Media won't be massed - Albany Times Union

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Many familiar pregame sights won't be back when baseball and the NBA return later this month. Managers won't exchange lineup cards at home plate and basketball lineup introductions won't feature special high-fives.

There also won't be the ritual of a gaggle of reporters crowding around a manager before the game or waiting for LeBron James or Brad Stevens to emerge for interviews after an NBA game.

As U.S. team sports prepare to resume, journalists are facing the same reckoning that their colleagues who cover politics and entertainment have encountered — coming up with new approaches despite reduced access.

"I consider this the most challenging year ever in terms of sports writer coverage," said Bob Glauber, the NFL writer for Newsday and president of the Pro Football Writers Association.

Professional leagues closed media access to locker rooms and clubhouses in early March. Even when the games restart, that access is not going to return immediately.

The NBA is the only league that will allow reporters to ask players questions in the same room, and that will be a very limited group.

1of4FILE - In this Feb. 2, 2020, file photo, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) is surrounded by media after his team won the NFL Super Bowl 54 football game against the San Francisco 49ers, in Miami Gardens, Fla. As sports prepare to resume, journalists are facing the same reckoning that their colleagues who cover politics, education and entertainment have encountered a€?” coming up with new approaches to coverage with reduced access and resources. Professional leagues closed media access to locker rooms and clubhouses in early March. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)Morry Gash

2of4FILE - In this Sunday, June 14, 2020, file photo, Schalke's German head coach David Wagner gives an interview before the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Schalke 04 and Bayer Leverkusen in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Many familiar pregame sights won't be taking place when baseball and the NBA return later this month. Managers won't be exchanging lineup cards at home plate, first pitches will be in the top of the first instead of pregame and basketball lineup introductions might be a little more socially distant. (Ina Fassbender/Pool via AP, File)Ina Fassbender

3of4FILE - In this Oct. 10, 2015, file photo, NBA basketball player Jeremy Lin of the Charlotte Hornets talks to media after a training session for the 2015 NBA Global Games in Shenzhen, China. As sports prepare to resume, journalists are facing the same reckoning that their colleagues who cover politics, education and entertainment have encountered a€?” coming up with new approaches to coverage with reduced access and resources. Professional leagues closed media access to locker rooms and clubhouses in early March. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)Kin Cheung

4of4FILE - In this July 2, 2020, file photo, Mercedes drivers Valtteri Bottas of Finland, left and Lewis Hamilton of Britain speak during the drivers news conference the at the Red Bull Ring racetrack in Spielberg, Austria. As sports prepare to resume, journalists are facing the same reckoning that their colleagues who cover politics, education and entertainment have encountered a€?” coming up with new approaches to coverage with reduced access and resources. Professional leagues closed media access to locker rooms and clubhouses in early March.(Mark Sutton/Pool via AP, File)Mark Sutton

The league will allow no more than 12 media members to live full time in the Walt Disney World bubble in Orlando, Fla., where all the NBA players will also live and play. The reporters must quarantine for seven days after arriving. Besides covering games, the reporters will be allowed access to the postgame media room and practices. They won't be able to leave the resort or have visitors for as long as they stay, and the rest of the season should last about 72 days.

Reporters covering games near Orlando but not residing in the bubble may watch from the stands and will only be allowed to interview players on Zoom. No more than 12 media members will be allowed in this group, which will not attend any news conferences or practices.

Manager, coach and player interviews in baseball and the NHL will happen via Zoom, not in casual conversations in the clubhouse or the rink.

The NFL is not allowing any face-to-face interviews with players during training camp. Coaches will be available, socially distanced, depending on the team.

Journalists' access has declined in recent years. Leagues and college programs have taken more control. Many journalists worry that less access can mean less oversight, especially with players sometimes feuding with teams and leagues about safety issues and making political statements.

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