ESPN’s Doris Burke opens up about COVID-19 struggle, NBA’s resumption concerns
When asked about the challenges the NBA will face as it attempts to mount a comeback next month, Burke didn’t mince words.“The thing that I felt the most was fatigue and headache,” Burke said about having coronavirus. “So for a good stretch of the first two weeks of that, I was just thinking I had a bad flu, because my symptoms were not aligning with what was being told were the main symptoms — the shortness of breath, the pressure on the chest — I didn’t have those scary symptoms. So for a good stretch of time, I didn’t think I had it. But then I finally decided to get tested.
In the 101 pages of Major League Baseball's health protocols in returning to play amid the coronavirus pandemic, individuals are classified as either Tier 1, 2 or 3 based on whether they work on the field, in the clubhouse or adjacent to the action.
There's one class missing in this guide, however, a Tier 4 group that will be temporarily displaced but not forgotten.
Mascots.
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2020 minor league baseball season canceled
Minor League Baseball’s effort to defend its member teams was greatly imperiled by the global pandemic. Public attention, for good reason, has been elsewhere, and minor league teams have experienced a more or less complete halt to revenue. A resumption of play might have helped. There were times when it seemed plausible, but any hope dissipated over recent weeks. Even as MLB and its players haggled over the terms for a big league resumption, a ramp-up of virus transmission in many parts of the United States served to increase the already great logistical challenges to a MiLB season.We’ll see how the broader picture turns out.
They've been cut into baseball's ambitious, unprecedented and relatively tenuous plans to play a 2020 season, right there on Page 46 of a tome that seems to alternate between draconian and dystopian.
"Home Clubs may have their mascot in the ballpark if they choose, however under no circumstances are mascots permitted on the field of play or in any other Restricted Area on game days."
(Insert Phillie Phanatic sad face).
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Indeed, how can you rob the Phanatic of his ATV, Orbit of his penchant to bamboozle opponents, the Racing Presidents of their hopalong sprint to the tape?
Well, this is baseball in 2020, where you make the best of what's around. And in the same manner that a 60-game, regionally-limited season is far from the 162-game hike fans are accustomed to, a socially-distanced furry friend is better than none at all.
With that, let's take a look at a handful of mascots who may best flourish amid the constraints of the season:
Bernie Brewer: The man's signature move has always occurred several hundred feet away from humanity. So when Christian Yelich goes deep at Miller Park this year, Bernie's slide should be open for business.
Mr. Met: Should he reprise his most notorious moment, it will, at the least, test whether these broadcasts are operating on a seven-second delay.
The Mariner Moose: He is visually interesting. The gorgeous summer climate of Seattle won't make it seem like he's dying in that plush costume. And an empty concourse will give him a wide runway for his traditional sprint with the Mariners flag after victories.
Giannis Antetokounmpo: NBA title in Orlando will be ‘toughest’ ever to win
Antetokounmpo thinks the 2019-20 NBA title will the be hardest one to win.With players having to quarantine in Orlando and follow numerous guidelines in order to get back to playing, Giannis told reporters on Wednesday that he believes this year’s championship will be the “toughest championship you can ever win.
The Pirate Parrot: Signature bits include interacting with the participants of the Pierogi Race and launching hot dogs into the stands. With an empty stadium and pre-fab meals provided by the club, the bird figures to eat a little healthier in 2020.
Raymond Ray: With John Bolton back in the news, this sea creature no longer has the most ridiculous mustache you'll find on TV.
Yes, we'd be remiss to do a mascot bit without resurfacing the most unforgettable moment of player-mascot interaction. Suffice to say, the Brewers did not plan on Pirates first baseman Randall Simon taking a hack at their Racing Sausages during a 2003 game. Just another reason why workplace conditions for the mascots figure to be much safer this year.
Blazers coach Terry Stotts gushes about Jusuf Nurkic ahead of NBA resumption
Stotts also said that Nurkic will 'in all likelihood' be starting next to Carmelo Anthony but could possibly even start alongside fellow big man Hassan Whiteside.Speaking with the media Wednesday, Stotts raved about the Bosnian big’s physical condition and said he was ready for the NBA’s resumption in Orlando.
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Liverpool supporters celebrate as they gather outside of Anfield Stadium in Liverpool, England, on June 25, after Liverpool clinched the English Premier League title, the club's first such title since 1990. Liverpool took the title after Manchester City was defeated by Chelsea, 2-1.
Spectators watch from a home and hang a sign along the first hole during the first round of the Travelers Championship golf tournament at TPC River Highlands on June 25.
