The NBA Playoffs could begin exactly four months after it was scheduled to start. Plus: CBS/Golf Channel coverage plans at Colonial, the latest on MLB negotiations, College Football Playoff plans and more.
August 18 date surfaces for start of NBA Playoffs
The NBA Playoffs is tentatively scheduled to begin August 18, according to The Ringer and Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. The date, revealed during an NBA players union conference call, would be four full months after the postseason was originally scheduled to begin on April 18.
The potential NBA play-in round would precede the postseason on August 16 and 17. The second round of the playoffs would begin September 1, the conference finals September 15 and the NBA Finals September 30. The two-week length of each round is shorter than under the usual playoff schedule. Typically, each round of the playoffs lasts 16-18 days.
ESPN previously reported that the NBA will be “aggressive” about moving up playoff series if previous rounds end early, or the postseason as a whole should no play-in games be necessary. [Charania/Twitter 6.8, The Ringer 6.8]
CBS, Golf Channel, to present single production at Colonial
CBS and Golf Channel will present a single unified production of this week’s scheduled Colonial tournament, the first PGA Tour event since the season was halted in mid-March. The CBS broadcast team will handle all four days of coverage, with Jim Nantz hosting on-site and analysts Nick Faldo, Ian Baker-Finch and Frank Nobilo appearing remotely from Golf Channel studios in Orlando.
The amount of on-site personnel will be about half of a typical PGA Tour broadcast, with some members of the production team working remotely from Golf Channel’s various studios in and outside of the United States. [CBS/Golf Channel]
Chances of MLB starting July 4 “gone”
The chances of the Major League Baseball season starting on or around July 4 are “all but gone” and “virtually gone,” according to The Athletic and Sports Business Daily, respectively.
Per multiple reports Monday, MLB has sent the players union a new proposal that includes a 76-game regular season and an expansion of the postseason to as many as 16 teams, but the sides remain far apart on the economic issues that are the primary source of disagreement.
Per the Associated Press, the MLB plan would guarantee players only 50% of their prorated salary, though they could earn up to 75% if the postseason is played. The players have been committed to earning 100% of the pro rata, which MLB is only willing to abide if the season is truncated to potentially as few as 48-50 games.
According to Sports Business Daily, the “true hard deadline” for a 50-game season would be August 1. [The Athletic 6.6, SBD 6.8, AP 6.7]
Plus: CFP, Golic & Wingo, NHRA
College Football Playoff executive director Bill Hancock said on Alabama’s WNSP Monday that there are no current plans to adjust the schedule for this season’s playoff games, scheduled for January 1 and 11. It is still unclear whether the college football season will be played as scheduled, shortened, or canceled altogether. … ESPN is considering Keyshawn Johnson and Max Kellerman to host its morning radio show, currently co-hosted by Mike Golic and Trey Wingo, according to Outkick the Coverage. … The NHRA announced last week that it plans to resume its season July 11 with back-to-back events in Indianapolis. The first four events would air on the FOX broadcast network. [AL.com 6.8, Outkick 6.8, NHRA 6.3]
