Guru’s WNBA Report: The Coronavirus Will Force Media Into Whole New Experience Covering the Daily Action Florida By Remote

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

 

For starters, Friday afternoon produced the official notice from the WNBA that the bubble at IMG in Bradenton, Fla., will not include on-site media access at anytime as for now other than, though they didn’t say it, the minimum personnel required to televise the 22-game-per-12-team schedule, yet to be released.

 

Teams will begin reporting to the all-encompassing training camps early next month with a target start date of July 24, though that wasn’t mentioned in the planning purpose release since it is in flux.

 

Still in flux, also, is whether liftoff actually occurs given the rising rates from Covid-19, which leaves everything on tender hooks moving forward, though at the same time the NBA officially declared its plans to finish its season 100 miles away near Orlando at Disney Wide World of Sports alongside the Magic Kingdom.

 

Of course, this fact was not breaking news since the lack of media on-site was expected for some time now after IMG near Tampa/St. Petersburg was first reported as the leading contender to host an al-league format playing 22 games instead of the original expanded by two to 36 that was in place until the pandemic put the whole sports world on hold.

 

What was new was a planning blueprint still a work-in-progress setting up ways to replicate the in-season experience but by remote, which is going to cause a dramatic change beyond TV.

 

Everyone got a taste of total remote back in April when the WNBA draft was held on-line televised by ESPN. It was a neatly executed, but still, it was a one-night event.

 

By the way, before getting deep into this but the specifics of engagement is not yet necessary — of course, lots of zooms coming, following the 22 games ending late August/early September, the playoffs will be the normal format, eight teams qualify, the top two seeds from combined standings of East and West will get two-round byes and then host two survivors from the two one-game opening rounds in best-of-five semifinals and finals.

 

The schedule itself for the first time will be uniform since everyone will be playing everyone twice as opposed to recent years where not all teams played all opponents the same number of games.

 

If there are a lot of 1-1 splits, tie-breaking procedure for qualifying for playoff spots will be intriguing.

 

In some ways, the non-TV pendulum swings for the moment to those emerging and now veteran websites that have covered the league as the dwindling state of newspapers continue.

 

Many have done a large of part of their operations by remote, though some have their own writing corp to go on-site.

 

And, other than when the chase has playoff implications later in the schedule, or a game provides a photo-finish or some record-breaking thrilling performances, or other news events, right now read that as the using platforms to help change cultures, deadline was not an urgent thing needed seconds after the game ended.

 

TV will be putting its own wrinkles but TV is always looking to put new wrinkles.

 

But for those places still with an active quasi-plentiful print media — primarily the Connecticut Sun, whose home is at the Mohegan Sun casino-entertainment complex near New London, Conn., the defending champion Washington Mystics, the expected revival of coverage in New York debuting overall No. 1 draft pick Sabrina Ionescu out of Oregon, the Minnesota Lynx in Minneapolis, game day will be totally different.

 

Eyes will have to be on TV screens, or iPads and other tablets, laptops, home pcs, or, and hope there’s a good data plan, cellphones, instead of sitting live on press row pounding away with a deadline approaching or chatting with colleagues on the beat as the game proceeds.

 

And in some places, to mention it and make some of you happy coming from here, unless teams are providing special deliveries, it’s goodbye to the team-hosted pre-game meals or post-game pizza.

 

Since no fans will be on site, your part is to build as much traffic at your end of the deal, to warrant expanded coverage of the world of the new normal when hopefully the virus is under control.

 

You won’t be hearing Guru’s tales of travel tricks, etc.

 

But with no Philly Summer league added to the menu, besides still looking ahead and staying touch with the NCAA world with an eye to the fall, and some unfinished 2020 business with the United States Basketball Writers Association, the Guru here has time to totally focus on the new WNBA summer.

 

The league will at its site have plenty as will the various individual team sites and Friday’s email had a fine working setup for interaction between us and them.

 

The Guru is exploring creating a special website here to be as much a grand central station of coverage of the coverage besides stuff out of here from Rob Knox, Mike Siroky, and others, zoom interviews, podcasts, and a youtube page. 

