* MLB management and the MLB Players Association are still working their way through protocols for opening the season. The Players Association, for example, wants more frequent coronavirus testing, while MLB management wants a ban on spitting.
* I like watching Fox Sports classic Rays and Lightning games, especially since I know they wouldn’t be dubbed “classic” in this market if the home teams didn’t win. Exciting, relaxing guaranteed wins help. They also afford the opportunity to be a bit more analytical of what’s happening on the ice as well as being more aware of arena optics.
Speaking of the latter, in the Bolts’ first-ever playoff win at The Spectrum in Philadelphia in 1996, I noticed a “Trump Castle” ad along the rinkside boards–between Amtrak and Mountain Dew signage. No, there’s no avoiding Trump reminders, even when you’re escaping to sports replays during isolation. BTW, the Trump Castle casino (in nearby Atlantic City) was eventually sold (as the renamed Trump Marina) in 2011 during one of Trump Entertainment’s numerous bankruptcy filings. Bottom line: There is no distancing from Trump.