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.