The entire world has been hit by the Coronavirus pandemic. We have seen big changes occur and in terms of the sporting world, we have seen many leagues and competitions either canceled, moved, or suspended while things improve.
As things stand now, no major US sports are taking place. The hope is that they can return soon, which would be great to see and a boost to many people. But what will this do to the overall sporting scene?
It would be no surprise to see things change forever, especially in the US, which could probably do with a shakeup anyway.
Could Sporting Schedules Change?
We are all currently sitting watching the latest TV shows, hoping that sport in some capacity will come back soon.
When it returns, we will see the NBA and NHL resume at a time that is normally seen as their offseason. The MLB and MLS seasons are currently on hold, they will likely finish well after their normal date.
Could this trigger sports to change their schedules for good? The NHL and NBA are the two in place to make the most drastic changes, with the NBA move seemingly an obvious one to many people.
Sports have been happy to continue as they have in the past, but now they are forced to change, why change back if it’s not needed?
NFL to Remain Alone as a Winter Sport?
The NFL is the biggest of all-American sports, and as far as games against each other go, it is the one that others fear.
The NHL and NBA don’t mind scheduling against each other, but both try to work their games around what the NFL is doing, especially on Sundays and around Thanksgiving, which is a day that many people dedicate to football.
Of all the sports, it is the one that could survive on its own and be enough to keep people happy. Through the summer months, we have the MLB and MLS working together for a few months, people don’t feel this is enough.
However, despite being just one league, and despite most games taking place on the same day, the NFL can bring enough to the table to work alone.
It would also prevent any other sports from clashing with it, with the exception of right at the start of the season when people are not overly interested anyway, and it is not a crucial moment for the sport.
The NBA to Take its Rightful Place as a Summer Sport?
The NBA has everything pointing towards it being a summer sport with the exception of the schedule. Games are played in parks around America during summer, many households have nets up outside that are used in summer but not winter.
So why not play in winter?
The current unofficial target for the NBA is to resume and play the playoffs in August. If this is the case, why not just keep them there?
The league could have a full offseason and return with a big around the Christmas period. They could then work towards a playoff program in July and August every year when there is no NFL to compete with.
The only time this league would crossover with the NFL is during the first month, when they struggle for viewers anyway because of the NFL playoffs. It is better to get this out of the way early, and then have everyone focusing on the NBA for the rest of the season.
Could the NHL Follow Suit?
The NHL has recently announced plans to return either at the end of July or at the beginning of August.
This would leave the playoffs in August and September, possibly into October too. The league usually starts in October, so something would need to happen with next year’s schedule to accommodate that.
Ice hockey is not seen as a summer sport like the NBA, but it is very conscious about clashing with the NFL, so for monetary reasons, does the NHL follow the NBA to start their season at the start of a new calendar year?
Again, just like the NBA, things would clash in the first month but then the NFL would be done and the league could play until a finish in July or August.
How Will the MLB be Affected by New Summer Sports Arriving?
The one league that won’t want this to happen is the MLB. However, the change may not make much difference to them, due to the fans they generally attract.
The MLB is a league that has a lot of die-hard fans, although of all the sports in America, it is also the one that doesn’t attract many casual fans.
This means that few hockey and basketball fans watch the MLB, so they aren’t going to lose too much in terms of viewers.
The only thing that would be of concern is how games would fit on TV. Would live NHL and NBA take up broadcasting room to prevent MLB from being on the national TV channels as much as it is now?
Will the Spread Help Betting on Sport?
One of the problems that many people face is that there are too many events happening at the same time right now.
For example, a normal January would see the NHL and NBA seasons turning for home and getting interesting, but they are dwarfed by the start of the NFL playoffs. For watchers and gamblers, this is too much.
Betting on sports is becoming increasingly popular in America, as it is all over the world and the change of seasons could help that further. Bookmakers such as those listed on “the bookies” will be hoping things change to increase their turnover, and they could well get their wish.
We have never seriously discussed sports moving around in the past, but the opportunity now presents itself.
Some will agree, some will not, but one thing we can all agree on is that if it doesn’t happen now, then it will likely never happen.
