Four area sports teams are dealing with issues related to Covid-19, which are forcing the postponements of games and closing of team facilities.
On Wednesday, four players on the Capitals—including star Alex Ovechkin—were placed on the Covid-19 absence list. They had been caught socializing in a hotel room during their recent road trip in Pittsburgh. Ovechkin later released an apology statement: “I regret my choice to spend time together with my teammates in our hotel room…I will learn from this experience.” The Caps were then fined $100,000, becoming the first team to be fined under the NHL’s protocols.
Meanwhile, the NBA’s Wizards were forced to cancel a sixth straight game Wednesday amid a Covid outbreak. Only eight players were able to participate in practice, and guard Bradley Beal expressed concerns over the team’s readiness to compete: “We weren’t able to get into the gym for a week. That alters guys’ rhythm, shape. That’s just a recipe for injury.”
The Wizards already have the most postponements of any team in the NBA, and their status for Sunday’s game at San Antonio remains unclear.
Unlike last year where the NBA and NHL bubbled, the leagues are no longer avoiding travel and isolating themselves in one city, making Covid exposure more of a threat, even with strict safety protocols in place.
Then there’s the Football Team, which on Wednesday was forced to shutter its training facility in Ashburn after coaches and staff members tested positive. The team said in a statement that the building will be closed for several days and its staff will work from home.
Finally, the Georgetown Hoyas haven’t been issue-free either. They’ve had to postpone four games in a row— and six overall—because of outbreaks. Their schedule is now clear until January 30, but the team hasn’t said what they’ll do after that.
