Jerry Jones, Mark Cuban among owners and commissioners advising President Trump on re-opening country
A long list of sports commissioners and influential team owners will join the committee advising President Donald Trump on re-opening America in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the president announced at the White House on Tuesday.
[ Coronavirus: How the sports world is responding to the pandemic ]
Trump prefaced the list by complaining about having to watch old baseball games with the MLB season — as well as nearly every other league in the world — on hold.
“We want to get our sports back so importantly,” Trump said. “We have to get our sports back. I’m tired of watching baseball games that are 14 years old. But I haven’t actually had too much time to watch. I would say maybe I watch one batter and then I get back to work.”
President Trump: "We have to get our sports back. I'm tired of watching baseball games that are 14 years old." pic.twitter.com/FSUKLHI5U0
— The Hill (@thehill) April 14, 2020
Trump went on to release the 14-person list.
Here’s who is advising Trump on ending the coronavirus shutdown
• NBA commissioner Adam Silver
• MLB commissioner Rob Manfred
• NFL commissioner Roger Goodell
• UFC president Dana White
• PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan
• LPGA commissioner Michael Whan
• USTA chairman Patrick Galbraith
• MLS commissioner Don Garber
• WWE chairman Vince McMahon
• NASCAR vice chairperson Lesa Kennedy
• NHL commissioner Gary Bettman
• New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft
• Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones
• Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban
All told, the list features 11 top decision-makers for various leagues and promotions and three of the most influential team owners in the country.
White and McMahon’s inclusion could be significant, given that the two have tried more than any sports leader in the country to hold sporting events amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
McMahon’s WWE is already holding live shows again thanks to a generous decision from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to deem sporting events as an essential service, and White has fought tooth and nail to hold events despite pushback from various states. UFC 249 was nearly held until broadcast partner ESPN stepped in.
Both men are also friendly with Trump, as is Kraft. Meanwhile, others like Silver and Manfred have publicly cautioned that a return to playing games could take awhile, which is more in line with recommendations from public health experts.
Cuban’s inclusion also comes a day after he publicly said he isn’t ruling out a very late third-party run for president against Trump, whom he has criticized and feuded with in the past.
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