is returning only because it is comfortable with the availability of tests, particularly in Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis and Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry were eager to land its events. It also pointed out that its tests were secured on the commercial market, outside of the standard supply chain to health care workers and first responders.

We’ll find out this weekend whether anybody minds. But that still won’t tell us much about what sort of backlash the major pro leagues will face if they intend to test regularly as part of a return, as all have indicated.

It’s good to see the hope that comes along with the release of the NFL schedule, which has become an event unto itself in recent years, perhaps strangely, but surely. It’s good to hear about calls and Zooms between leagues and owners and players unions, trying to get plans in place, just in case.

But my eyebrows raised when I saw 1,200.

Did yours?

--- Bill King

CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR: LEAGUES NEED "SAFETY-FIRST" MINDSET

• California Gov. Gavin Newsom today again threw cold water on any hopes of returning to sports normalcy in the short term, reports SBJ's Ben Fischer. Newsom: “It’s difficult to imagine a stadium that’s filled until we have immunity, until we have a vaccine." But he also said sports are "incredibly important in terms of spirit and pride that a community, state and nation can build."
  
  
• In response to a journalist’s question about the NFL’s schedule release tonight, Newsom also said there were a lot of questions to answer about even playing with no fans. "Do they quarantine the rest of the team if an offensive lineman is practicing with a defensive lineman, and they (have) tested positive? What happens to the rest of the line, what happens for the game coming up next weekend? It’s inconceivable to me that that’s not a likely scenario, so it’s a very challenging question you’re asking.”
  
  
• Newsom said he’s been talking “collaboratively and cooperatively” with a wide range of sports properties, including MLB, MLS, UFC, the NFL and various unions. About the return of sports in general, he said: "I hope to be able to answer that question sooner than later. But it’s a very tough question for these leagues to answer, because they must have a safety-first, health-first mindset, and there are conditions that persist in this state and this nation that make re-opening very, very challenging.”

ESPN'S KARL RAVECH SKEPTICAL OF JULY START FOR MLB

• ESPN's Karl Ravech, who has been on play-by-play duties for KBO games, told SBJ's Eric Prisbell that he is "very skeptical" about MLB being able to start its 2020 season in early July. South Korea, a nation of some 51 million, has taken strong measures with testing, isolating infected people and contact tracing. "Where they are compared to where we are in the measures they have taken, we are not currently close," Ravech said. "Doesn't mean we won't be in June or July, but we are not close to what they are doing. If that is sort of the floor, we are not near the floor yet, let alone the ceiling."
  
  
• MLB is expected to present a return-to-play proposal to the union in the coming days. In addition to addressing player salaries for a truncated season, players' health and welfare concerns need to be allayed. Achieving player unanimity on that front is tricky, Ravech said. "When you are talking about a pandemic and exposing a husband, a father, whatever the role that the player plays, you have to absolutely recognize the consideration of the children, the wives, the moms, the dads, whomever they may be. I find it is going to be a real big hill to climb to get everybody to say, 'Okay.' It feels like there is going to be some risk to go back no matter what." 
  
  
• Drew Rucinski, a pitcher for the NC Dinos, gave Ravech and his team insight into required KBO protocols for players. Players are told to remain in the hotel on the road, and they don't really venture out. There are twice-per-day temperature checks. If someone records a 99.5-degree reading or higher, he is removed from the facility and then tested for COVID-19. Players wear masks everywhere, including in the clubhouse. When they play, they take them off. Ravech: "The great part of what we are doing with KBO is we are seeing it in action. It can be done. It is not something that is impossible to achieve. But we have a long way to get to their way of life." 

FLOSPORTS SEES SPIKE IN TRAFFIC FOR IN-HOUSE ORIGINALS DURING SHUTDOWN 

• FloSports has been churning out original content to fill the void left by the ongoing shutdown of live sports, reports SBJ's Chris Smith. Since the OTT platform prioritized in-house originals following the mid-March lockdowns, live viewership of its original programming is up 253%, and original content now comprises more than half of FloSports’ total videos watched. It previously accounted for just 4%.
  
  
• "Once live sports started to fall, we immediately pivoted to original content,” said Amy Loesch, FloSports Senior VP/Marketing. “We have over 20 films or docu-series that are in development across six different sports verticals, so what we’ve been doing is just looking at our schedule and trying to build an appointment schedule to keep our fanbase engaged.” Tomorrow night, FloSports will debut “The Crossing,” a documentary about the treacherous journey taken by Cuban defector Anthony Echemendia as he made his way to the U.S., where he won both state and national championships before committing to wrestle at Ohio State.
  