 

The Guru’s email is poll416@gmail.com so If you have ideas of what things should be included here, feel free to weigh in, or if you have interest being involved, wherever you are. 

 

At this time you’ll get the exposure, if not the revenue, unless you think you can market the initiative if the ability to go ahead exists.

 

That said, while not writing this in an all-nite local diner with wifi, ac outlets, and even usb ports, as usual daylight is approaching as the Guru concludes his last sentence.

 

So stay tuned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Guru Report: As The WNBA Announces Return Two Devils in the Details Emerge

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

 

Well since the WNBA announced Monday the league will be coming back from its Covid-19 hiatus also suffered by the rest of the sports world, what better time for the Guru to return to building to a more robust operation now that he is technologically whole again with a state of the art ipad 2020  complete with mouse and thumb drive operation.

 

The next trick is a second negotiation with the phone carrier who was forgiving on a large part of the previous cell bill to bargain for a repeat to avoid a kick starter to fund the next one, since the shut-in here in philly was in a house not wifi-equipped.

 But moving forward the digital curve has flattened.

 

Anyhow, to address the issue at hand and then maybe a second blog in the next 24 to list things that have and will be occurring, the WNBA announcement, which is by this hour reported all over the web, made part of the league’s plans official to the public but what had already been reported out by colleagues Mechelle Voepel at ESPN, Doug Feinberg at the AP, Howard Megdal at a host of others.

 

There are two devils in the details to get this baby moving from now until a 2020 champion is decided.

 

The first devil was the focus in everything about dealing with the challenges posed by a virus that is still very much a disruptive ongoing threat that if not brought way down by the fall is going to bring us back to its effect on the collegiate world.

 

The second devil, however, is what’s to come which is the parameters covering a championship race from its outset to conclusion that will be very different with the add-on elements of the virus and the current use of platform to give voice to the national debate on changing cultures.

 

And that aside, questions abound plenty because unlike our NCAA friends that toward the end of last season created a women’s basketball media advisory committee to discuss all the aspects of coverage, how this league gets covered beyond TV is still at this hour very much a mystery.

 

Though team level media offices probably unto themselves assumed some things and have had some internal discussions, as of Monday many of the ones the Guru deals during the season had yet to be given any clues from the league.

 

And virtually all the people who you read alongside the Guru had yet to become knowledgeable also.

 

Exhibit A — when Mechelle and Doug first reported the strong possibility of the entire league being played at one site in Bradenton in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area – a locale many of us are familiar from several past NCAA Final Fours, the — the question quickly arose on what the access on site will be, given all the extra precautions needed to avoid the virus becoming intrusive.

 

Again, this is to remind those of you who come to us across the board not of the media that things don’t just pop up other than breaking news. You’ve heard it enough and all the stories of operating on our own dimes to travel etc. and thus the watchword is planning.

 

And right here, understand this is not a lobby campaign to get on site access, especially with the Florida virus numbers on the rise. It’s more about communication.

 

Given enough give-and-take, much can be covered remotely, but that involves the aforementioned planning and it would be nice as the NCAA has done, here’s what we’re thinking, what do you think, and together something could be worked out.

 

The league did an outstanding job and we all gave them kudos in pulling off draft night, the immediate lead-up, and the follow.

 

But this is going to be a different animal to do the narrative aside from the TV end of the deal.

 

To give you some behind the scenes, when Florida was first mentioned, the Guru got a call from his sugar daddy who has been helpful on big ticket event finances, what are you thinking, though this was based on a July 24 launch that we now learn is not exactly in stone.

  

Well, especially since we didn’t have to do the New Orleans Final Four with that expense, treat it on a NCAA calendar of sorts, get there Wednesday to work on Thursday to advance Friday, and then do games through Sunday and Monday, come back, and then go back to Florida late in the playoffs.

 

BUT, the Guru said, given quarantine situations, etc., and the way the draft was excellently run, it may be easier to just hold off for now and wait if news dictates along the way or see where we are at playoff time.

 

But also understand, similar type discussions are happening at all the wbb internet operations.

 

And the draft was a one-time event. Since then, it’s become a zoom world. But from the players’ side, they already have enough to deal in a new unified, quarantined setting. 

