California, Texas, and New York Governors Say Pro Sports Can Return Soon, But Without Fans

On Monday, the governors of Texas, California, and New York all indicated a desire to get major sports (minus fans) up and running again in their states.

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Image via Getty/AFP/Apu Gomes

A man bikes past the Staples Center during the COVID 19 pandemic.

On Monday, governors from the U.S.'s three most populous states (California, Texas, and New York) all indicated that pro sports could actually come back to those places at some point soon, but without fans. 

Soon being a relative and subject-to-change term, of course. 

Those three states have 32 big four sports teams between them. And, like everyone else, those teams haven't seen any action since the major sporting world shut down in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

That could return soon, though with the aforementioned 'no fans' caveat.

On Monday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo claimed he was urging sports teams within the state to plan on returning without spectators. 

"Hockey, basketball, baseball, football -- whoever can reopen -- we're a ready, willing and able partner," Cuomo said at a daily news conference, according to ESPN. "I think this is in the best interest of all the people and the best interest of the state of New York."

Gavin Newsom, the Governor of California, also indicated an interest in getting sports up and going again, saying that sports were welcome to return to the state, with no one in the stands, by the "first week or so of June."

Newsom also made this statement at a daily press briefing, and said that sports could come back in modified, spectator-less conditions if coronavirus cases/hospitalizations continued to decrease throughout the state.

Following in those same footsteps, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said sports could make a return (again, without fans...you get it, but still) by the end of May. 

Obviously this could be weird, but still represents a better alternative than watching reruns of games from the past 40 years.

In terms of recent sports news, which has been light, Major League Baseball is trying to finalize a plan with their players to get a 2020 season in. The NFL also recently released their schedule and, as of now, plans to start the season on time. NHL/NBA...we're in continue-to-watch-for-new-updates mode.

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