FRISCO (105.3 The Fan) - President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with all of the major-league sports commissioners on Saturday to discuss the issue of COVID-19.
The scheduled participants for the call, per ESPN:
NBA – Adam Silver
WNBA – Cathy Engelbert
MLB – Rob Manfred
NFL – Roger Goodell
NHL – Gary Bettman
PGA Tour – Jay Monahan
UFC – Dana White
WWE - Vince McMahon
NASCAR – John Middlebrook or Jim France.
MLS – Don Garber.
The NBA, NHL and MLB have seen their regular seasons impacted by the coronavirus outbreak, which each league going on "hiatus,'' all led by the NBA, which will be represented on the call by Adam Silver. Baseball's Rob Manfred will also be among the commissioners involved.
But maybe front and center will be NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, as professional football has largely marched on with a "business as usual'' approach in many ways.
The NFL has had to cancel the annual owner meetings, has prohibited teams from using their facilities in the usual extensive way, and has turned its NFL Draft (April 23-25) into a TV event rather than one attended by half-a-million people, as was the original plan in Las Vegas.
NBA leaders have been vocal and optimistic about how sports and entertainment can be key to America's mental health; in short, we need things to do while we're quarantined. The NFL will now surely be heard on the same subject, with a direct pipeline to the White House.
