Coronavirus In Sports: Sixers, Flyers, Phillies Seasons All Impacted By Pandemic

Don Bell reports.

JUST TWO WEEKS THEY WILLREASSESS THE SITUATION.EXACTLY.THANKS, STAY WITH US.WELL, SPORT DIRECTOR DONBELL JOINS WITH US MORE ON THEIMPACT THIS IS HAVING ON THESPORT WORLD.YEAH, DON NO BASKETBALL, NOHOCKEY, NO BASEBALL FOR AWHILE.IN TIMES OF FINANCIAL CRISISOR ANY ISSUES THOSE HAVE BEENAN OUTLET FOR PEOPLE.THE GAME'S ALWAYS GO ONTHAT IS A CLICHE THAT HOLDSTRUE BY AND LARGE, EXCEPT FORNOW.WE START WITH SOME BREAKINGNEWS IN OUR PART THIS IS ADIFFERENT KIND OF MARCHMADNESS.THE NCAA JUST CANCELLED BOTHMENS AND WOMEN'S NATIONALTOURNAMENTS, THAT ANNOUNCEMENTWAS MADE LITERALLY JUST A FEWMOMENTS AGO.SO BY NOW YOU KNOW AS WESWITCH GEARS TO TALK ABOUTANOTHER LEAGUE LAST NIGHT NBASUSPENDED THEIR SEASON, AFTERRUDY GOBERT OF THE UTAH JAZZTESTED POSITIVE FORCORONAVIRUS.TODAY HIS TEAMMATE DONOVANMITCHELL, ALSO TESTED POSITIVESO TODAY THE NHL, WELL, THEYPUT THEIR SEASON ON ICE.COMMISSIONER GARY BETMAN SAYSLEAGUE WILL PAUSE DURINGCORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC AND CITEDTHE FACT MANY OF THEIR TEAMSSHARE ARENAS AND LOCKER ROOMSWITH THE NBA AND LIKELY SOMEOF THEIR PLAYERS COULD TESTPOSITIVE AS WELL.ELSEWHERE, MAJOR LEAGUEBASEBALL HAS SUSPENDED SPRINGTRAINING AND PUSHED BACKOPENING DAY BY AT LEAST TWOWEEKS.SEASON WAS SUPPOSE TODD BEGINMARCH 26TH.THIS IS FIRST TIME MLB HAS HADAN OPENING DAY DELAY SINCE1995 WHEN IT WAS BOUNCING BACKFROM A PLAYERS STRIKE.THE MLS HASSLES SUSPENDED ITSSEASON FOR 30 DAYS WHILE U.S.SOCCER FEDERATION HASCANCELLED ALL SCHEDULEDMATCHES.UNION WERE SCHEDULED TO HAVE AHOME OPENER ON SATURDAY.WHILE THE NBA, NHL ANDBASEBALL TAKE A TIME OUT, GOLFCONTINUES IN FULL SWING.THE PGA SAYS THEY WILLCONTINUE THE PLAYERSCHAMPIONSHIP, BUT, WITHOUTFANS.COMMISSIONER JAY MONEY HANDLESSAYS THAT THE NEXT THREETOURNAMENTS WILL PROCEEDWITHOUT SPECTATORS.AS WE TOLD YOU LAST NIGHT NBASUSPENDED ITS SEASON UNTILFURTHER NOTICE.MARK CUBAN DALLAS MAVERICKSOWNER WAS SHOCK WHEN HE LEARNABOUT ITS IN REAL TIME.CUBAN ASIDE FROM JUST THEGAMES WAS VERY CONCERNED ABOUTTHE EMPLOYEES IN THE ARENAS.YOU KNOW, IN TALKING TOWHEN SOME OF THE THINGS WERECOMING UP THAT WE MIGHT NOTPLAY GAMES AND THIS WASYESTERDAY, I REACHED OUT TOTHE FOLKS AT THE ARENA AND OURFOLKS AT MAVERICKS TO FIND OUTWHAT IT WOULD COST TO SUPPORTFINANCIALLY SUPPORT PEOPLE WHOARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TOCOME TO WORK, THEY GET PAID BYTHE HOUR AND THIS IS THEIRSOURCE OF INCOME.SO WE WILL DO SOME THINGSTHERE.WE MAY ASK THEM TO GO DO SOMEVOLUNTEER WORK IN EXCHANGE BUTWE HAVE ALREADY STARTED THEPROCESS OF HAVING A PROGRAM INPLACE.I DON'T HAVE ANY DETAILS TOGIVE BUT CERTAINLY SOMETHINGTHAT IS IMPORTANT TO ME.CLOSE TORE HOME THE WELLSFARGO CENTER HAS BEEN SHUTDOWN FOR DEEP CLEANING.COMCAST SPORTS EVENT SAY ALLEVENTS ARE CANCEL.STATEMENT RELEASED IN THE LASTHOUR COMCAST SPECTACOR SAYS INLIGHT OF THE RECENTANNOUNCEMENTS MADE TODAY ALLPHILADELPHIA FLYERS, 76ERS ANDWINGS GAMES SCHEDULED FORWELLS FARGO CENTER AREPOSTPONED UNTIL FURTHERNOTICE.ALL OTHER EVENTS SCHEDULEDTHROUGH MARCH 31ST WILL BERESCHEDULED THAT INCLUDESTONIGHT DAN AND SHAY CONCERT.SO, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE TIMESIN LIFE WHERE REAL LIFEINTERSECTS WITH SPORTS AND YOUKNOW PUBLIC SAFETY IS NUMBERONE IN THIS SCENARIO.THIS IS UNLIKE ANYTHING I HAVEEVER HAD IN MY CAREER, WE CANALL SAY THAT, AND IT ISAFFECTING LITERALLY THE ENTIREWORLD.I MUST SAY THIS SOUNDSDRAMATIC WHAT IS GOING ON, SOMUCH STUFF CLOSING DOWN BUT INOTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD THATHAVE HAD BIG DECISIVE SHUTDOWNS IT HAS QUICKLY STOPPEDTHE SPREAD OF THIS.SO THIS HAS BEEN SHOWN INOTHER AREAS TO BE AN EFFECTIVEWAY TO STOP THE SPREAD OFTHIS.DRASTIC MEASURE YOU HAVE TOSTART SOMEWHERE.YES, AND WE ALSO TO HAVEREMEMBER IN TERMS OF WHAT I DOIN SPORTS IT IS ALL A LUXURY.IT IS ALL ENTERTAINMENT.WE ARE TALKING ABOUT PUBLICSAFETY, WE WILL SEE YOUBASEBALL IN A FEW MONTHSHOPEFULLY AND AND THEN AT THATPOINT WE JUST ENJOY THE GAME.