 

Who’s Zooming Who As Arentha Franklin Once Sung

 

If we’re going to be all be by remote, from a player’s and coach’s side, between practice, etc., they can’t be appearing on everyone’s zoom, especially if it’s an elite player in higher demand, because while zoom is great, doing several in the same day can be wearing.

 

Likely, the league will either have a weekly teleconference or zoom event with someone the masses have interest for either topical interest or off a game performance.

 

If we were having discussions, the Guru would recommend, a time one day a week for a league event, and then staggered so no conflict, each team has a designated one-a-week in advance notice for flexibility once the schedule is known.

 

And as the playoffs near, all can reshuffle per the developing interest.

 

Coverage Competition With Other Sports

 

What else will be new is the WNBA will be operating the same time as the NBA and several other sports, though as of this writing, baseball could be out of the picture, though of course, coverage of baseball out of the picture will be heavy for a while.

 

One would think the NBA and WNBA will co-promote each other, and it wouldn’t hurt having NBA types, who already pay attention to the WNBA, have a presence, especially off the TV platforms.

 

Tanks a Lot

 

In seeing a tweet threat involving a bunch of players from the same team to take an opt out option, begged the thought, if New York Liberty and former Oregon star Sabrina Ionescu was just heading into her senior season and former NBA 76er general manager Sam Hinkie was in charge of that team, might he encourage (wink wink don’t worry) some star players to take the opt out option in what would quickly become known as Tank for Sabrina.

 

The Season Itself

 

Which brings us to this as the final item for now, Doug had the one different element in something the Guru had been asking, what will the schedule look like at 22, and he reported what the Guru first observed: everyone plays the other 11 twice.

 

Well, it would be interesting as to what the standings would be at 22, because they seemed to have been unsettled in the past in terms of who qualifies. 

So we could be looking at NFL-style tiebreak stories down the stretch, which in this case will be interesting if key teams have split 1-1 among them for access or seeds.

 

So our colleague Kurtis, one of the stat freaks among us, to the requested mission and sent each year’s standings roughly at 22 back to 2010, and before you say, well the component producing the standings will be different than the previous years and the early part of the decade didn’t have unified cross-divisional standings.

 

True, but they are presented here in a unified look just to see what a 22-game season looks like for you to chew the fat and we’ll be back, and wow, what fun it was to use the keyboard and mouse and make the pro 12.9 a monitor to write this.

 

Now hopefully the standings will come drop clean here and on to the blog site. — Guru

 

=========================================================================

2019

=========================================================================

CON:            16      -       6       (0.727) (22 games)

WAS:            15      -       7       (0.682) (22 games)     (1.0 GB)

LVA:            15      -       8       (0.652) (23 games)     (1.5 GB)

LAS:            13      -       8       (0.619) (21 games)     (2.5 GB)

CHI:            12      -       9       (0.571) (21 games)     (3.5 GB)

PHO:            11      -       10      (0.524) (21 games)     (4.5 GB) — tie

SEA:            12      -       11      (0.522) (23 games)     (4.5 GB) — tie

MIN:            11      -       11      (0.5)   (22 games)     (5.0 GB)

NYL:            8       -       13      (0.381) (21 games)     (7.5 GB) — lottery

IND:            8       -       15      (0.348) (23 games)     (8.5 GB)

DAL:            6       -       16      (0.273) (22 games)     (10.0 GB)

ATL:            5       -       18      (0.217) (23 games)     (11.5 GB)

=========================================================================

2018

=========================================================================

SEA:            16      -       6       (0.727) (22 games)

PHO:            15      -       8       (0.652) (23 games)     (1.5 GB)

LAS:            14      -       9       (0.609) (23 games)     (2.5 GB)

WAS:            13      -       9       (0.591) (22 games)     (3.0 GB)

DAL:            12      -       9       (0.571) (21 games)     (3.5 GB) — tie

ATL:            12      -       9       (0.571) (21 games)     (3.5 GB) — tie

CON:            12      -       10      (0.545) (22 games)     (4.0 GB) — tie 2

MIN:            12      -       10      (0.545) (22 games)     (4.0 GB) — tie 2

LVA:            10      -       13      (0.435) (23 games)     (6.5 GB) — lottery