Ground staff clean the cross bar of the goals during the English Premier League match between Everton and Liverpool at Goodison Park in Liverpool, England, on June 21. The match ended in a 0-0 tie.
Empty stands during the English Premier League match between Aston Villa and Chelsea at the Villa Park stadium in Birmingham, England, on June 21. Chelsea won the match, 2-1.
Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang takes a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement before the Premier League soccer match against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England. The English Premier League resumed June 17 after its three-month suspension because of the coronavirus outbreak.
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FC Barcelona and Leganes players hold a minute of silence prior of the Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, on June 16. FC Barcelona won the match, 2-0.
Spectators watch Colfax-Mingo (Iowa) High School play Tri-County High School on June 15 at Principal Park in Des Moines. The afternoon game marked the first high school sporting event since varsity competitions were postponed due to the coronavirus.
Daniel Berger celebrates winning the Charles Schwab Challenge golf tournament at Colonial Country Club on June 14. It was the first PGA Tour event since March.
Fans find seats in the stands at Homestead-Miami Speedway for the NASCAR Cup Series race on June 14. NASCAR admitted about 1,000 spectators for the race, all members of the military, first responders and their families. It was the first professional sports event in the U.S. with a live audience since mid-March.
John DeStefano, right, mans the grill with Paul Kvedaras at their tailgate outside Homestead-Miami Speedway on June 14. The NASCAR Cup race was the first professional sports event in the U.S. with a live audience since mid-March.
Juventus' Cristiano Ronaldo challenges AC Milan's Lucas Paqueta during the Italian Cup (Coppa Italia) semifinal second leg match on June 12 at the Allianz stadium in Turin, the first to be played in Italy since March 9. The 0-0 draw sent Juventus into the Italian Cup final.
Dustin Johnson and the PGA Tour returned to action on June 11 for the Charles Schwab Challenge without spectators on the course at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth.
FC Schalke 04 alternate players sit on the bench during the Bundesliga soccer match against Union Berlin in Berlin, Germany, on June 7. The match ended in a 1-1 draw.
Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Burki wears a T-shirt reading "black, white, yellow, red, HUMAN" in solidarity with protests raging across the U.S. over the death of George Floyd. Dortmund defeated Hertha Berlin, 1-0, in the game played on June 6.
The green flag drops on the IndyCar season opener at an empty Texas Motor Speedway on June 6. The series was originally scheduled to begin its season on March 15.
People on a sideline video board watch the Danish Super League soccer match at Ceres Park in Aarhus, Denmark, on May 28. Fans used Zoom to be a part of the action in the game between AGF and Randers FC.
Players vie for the ball as fans live on to the screens on the sidelines during soccer match in Aarhus, Denmark on May 28, as the season resumed following a two-month absence due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Phil Mickelson reads a putt for Tom Brady on the 17th green during "The Match: Champions For Charity" at Medalist Golf Club on May 24 in Hobe Sound, Florida.
Cardboard pictures of fans are placed in the stands prior to the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Moenchengladbach and Bayer Leverkusen, in Moenchengladbach, Germany, on May 23.
A banner reading "For Borussia, against ghost matches" is displayed during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Moenchengladbach and Bayer Leverkusen, in Moenchengladbach, Germany, on May 23. Leverkusen won the match, 3-1.
Fans of German Bundesliga club Hertha Berlin sit outside at Fraenky sports bar to watch their team play against rival Union Berlin on May 22 in Berlin, Germany. The Bundesliga resumed matches last week, albeit in empty stadiums. Fans are mostly watching the games live from home or at the first pubs that have been allowed to reopen.
Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff walk down the first fairway during the TaylorMade Driving Relieve Supported By UnitedHealth Group on May 17 at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Florida.
Cars go through a turn past a sign at Darlington Raceway thanking people working during the coronavirus pandemic. NASCAR, which has been idle for 10 weeks because of the pandemic, made its return with The Real Heroes 400 on May 17.
Fans are seen watching the match on Television in a sports bar called J&M during the Bundesliga match between FC Union Berlin and FC Bayern Munich on May 17 in Berlin, Germany. All matches until the end of the season will be played behind closed doors.
Cheering mannequins are installed in empty seats for the soccer match between FC Seoul and Gwangju FC at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul, South Korea, on MAy 17. In a statement, FC Seoul expressed "sincere remorse" over the controversy, but insisted that it used mannequins, not sex dolls, to mimic a home crowd during its 1-0 win over Gwangju FC.
Dortmund defender Raphael Guerreiro (back) scores as the Bundesliga gets back underway in Dortmund, Germany, on May 16. No fans were allowed in the stands.
