Behind the MLS is Back “Bubble”

When the Orlando City SC officially announced that they were to be joining Major League Soccer, the entire fan base rose up and the excitement of soccer in Orlando squashed the Orlando Magic fan base like a bully in middle school. Everywhere you looked there were purple jerseys, shirts and hats, and lion tattoos galore! Five years the later, the fan base and support is still there, however the roar of the crowd in gone……Covid-19 has crept it’s way into the entire sports world and the glory and rush are no where to be found.

Every major sporting league in the world seems to be on hiatus due to the virus. The stadiums are empty, the parking lots are wastelands and the lightbulbs are blown out from not being used.

Combat sports were the first official leagues to begin the process of getting back to normal. While most athletes trained at home and wondered if their season was going to be lost, the MMA and boxing fighters were the first to be back on television and in the spotlight.

UFC ran three nights of action from Jacksonville as ESPN and Top Rank were themselves setting up a bubble in Las Vegas, Nevada. Since then, the fighters from both leagues have been on television regularly, but that’s not to say that there haven’t been any issues to work out. World Champion Jamel Herring and female superstar Mikaela Myer were both unable to compete in the National spotlight as they tested positive for the Coronavirus.

The “Bubble” as it is now known has been very instrumental in getting professional sports back to the forefront of American culture, but it also comes with it’s own inherent risks. The idea of isolating professional athletes takes on many issues. The hotel and surrounding areas have to be maintained, who cleans it, how often, are guests allowed, family, food has to be brought in, the doctors and trainers have to be tested, and then there is the boredom and possibility of being away from others. The entire idea itself is crazy, but it must be done.

Television networks need to find staff to get the gear onsite and who knows how to operate it. They must be quarantined onsite, the judges also need to be quarantined, the field personnel and the groundskeepers too. What about the medical personnel? There is so very much that goes into the Bubble that it is mind blowing. It is also not cheap.

Orlando, Florida knows this better than anyone. They are hosting both the NBA basketball league and the MLS soccer league. This in itself is no small feat.

ESPN Wide World of Sports is probably the ONLY facility in the world that would be able to accommodate such an extreme undertaking. The fact that Walt Disney World has the parking, the hotels, the sports fields, staff, weather and television capability is a blessing to Florida, and to the leagues themselves.

The NBA has sent most of the professional players to various hotels around the property and they are allowed to train, eat and roam in some select spots. Testing is obviously mandatory, but they have set the Bubble up to work, and as on now it seems to be working successfully.

Major League Soccer has also undertaken the challenge, and they are playing games every night that air on television sets across the globe. Two of the teams opted out of the MLS IS BACK Tourney after multiple players tested positive, but the schedule was quickly changed and thus far, everything seems to be falling in line. The play has been competitive and though there are no fans on site, the supporters seem to be interested. Stadiums across the country are hosting Drive Up watch parties where fans can stay in their vehicles and watch the games projected on big screens. It is not ideal, but very clever and a way to please the fan base.

Orlando Sports Mag was lucky enough to cover some of the action at ESPN Wide World of Sports and we will give you a behind the scenes look at how the Bubble works.

Upon receiving a confirmation for a media credential, MLS send each person that will be attending a questionnaire, every single day that they will be onsite. This form is just like going to your doctor, asking about recent health concerns, travel and how you are feeling. Once completed, the media member emails the form back to MLS. Keep in mind that on any occasion there are only 5 photographers allowed per game, with the network TV coverage crew also in attendance. We are also only allowed to shoot from one corner of the field, 25 feet behind the end boards, and behind another barrier protecting us from any players or official contact.

Arriving at Disney, you are then subject to a once over by Security who verifies who and why you are there. This is usually good if you are on the parking list for the day, I was not on my first attempt, but it was handled fairly quickly, it was determined that I was not a rabid NBA fan trying to sneak in for an autograph.

