South Florida Sports Teams Gather To Discuss Return Of Games, Spike In COVID Cases

MIAMI  – Slowly but surely sports are making a comeback. But they will all look different because of the coronavirus pandemic.

On Wednesday, heads of South Florida teams came together to discuss their return and the recent spike in cases.

Amidst a cloud of pink dust and unbridled enthusiasm, players for Inter Miami CF got a rousing send off from Fort Lauderdale.

After a three-month shutdown, the expansion MLS team is ready to kick start its inaugural season again in a World Cup-style soccer tournament in Orlando.

Inter Miami Sporting Director Paul McDonough said the team feels the “bubble” environment it’s going into in Orlando will be safe.

Nevertheless, he said the team will maintain the strict safety protocols it’s been on since resuming workouts three weeks ago in Fort Lauderdale.

Meanwhile, the Marlins will be back on the diamond at Marlins Park Friday, gearing up for baseball’s abbreviated 60-game season that’s due to begin in about a month.

Unlike other sports, Major League Baseball teams will not be confined to a bubble. Teams will still travel to play teams in other cities.

That could make sticking to the rules much tougher when guys get out on the road.

The Heat will soon be in their own precarious bubble in Orlando, hoping that COVID-19 does not derail the NBA’s effort at resuming the season it shut down in March.

All three teams know they will be playing in front of no fans. Still, they said giving fans something to watch from afar will be therapeutic.

Who knows, in a short season the Marlins could get hot. In a bubble with no home court edge, the Heat might find an advantage. And for Inter Miami, the chance to spank a rival next week could be good enough.