  
• Loesch notes that original content isn’t a new priority, as FloSports has a team of more than 60 employees producing its in-house shows and films, though it may have been overshadowed before. “It’s always been a big focus for us, though maybe it didn’t get the attention that it deserved because our live sports are really the main reason why people come to Flo,” said Loesch. “But it’s definitely one of the ways that we are able to bring ... these underserved sports to our fans.”

STATE OF THINGS: LEAGUES/TEAMS EYE RETURN TO ACTION

• May is shaping up to be an important month for the return of sports, as leagues and teams increasingly begin to sharpen the focus of their plans for returning to competitive action. The slow trickle continues with the UFC and NASCAR resuming their stalled competitions in the next two weeks.
  
  
• Check out SBJ's web site for a rundown of major sports leagues/organizations and where they currently stand with regard to the resumption of play. 

WORKING FROM HOME WITH ACC COMMISSIONER JOHN SWOFFORD

• ACC Commissioner John Swofford has been making the most of his home office in Greensboro, where he makes use of his many screens -- laptop, iPad and iPhone -- for nearly-nonstop video conferencing. “I have video calls each morning with the other Power 5 commissioners, twice a week with our athletic directors and once a week with our league presidents,” he said. “I’ve also been on a number of calls with our football and basketball coaches (each group connects weekly) as well as our faculty athletics directors, senior woman administrators, television partners (ESPN and ACC Network) and a few sessions with all 32 Division I commissioners.”
  
  
• Swofford has been part of virtual meetings using WebEx, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, FaceTime, and GoToMeeting, just to name a few. “Having the ability to communicate using so many different technology platforms has allowed us to stay connected better than we probably realized was possible,” he said. The ACC has had multiple full staff calls and weekly senior staff video conferences, in addition to Swofford’s numerous individual calls each week.
  
  
• Each day for Swofford includes a walk with his wife, Nora, and a movie most evenings -- one of his recent favorites was “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.” And as you might expect, Swofford has been glued to ESPN on Sunday evenings with the rest of the sports world. “I’ve also thoroughly enjoyed ‘The Last Dance,’ which allows me to revisit many fond memories of Michael’s time at North Carolina,” said Swofford, who was the Tar Heels’ AD for Jordan’s three years in school.
  
  
• Swofford is working hard to facilitate the return of college athletics, which he believes will be an important part of the country coming back together, when the time is appropriate. But longing for sports comes in at least second place for Swofford during quarantine. “The one thing that I miss more than anything else is interacting with my grandkids,” he said. “We communicate all the time, but nothing replaces having them here with us, or traveling to spend time with them.”

• Want to share what your work-from-home setup is like? Reach out to SBJ's David Rumsey.

Swofford has been part of virtual meetings using WebEx, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, FaceTime, and GoToMeeting, just to name a few

NEWS YOU NEED TO SEE

• Top NFL and team officials reached out to governors and mayors in NFL cities ahead of tonight’s schedule release, emphasizing that they understand the games are subject to government and public health approval, reports SBJ's Ben Fischer. The calls have mostly been to be certain the politicians know the schedule is coming, and to communicate that the league is preparing many alternatives if the coronavirus pandemic prevents the schedule from happening as written. Most important, sources said, is to minimize the chance that politicians see the schedule release as a challenge to their authority to prevent large gatherings.
  
  
• Turner will simulcast "The Match: Champions for Charity" across TNT, TBS, truTV and HLN on Sunday, May 24 at 3:00pm ET, with the Bleacher Report app carrying pre-match coverage, reports SBJ's John Ourand. Turner Sports unveiled specifics around the long-rumored show, which will pit Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning against Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady in a charity match that will see WarnerMedia and the golfers donate $10M to COVID-19 relief. The event will be held at the Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound, Fla. Excel and Lagardère Sports are the tournament organizers. The two companies cut the media deal with WarnerMedia and Turner Sports.
  
  
• CAA Sports co-Head Howie Nuchow stressed the importance of leadership concepts during the final day of the CAA World Congress Comes To You virtual event. "People will always tell you who they are. You just have to listen." By observing leaders in an organization, employees can assess, "One, are you working in a place where you could be proud of, whether it's the ethics or how people are approaching problems? Are they running away from problems? Are they being as innovative as they possibly can? Are they communicating? How are they delivering bad news? It's very easy to be good to people during the good times. This is a time when you learn a lot about the people standing to the left and the right of you." 

