It's all politics.

Two states with similar populations and similarly low virus counts (Florida and California), yet one state says we're open for all business, and one clamps down further.... Until it looks like their pro sports teams may temporarily leave.

But thank goodness for interstate competition. It's the only thing that's going to drag these insane state executives from destroying their own economies even further.

Last week Florida says come on down. Today, NY and Cali. govs suddenly want sports back.

5 days ago:

quote:
TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis said it’s time for professional sports teams to play ball again in Florida.

DeSantis, who is still rolling out the first phase of the state’s economic recovery effort amid the coronavirus pandemic, said Wednesday he will lift restrictions so teams would be welcome to train and play games in empty stadiums in Florida.

“We want to have you here. We want to have basketball practicing again,” DeSantis told reporters at the Capitol. “We would love to have Major League Baseball. And I think the message is that our people are starved to have some of this back in their lives. It's an important part of people's lives.”

DeSantis added that his office is working on ways to also revive youth sports in the state.

His comments came after the Washington Post reported that Major League Soccer is looking to house players in large resorts near Disney World as a way for games to resume for all 26 teams in Orlando.

Today:

quote:
Last week, the governors of Florida and Arizona said pro sports would be welcome to return anytime to their states. In fact, Florida has already hosted a few UFC events.
Now, on Monday, California governor Gavin Newsom outlined when pro sports can return to his state, too. Newsom says the first week of June is a good target date for pro sports to come back:

That means teams like the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers and many others could soon be back in action and at team facilities.

Newsom didn’t mention college sports, but this has to be seen as a positive sign for college athletics, too.

From New York:

quote:
New York Governor Andrew said Monday that professional sports teams should start planning to resume play without fans and the state will assist them in doing so. Cuomo, speaking at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, said he was personally eager to watch the Bills play.

"New York state will help those major sport franchises to do just that," Cuomo said. "Hockey, basketball, baseball, football, whoever can reopen we're a ready, willing and able partner."

Cuomo spoke Monday as the state continued to see a decline in coronavirus-related hospitalizations, intubations and deaths.

Cuomo said even if pro games have no fans present, they could be televised.

"I think this is in the best interest of all the people and in the best interest in the state of New York," Cuomo said. To emphasize the point, Cuomo gave a shout out to his favorite team, the Buffalo Bills, while displaying a slide showing the team's logo.

This post was edited on 5/18/20 at 4:04 pm