South Korea's Park Sung-hyun watches her tee shot on the first hole during the second round of the 42nd KLPGA Championship at Lakewood Country Club in Yangju, South Korea on May 15, 2020.
Tony Ferguson fights Justin Gaethje during UFC 249 on May 9. Gaethje claimed the interim lightweight belt after defeating Ferguson at UFC 249, which was held without fans at Jacksonville's VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.
The Fubon Guardians line up after beating the Uni-Lions at Xinzhuang Baseball Stadium on May 8 in New Taipei City, Taiwan. The league allowed 200 fans into the stadium.
Brad Sweet in the 49 car and Donny Schatz in the 15 car race at Knoxville Raceway during the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series on May 8.
A general view of atmosphere for the K-League opener, in which Jeonbuk FC defeated the Suwon Bluewings, 1-0, at Jeonju World Cup Stadium on May 8 in Jeonju, South Korea.
Atlanta United midfielder Gonzalo Martinez gestures during the first day of voluntary individual workouts at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground in Marietta, Ga. Major League Soccer announced that starting on May 6, players may begin to use outdoor team training fields for individual workouts.
Hanwha Eagles pitcher Warwick Saupold throws during the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) League season-opening game between SK Wyverns and Hanwha Eagles at the empty SK Happy Dream Ballpark on May 5 in Incheon, South Korea.
The stands at SK Wyverns club's Happy Dream Ballpark are filled with placards featuring their fans during the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) League opening game between SK Wyverns and Hanwha Eagles at the empty SK Happy Dream Ballpark on May 5 in Incheon, South Korea.
When asked about the challenges the NBA will face as it attempts to mount a comeback next month, Burke didn’t mince words.“The thing that I felt the most was fatigue and headache,” Burke said about having coronavirus. “So for a good stretch of the first two weeks of that, I was just thinking I had a bad flu, because my symptoms were not aligning with what was being told were the main symptoms — the shortness of breath, the pressure on the chest — I didn’t have those scary symptoms. So for a good stretch of time, I didn’t think I had it. But then I finally decided to get tested. 
Minor League Baseball’s effort to defend its member teams was greatly imperiled by the global pandemic. Public attention, for good reason, has been elsewhere, and minor league teams have experienced a more or less complete halt to revenue. A resumption of play might have helped. There were times when it seemed plausible, but any hope dissipated over recent weeks. Even as MLB and its players haggled over the terms for a big league resumption, a ramp-up of virus transmission in many parts of the United States served to increase the already great logistical challenges to a MiLB season.We’ll see how the broader picture turns out. 
As the NFL continues to prepare for training camps amid COVID-19, news on how the league will operate once players return surfaces frequently. Here is the latest on the virus-NFL front: A four-week preseason slate looks like the less realistic scenario, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com notes (video link).As the NFL continues to prepare for training camps amid COVID-19, news on how the league will operate once players return surfaces frequently. Here is the latest on the virus-NFL front: © Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports The NFL prepare for training camps amid COVID-19. A four-week preseason slate looks like the less realistic scenario, Mike Garafolo of NFL. 
Antetokounmpo thinks the 2019-20 NBA title will the be hardest one to win.With players having to quarantine in Orlando and follow numerous guidelines in order to get back to playing, Giannis told reporters on Wednesday that he believes this year’s championship will be the “toughest championship you can ever win. 
When asked about the challenges the NBA will face as it attempts to mount a comeback next month, Burke didn’t mince words.“The thing that I felt the most was fatigue and headache,” Burke said about having coronavirus. “So for a good stretch of the first two weeks of that, I was just thinking I had a bad flu, because my symptoms were not aligning with what was being told were the main symptoms — the shortness of breath, the pressure on the chest — I didn’t have those scary symptoms. So for a good stretch of time, I didn’t think I had it. But then I finally decided to get tested.
© Mark Hoffman, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Bernie Brewer shouldn't have any trouble abiding MLB's safety protocols on his home run slide. 
Stotts also said that Nurkic will 'in all likelihood' be starting next to Carmelo Anthony but could possibly even start alongside fellow big man Hassan Whiteside.Speaking with the media Wednesday, Stotts raved about the Bosnian big’s physical condition and said he was ready for the NBA’s resumption in Orlando. 
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2020 minor league baseball season canceled 
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Giannis Antetokounmpo: NBA title in Orlando will be ‘toughest’ ever to win 
Blazers coach Terry Stotts gushes about Jusuf Nurkic ahead of NBA resumption 
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