Trash-talk Toronto Raptors: The MLB makes a coronavirus plan

Welcome back to another edition of Trash-talk Toronto Raptors! Here we will discuss everything about the Toronto Raptors except… basketball.

Folks, another week has come and gone and the NBA is more mum than usual about their current proceedings. With the virus only growing in the USA, there seem to be fewer open discussions being issued to the public other than the potential for a televised H-O-R-S-E event (more on that later).

That said, there’s also been news about the MLB possibly making its official introduction for the 2020 season and supposedly it is under the guidance of public health officials. Again, more on that later.

Still, we are at a loss with basketball and as each day goes by a lot more folks in the media are becoming increasingly skeptical that we will have a season. Until we start getting the “All okay” from our health officials, I, too, am skeptical about if the season will return.

Today on Trash-talk, we’re going to cover some NBA updates including the most recent Adam Silver comments, the MLB plans in the works for the season, and an update about a few of our favorite Toronto Raptors.

Of course, this column wouldn’t be possible without you, the readers, so I ask that if you’re seeing headlines or humour across your Twitter feed then please feel free to reach out to us @RaptorsRapture or @HughesWithMe so we can properly give it the air time it deserves.

Without further ado, onto this week’s edition of Trash-talk!

NBA updates

ESPN’s Tim McMahon reported that Dallas Mavericks owner, Mark Cuban, is now unsure of when the NBA will return. It is notable since Cuban was looking ahead to a mid-May return upon talking to people who understood this pandemic.

Now, he seems to be more hesitant than he was just a couple of weeks ago. Perhaps, I am reading too much into this or perhaps his PR team told him to be a little more nebulous. However, it’s very plain that he is walking back some of his previous optimism.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted that the NBA and its players are working on a televised H-O-R-S-E event. The event would take place at players’ at-home gyms with a lot of precautions in place, of course.

This wouldn’t be the first time the NBA did this type of event. They used to utilize this type of event during All-Star weekend and most recently in 2009 and 2010. However, the competition was seemingly lackluster and it was nixed after only a couple of seasons as of late.

Yet, as we’re all pining for some basketball, this event could help quell some of our itches even if it is a backyard event. I guarantee that A LOT of people are going to tune in because (a) it’s live, and (b) the new season of Ozark can wait.

While it won’t be a full-on game, it could still be a lot of fun.

Just in on Monday, April 6th, commissioner, Adam Silver, explained that he doesn’t expect any decisions to be made about the season until at least May. He clarified by explaining that that doesn’t mean they’ll have an answer, May 1st or that they aren’t consistently talking with each other. He mainly wanted to give folks some respite from thinking about all of this.

Personally, staring down the rest of April with fewer updates is daunting, but could be good. Silver’s leadership during this has been nothing short of extraordinary; he’s always shown great presence during difficult times and this pandemic hasn’t faltered him.

His counterparts in the MLB, though, are attempting to make a bigger plan with a pretty bold announcement.

The MLB is attempting to secure a plan to play in May

On Monday, April 6, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that the MLB is attempting to find a way to start their season in May.

According to the report, the MLB has the backing of some public health officials to try to make this work. Additionally, the report explained that while May is the target date, a June kick-off might be more realistic.

Some of the additional pieces to note are:

• The games would be played near the Phoenix, Arizona area and without fans
• There has been discussion of seven-inning doubleheader games
• Possible use of an electronic strike zone
• Players would have microphones which could be aired on television
• Players would sit in the stands, six-feet apart instead of the dugout
• There would be no mound visits

Still, there are a few other pieces that come into question in my mind: Are they going to switch out every ball? Are umpires going to be wearing gloves? What happens if a batter gets hit and sees red and rushes the mound?

There are other larger-scale questions, too, which is why I am sure that the kinks would have to get worked out as it gets going if it gets going. Moreover, if anything disrupted the play and had to be suspended then it would be a sure sign that other leagues are going to wait even longer.

Still, the prospect of having live sports is nice as long as they maintain their safety. Any NBA fan should keep this story in his or her peripherals as it could be a measuring stick for the NBA’s possible return.

Catching up with the Toronto Raptors

As always, our very hungry chef, Serge Ibaka, is keeping us updated and engaged. This time he’s going to host a talent show.

Also, he’s kept us up to date with how much he needs a haircut.

Oshae Brissett has kept us giggling on the app TikTok by poking fun at some of the clothing that players are wearing.

Personally, I think Fred “I love wearing my brand” VanVleet is absolutely perfect.

Pascal Siakam celebrated his 26th birthday by getting on Instagram Live and talking to some fans. Additionally, it looks like a documentary is in the works about Siakam and I can tell you that it looks as if it’s going to be pretty special.

Lastly, in other news, OG Anunoby last sent a tweet on February 11th and it was an ad.

Isn’t it so suitable that OG continues his quiet dominance even in uncertain times? Gosh, this Toronto Raptors team is remarkable.

For those of you that don’t know, TSN has been airing the Toronto Raptors’ playoff run from last year and they’ve just aired Game 2 of the Finals. You can catch Games 3 through 6 throughout this week. And, NBA League Pass has a free 30-day trial, so you can always tune in that way as well to rewatch old games from the last two seasons.

That’s all for this week’s edition of Trash-talk Toronto Raptors. We hope everyone is doing their best through this time and helping out in whatever ways they can! From everyone at Raptors Rapture, be well and take care of yourself and your family.