Five hundred or so yards later, I arrived at the official Media check in tent where I received my Press Credential with my photo, outlet and an embedded RF ID chip inserted into the Press Pass. This chip apparently allows one to check in on kiosks that can verify that you indeed did fill out the medical waiver and questionnaire, and then once you proceed to the next kiosk, you swipe and then have your temperature checked to make sure are under the legal temperature limit. Keep in mind that I have been tested for the Coronavirus three times in the past month and am constantly cleaning my hands while I do wear a mask. The mask is mandatory onsite as well.

Security in next up and all of the camera gear is checked by X-ray as well as a dog. The dog was not wearing a mask. Everyone else had gloves and a plastic shield protecting themselves. There was also plenty of hand sanitizer on hand throughout the venue.

The golf cart ride from the tent to the media tent next to the pitch only took a few minutes down a sidewalk, but being that it was dark and raining on both of my nights, it had a slightly eerie feeling to it. The ground was steaming, the lights were amazingly bright and the only noise in the air was from the players on the pitch. Occasionally a whistle to stop the action was heard, but that was it, not even a cricket chirped as we strolled in.

Computers for photo editing were placed under the white Disney tents and for the most part it was empty away from the action. The photo area was assigned to one corner of the field and the space is limited. We were instructed to social distance as best we could, and the photographers simply lined up in a row behind the fencing. I was officially in the Bubble.

Both teams took the field wearing shirts that had “Black Lives Matter” written on them, as well as masks. The officials wore masks too, and at the opening whistle, the players knelt on the field, fists in air, but only for a few seconds, barely enough time to capture a few images. The impact was surely felt in the first few games of the tournament, but the fact that only a few seconds are given now feels weird to me. I still think that with so much occurring in the world and especially in the U.S., it should be experienced a bit more.

Competition between the teams was good and there were a few surprises as well, with a few underdogs winning their brackets. Inter Miami and Atlanta were sent packing, and Orlando City SC won their bracket to the surprise of most viewers. The fact that there was no crowd, no public announcers and no Ruckus was surely a feeling that I had never experienced as a soccer fan in Orlando. The Bubble is quiet.

I took time to explore from the sidewalk and tried to show you a little bit of what being allowed into the Bubble is like.

Let me say a few things before you peruse the images in the gallery below:

We are NOT allowed to touch the ball if it goes out of bounds. Each has to be scrubbed clean.

We are NOT allowed to interact with players, staff, referees or pretty much anyone for that matter.

We can bring our own water.

Masks are mandatory, gloves are optional yet recommended.

We are not allowed anywhere near the NBA bubble.

Television cameras are manned mostly from above, static cameras are around the field.

There is NO public announcer, so the goal scorer on the other end of the field is a guess.

Music plays between games only.

You don’t touch anything that isn’t yours, to be expected, but you actually think about it now.

Masks get hot in the Florida humidity.

Pack light as you have to carry all of your gear a long way back to your car.

Night games are late and happen after midnight, so your captions get funky on Date change.

Rosters are different than normal. Sideline team staff wear masks, no water sharing on breaks.

Both teams walk on and off the field on the opposite side of the photographers.

The Florida Marlins MLB baseball team currently has 17 players and staff that are infected, College and NFL football are trying to determine their schedules going forward this year and most other major sporting events will have a hard time setting up such a Bubble as the NBA and MLS who seem to have an all in one case here. I hope that this plan works out, and that the world can once again start following and enjoying their favorite sporting events and teams. We really need something to do in the interim, and watching on television gets old real quick. This pandemic is a killer and until most people take it seriously, we will all suffer. I am a Miami Dolphins fan, so trust me, I know suffering.

Stay safe out there, keep your distance, wear your mask and stay peaceful. Hope your team wins……..Vamos Orlando!

Photos/Story captured on LEICA and CANON cameras by Alex Menendez.

Click on the Gallery Below to experience the MLS “Bubble” behind the scenes.