No Canada: Blue Jays not allowed to play games in Toronto

[Squarehard]

Blue Jays denied approval to play in Canada

The Canadian government will not permit the Blue Jays to play in Toronto amid the coronavirus pandemic, saying, "the cross-border travel required for MLB regular-season play would not adequately protect Canadians' health and safety."

www.espn.com

The Blue Jays won't play their home games in Toronto this year because Canada's government doesn't think it's safe for players to travel back and forth from the United States, one of the countries hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic.

Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino on Saturday said the federal government had denied the Blue Jays' request to play at Rogers Centre.

"Unlike preseason training, regular-season games would require repeated cross-border travel of Blue Jays players and staff, as well as opponent teams into and out of Canada," Mendicino said. "Of particular concern, the Toronto Blue Jays would be required to play in locations where the risk of virus transmission remains high.

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"Based on the best-available public health advice, we have concluded the cross-border travel required for MLB regular-season play would not adequately protect Canadians' health and safety. As a result, Canada will not be issuing a National Interest Exemption for the MLB's regular season at this time.''

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"The safety of the broader community -- our fans -- and the team remained the priority of everyone involved, and with that, the club completely respects the federal government's decision," Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro said in a statement. "Though our team will not be playing home games at Rogers Centre this summer, our players will take the field for the 2020 season with the same pride and passion representative of an entire nation. We cannot wait until the day comes that we can play in front of our fans again on Canadian soil."

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[evrythngwastakn]

BuT sPoRtS aRe NeCesSarY

I love baseball but good. Somethings are much more important than a game and preventing possible spread from the COVID cesspit that is the USA atm is important.

 

[.Detective.]

This is the right call. Having players travel across the border and back into Canada would be a crazy health and safety risk. The US is a COVID nuke right now.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

They're right and there's no chance MLB finishes the season.

 

[Violence Jack]

Now introducing the Buffalo Blue Jays

 

[StoveOven]

MLB's inability to see shit like this coming a mile away is such a massive display of incompetence

 

[lunarworks]

Since there will be no fans attending the games it makes absolutely no difference where they play. They're considering playing out of Buffalo, and I say go for it.

 

[Richiek]

This is the right call. Having players travel across the border and back into Canada would be a crazy health and safety risk. The US is a COVID nuke right now.

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Looks like the NHL lucked out.

 

[Nobility]

This is the right call.

I rather watch them play in America from my TV.

 

[Shaymin]

Let's see, they would be playing home and away against Tampa and Miami... yeah, shut that shit down.

Edit: And Atlanta, too. That's 30% of games involving teams in places that do not give a fuck at the state level.