SPEED READS

• At deadline, CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie said the "most likely scenario” for his league at this time is no 2020 season. He told TSN's David William Naylor that the CFL is a "valuable and integral part of Canadian life and it’s future is very much in jeopardy.” The league is currently "operating off funds paid in advance by fans, sponsors and broadcasters."
  
  
• Live Nation is waiting on NBA, NHL and MLB schedules in order to figure out when postponed concerts can be rescheduled, per SBJ's Karn Dhingra. Once restrictions are lifted, live music (91%) will be the most likely type of event attended followed by movies (87%), theater (78%) and sports (75%), according to a Live Nation-commissioned survey of ticket buyers.
   

• The 76ers-backed tech incubator, Sixers Innovation Lab, has pumped more funds into N.Y.-based Hydrant, a sports drink startup that creates single-use powder packages for use in 8 to 16 oz. of water. Sixers Innovation Lab is part of a mix of new and existing investors pumping $5.7 million in Series A funding into the hydration company, including RX3 Ventures, of which Packers QB Aaron Rodgers is a partner.
  
  
• The Rams and vendor Suite Experience Group have started selling single-game tickets to luxury suites at SoFi Stadium online, a departure from the traditional customized sales process in premium seating. Rams VP/Strategy Dan August acknowledged the challenges faced by the sales team during the pandemic, which has hit the L.A.-centric entertainment and live event industry particularly hard. He told SBJ's Ben Fischer, "This season could be impacted and the NFL’s come out with refund policies ... but long term we feel good about this.”
  
  

• Emory University professor Zach Binney, who specializes in quantitative theory, shed light on how difficult it will be for leagues to return to action in front of fans despite the best-laid plans. He told Bleacher Report's Howard Beck, "A lot of people just look at the nationwide numbers in the U.S. Something that’s really important to understand is that I would argue that we don’t have one epidemic in this country, we have a whole bunch of epidemics in different areas at different stages. … It’s hard to say where are we as a nation, because it’s really almost where are we as individual states or even individual cities within a state."
  
  
• PLL co-Founder Paul Rabil believes by switching the league’s season to a two-week tournament in quarantined conditions they have “unlocked a model” that other leagues can replicate should they have the ability to do so. Rabil, on his “Unbuckled Chinstrap” podcast, acknowledged the plan “certainly doesn’t project the longevity that pro sports seasons have,” but it still presents opportunity for a league that’s “still very much competing for market share and sports fans and attention of sponsors.”

NEWS YOU NEED FROM SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY

• During this crisis impacting the sports business, we want everyone to be up-to-date on the latest news and information. SBD's "Coronavirus & Sports" section is free, outside the paywall, for the foreseeable future. Below are today's headlines:
  
  
  • A-B InBev Will Look To Renegotiate Sponsorships Amid Sports Shutdown
  • Only A Few NBA Teams Plan To Open Facilities At First Availability
  • MLB's July Return Proposal Brings Optimism, But Some Hurdles Remain
  • NFL Encouraged On Chances For Full Season; Testing Will Be Key
  • Sporting KC CEO Wants MLS To Be First U.S. Major League To Return
  • UFC To Use 1,200 Coronavirus Tests For Fight Cards In Jacksonville
  • Plans For Fall Campus Re-Openings Could Mean On-Time CFB Season
  • MLSE Extends '20-21 Season Ticket Payment Date After Fan Backlash
  • Live Nation Preparing First Socially Distanced Concert
  • Pitt Coaches, Pro Teams Donate $800,000 To Fund Vaccine Research

SBJ UNPACKS -- WEATHERING COVID-19

• Check out the most recent editions of our "SBJ Unpacks" podcasts around COVID-19:
  
  
  • John Ourand is joined by the NBPA's Michele Roberts to discuss the pandemic’s impact on athletes and leadership in a time of crisis.
  • MELT Sports & Entertainment founder Vince Thompson dishes on what sponsors in college sports face as they navigate the uncertainty of the football season.
  • Bill King speaks with Dolphins President & CEO Tom Garfinkel about the franchise’s vision for a “new normal."
  • Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment's Hugh Weber on his experiences leading the Hornets through crisis during, and following, Hurricane Katrina.
  • PBR CEO Sean Gleason discusses how the circuit held its first event this past weekend since the COVID-19 shutdown began.

SIGN UP NOW FOR LEADERS WEEK DIRECT: MAY 18-21

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Something related to coronavirus and sports business catch your eye? Tell us about it. Reach out to Austin Karp (akarp@sportsbusinessjournal.com) and we'll share the best of it.