NYL:            7       -       14      (0.333) (21 games)     (8.5 GB)

CHI:            7       -       15      (0.318) (22 games)     (9.0 GB)

IND:            2       -       20      (0.091) (22 games)     (14.0 GB)

=========================================================================

2017

=========================================================================

MIN:            18      -       2       (0.9)   (20 games)

LAS:            16      -       6       (0.727) (22 games)     (3.0 GB)

CON:            13      -       9       (0.591) (22 games)     (6.0 GB) — tie

WAS:            13      -       9       (0.591) (22 games)     (6.0 GB) — tie

PHO:            12      -       10      (0.545) (22 games)     (7.0 GB)

NYL:            11      -       10      (0.524) (21 games)     (7.5 GB)

DAL:            11      -       12      (0.478) (23 games)     (8.5 GB)

ATL:            10      -       12      (0.455) (22 games)     (9.0 GB)

SEA:            9       -       12      (0.429) (21 games)     (9.5 GB) — lottery

IND:            8       -       15      (0.348) (23 games)     (11.5 GB)

CHI:            8       -       15      (0.348) (23 games)     (11.5 GB)

SAN:            3       -       20      (0.13)  (23 games)     (16.5 GB)

========================================================================

2016

=========================================================================

LAS:            20      -       1       (0.952) (21 games)

MIN:            18      -       4       (0.818) (22 games)     (2.5 GB)

NYL:            17      -       7       (0.708) (24 games)     (4.5 GB)

ATL:            11      -       11      (0.5)   (22 games)     (9.5 GB)

IND:            10      -       12      (0.455) (22 games)     (10.5 GB)

PHO:            10      -       13      (0.435) (23 games)     (11.0 GB)

CHI:            9       -       12      (0.429) (21 games)     (11.0 GB)

WAS:            9       -       13      (0.409) (22 games)     (11.5 GB) — tie

DAL:            9       -       13      (0.409) (22 games)     (11.5 GB) — tie

SEA:            8       -       13      (0.381) (21 games)     (12.0 GB)

CON:            6       -       16      (0.273) (22 games)     (14.5 GB)

SAN:            5       -       17      (0.227) (22 games)     (15.5 GB)

=========================================================================

2015

=========================================================================

MIN:            16      -       6       (0.727) (22 games)

NYL:            15      -       6       (0.714) (21 games)     (0.5 GB)

PHO:            14      -       8       (0.636) (22 games)     (2.0 GB)

WAS:            13      -       8       (0.619) (21 games)     (2.5 GB)

CHI:            14      -       10      (0.583) (24 games)     (3.0 GB)

IND:            12      -       9       (0.571) (21 games)     (3.5 GB)

CON:            11      -       10      (0.524) (21 games)     (4.5 GB)

TUL:            10      -       13      (0.435) (23 games)     (6.5 GB)

ATL:            8       -       14      (0.364) (22 games)     (8.0 GB) — lottery

LAS:            7       -       15      (0.318) (22 games)     (9.0 GB)

SAN:            7       -       16      (0.304) (23 games)     (9.5 GB)

SEA:            5       -       17      (0.227) (22 games)     (11.0 GB)

=========================================================================

2014

=========================================================================

PHO:            17      -       3       (0.85)  (20 games)

MIN:            17      -       6       (0.739) (23 games)     (1.5 GB)

ATL:            15      -       6       (0.714) (21 games)     (2.5 GB)

SAN:            11      -       12      (0.478) (23 games)     (7.5 GB) — tie

LAS:            10      -       11      (0.476) (21 games)     (7.5 GB) — tie

IND:            10      -       12      (0.455) (22 games)     (8.0 GB)

CON:            10      -       13      (0.435) (23 games)     (8.5 GB)

WAS:            9       -       13      (0.409) (22 games)     (9.0 GB)

CHI:            8       -       13      (0.381) (21 games)     (9.5 GB) — lottery

NYL:            8       -       13      (0.381) (21 games)     (9.5 GB)

