Latest sports news: Is May start worth risk for MLB?; Will Antonio Brown return to NFL?; UFC 249 eyes private island
Major League Baseball has proposed a plan that could move the start of the season to May, but is it worth the risk?
As crazy as the idea to play baseball in May sounds amid the coronavirus pandemic, it appears to be well thought out.
The MLB and MLBPA are discussing a plan that could allow the season to start by May in Arizona, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. All 30 teams would play at stadiums in the Arizona area, where they would live in local hotels and only travel to and from games. Among other ideas, players would sit in the empty stands at the recommended six feet apart, and there would be no mound visits from the catcher or pitching coach.
The good news is this idea is still early in the stages, and the MLB is taking extra precautions. I trust that the league will make the right decision, and this is not that. Baseball is more than a job to these players. Isolating them in Arizona where they would only go to and from games is not a good idea for players mentally.
Like everyone else, I can’t wait for baseball’s return, but these guys are not objects. And that’s not to mention the amount of testing that would have to occur. It’s a long-shot if anything. We all want baseball, but we should want players to be protected, too. Even with limited personnel and social distancing, it’s hard to imagine this plan working perfectly with so many personnel involved.
Will a team sign Antonio Brown?
Antonio Brown took the next step in his NFL comeback by signing with NFL agent, Ed Wasielewski. Brown was represented by Drew Rosenhaus before being let go in January amid his off-field problems.
It’s only a matter of time before a team signs Brown. We have seen worse guys get an opportunity in the NFL. You can talk about how talented the wide receiver class is in the NFL Draft all you want, but there is no way 32 teams will pass on a guy that will step on the field and be a top-three receiver in the league immediately.
Brown is too good and too many top teams need receivers. The 49ers, Packers, Patriots, Seahawks, Titans, Saints and Eagles were all teams that could have been deemed an Antonio Brown away from a Super Bowl last season. So just wait ... he’ll be back.
Ben Wallace thinks Pistons wouldn’t have ring with Carmelo
Carmelo Anthony said on an Instagram Live post with Dwyane Wade that he would have won multiple rings if he had been drafted by the Pistons, and that conversation has continued.
Pistons defensive anchor Ben Wallace took the opposite route and said that he believes the Pistons would not have won a championship if they drafted Anthony.
“If we would’ve drafted Carmelo, I honestly don’t think we would have ever won a championship," Wallace said. "Melo wanted to play right away. It would have had the potential to disrupt the team chemistry.”
He’s right about the potential of the chemistry being disrupted, but the keyword there is potential. Anthony is now viewed by many as a superstar who wasn’t the best team player in his career, but he would have rings with the Pistons.
He was fresh off an NCAA championship with Syracuse, so he would have done whatever it took to help the Pistons win. He wouldn’t have provided Tayshaun Prince’s defense, but the Pistons offense could put a baby to sleep better than a lullaby. It wasn’t pretty to watch.
Anthony would have changed that.
UFC 249 on a private island?
Dana White is getting creative. The UFC President said he is in the process of securing a private island for the upcoming UFC 249.
This is the best idea I’ve heard yet, and offers the least amount of risk. White has the money to make this happen, and it would be a big boom for the UFC. The one concern that jumps to mind is how UFC will handle a major injury on a private island, but there’s still time to iron out the details.
UFC 249 does not have a set date, time or location. Tony Ferguson will be featured in the main event, with more details emerging this week.