Arizona governor Doug Ducey became the first state official in the United States to declare their state “open for business” when it comes to sports after announcing that professional sports would be allowed to take place beginning on May 15th in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Arizona, which has been one of the large states that has been least affected by the disease, has decided that the permission of pro sports is a step that will allow the state to return to normality.
It remains unclear how Ducey’s announcement could have an effect on major sports leagues like the NBA and MLB whose seasons are currently on hold. While the NBA’s Suns and the MLB’s Diamondbacks are located in Phoenix, the state’s capital, their two leagues have not mentioned any plans for a restart at the time.
It’s possible that Arizona could make a bid to host MLB teams’ “mini Spring Trainings” that the teams will undergo before starting an abbreviated regular season this summer, if everything goes well.
Tuesday’s Arizona announcement is a small positive step in the right direction towards the resuming of sports in the United States, although it might not have immediate repercussions.