SEA:            9       -       15      (0.375) (24 games)     (10.0 GB)

TUL:            8       -       15      (0.348) (23 games)     (10.5 GB)

=========================================================================

2013

=========================================================================

MIN:            17      -       5       (0.773) (22 games)

LAS:            16      -       7       (0.696) (23 games)     (1.5 GB)

CHI:            15      -       7       (0.682) (22 games)     (2.0 GB)

ATL:            11      -       7       (0.611) (18 games)     (4.0 GB)

PHO:            12      -       11      (0.522) (23 games)     (5.5 GB)

IND:            11      -       11      (0.5)   (22 games)     (6.0 GB)

WAS:            11      -       13      (0.458) (24 games)     (7.0 GB)

SEA:            9       -       12      (0.429) (21 games)     (7.5 GB)

NYL:            9       -       13      (0.409) (22 games)     (8.0 GB) — lottery

SAN:            8       -       14      (0.364) (22 games)     (9.0 GB)

TUL:            7       -       17      (0.292) (24 games)     (11.0 GB)

CON:            6       -       15      (0.286) (21 games)     (10.5 GB)

=========================================================================

2012

=========================================================================

MIN:            18      -       4       (0.818) (22 games)

CON:            17      -       5       (0.773) (22 games)     (1.0 GB) — tie

LAS:            18      -       6       (0.75)  (24 games)     (1.0 GB) — tie

SAN:            16      -       6       (0.727) (22 games)     (2.0 GB)

IND:            13      -       8       (0.619) (21 games)     (4.5 GB)

ATL:            11      -       11      (0.5)   (22 games)     (7.0 GB)

SEA:            10      -       13      (0.435) (23 games)     (8.5 GB)

NYL:            9       -       13      (0.409) (22 games)     (9.0 GB)

CHI:            8       -       13      (0.381) (21 games)     (9.5 GB) — lottery

WAS:            5       -       17      (0.227) (22 games)     (13.0 GB)

PHO:            4       -       18      (0.182) (22 games)     (14.0 GB)

TUL:            3       -       18      (0.143) (21 games)     (14.5 GB)

=========================================================================

2011

=========================================================================

MIN:            16      -       5       (0.762) (21 games)

IND:            16      -       7       (0.696) (23 games)     (1.0 GB)

CON:            14      -       8       (0.636) (22 games)     (2.5 GB)

SAN:            13      -       9       (0.591) (22 games)     (3.5 GB) — tie

PHO:            13      -       9       (0.591) (22 games)     (3.5 GB) — tie

NYL:            13      -       10      (0.565) (23 games)     (4.0 GB) — tie 2

SEA:            13      -       10      (0.565) (23 games)     (4.0 GB) — tie 2

ATL:            10      -       12      (0.455) (22 games)     (6.5 GB)

CHI:            10      -       13      (0.435) (23 games)     (7.0 GB) — lottery

LAS:            8       -       13      (0.381) (21 games)     (8.0 GB)

WAS:            5       -       15      (0.25)  (20 games)     (10.5 GB)

TUL:            1       -       21      (0.045) (22 games)     (15.5 GB)

=========================================================================

2010

=========================================================================

SEA:            19      -       2       (0.905) (21 games)

IND:            15      -       7       (0.682) (22 games)     (4.5 GB)

WAS:            13      -       8       (0.619) (21 games)     (6.0 GB) - tie

ATL:            14      -       9       (0.609) (23 games)     (6.0 GB) - tie

CON:            12      -       10      (0.545) (22 games)     (7.5 GB)

NYL:            11      -       10      (0.524) (21 games)     (8.0 GB)

CHI:            12      -       12      (0.5)   (24 games)     (8.5 GB)

PHO:            10      -       12      (0.455) (22 games)     (9.5 GB)

SAN:            8       -       14      (0.364) (22 games)     (11.5 GB) lottery

MIN:            7       -       14      (0.333) (21 games)     (12.0 GB)

LAS:            7       -       16      (0.304) (23 games)     (13.0 GB)

TUL:            4       -       18      (0.182) (22 games)     (15.5 GB)