The Ball is in Our Court

THE BALL IS IN OUR COURT.
Whether you call it the City Beautiful or O-town, Orlando certainly holds many nicknames. And this week may introduce another epithet, "The Sports City," as we welcome teams from all over North America. The NBA, WNBA and MLS will all convene here for shortened seasons. Of course, the games will be played without the cheer of a fans in the stands. But fear not, you can still tune in! Here are the details

Shooting Hoops.
Orlando Magic was the first of the NBA teams to arrive at Walt Disney World Tuesday. The league has begun welcoming teams into a safe environment, aka the 'NBA bubble', to play out the remaining 2019-2020 season. The games will take place at Disney's Wide World of Sports without fans, and players will be tested for coronavirus daily. Among many other safety measures, including a 113-page guidebook, the NBA will even allow players to track their health and symptoms with a "smart ring." Oura Rings will be an option for players to wear throughout the season. After more than four months off the court, the first game will tip-off on July 30, 2020, leading to a championship in October. The Orlando Magic take to the court against the Brooklyn Nets on July 31, 2020, at 2:30 PM.

WNBA teams also started to arrive at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, on Monday. Their shortened 22 game season will involve 12 teams.

Bring on the Ruckus!
This week, the "MLS is Back" tournament kicked off with a match between two Florida teams. Hometown favorite, Orlando City, wins 2-1 against Inter Miami in the first MLS game played since March 11. During the monthlong tournament, 26 teams will play matches without fans at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World.

The Bid for 2026
Greater Orlando Sports Commission recently participated in a Host City Workshop for U.S. bidders for the 2026 World Cup. The workshop provided an overview of the venue selection process, outlined the focus areas utilized in assessing candidate host cities, and addressed the rules and procedures for the venue selection process. Over the next few weeks, FIFA will meet virtually with each candidate host city one-on-one. The bid cities for Canada and Mexico held their workshops earlier this year, and Orlando is up against 16 other U.S. cities vying for a spot to be announced at the end of this year or the beginning of 2021. Fingers crossed!

Fore!
Hit the links in support of The History Center. The 4th annual Courthouse Cup Charity Event presented by Orlando Health will be teeing up on September 25, 2020, at Dubsdread Golf Course. Foursomes and sponsorships are available, and funds raised support the Historical Society of Central Florida, which supports Orange County Regional History Center.

Time to get your fan gear out!

MEMBER DOING GOOD UPDATE.

Last month, we shared with you that DOP member, Macbeth Studio committed to providing $25,000 in in-kind donated work and services to those in need in our community (think video and images) after receiving $25,000 in federal funding from the PPP. Through a partnership with Local Love Orlando, they vetted more than 50 applications to narrow down to 5 recipients, which we understand was not easy. The small, local non-profits and small businesses that will benefit from Macbeth Studio's Give Back program are:

1. Paddle with a Purpose
2. 100 Black Men of Greater Orlando
3. Naked Bar Soap Co.
4. Hearts Hands and Hope
5. Rebuilding Together of Central Florida

Congratulations!

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN TAKE 2.

Last week we shared that Orlando Weekly's 2020 Best of Orlando in the final round of voting and which DOP members are in the running. BUT, we accidentally left one out! Swan City is up for the 'Best of award' in the category of Local Color: Best Kept Secret.

Don't forget, voting continues through August 2, with the winners announced on August 19.

JOSH'S DOP PLAYLIST.

Check out the new podcasts, quick reads and tunes I put together for this week. Hit me up if you have any suggestions or want to do a guest playlist takeover. Enjoy!

Podcasts.
FiveThirtyEight: PODCAST-19
How To Convince People To Stop A Pandemic
"How do you convey information about the coronavirus in a way that will compel people to change their behavior? As COVID-19 cases rise in Florida, Texas and Arizona, we look at how psychologists recommend we talk about public health."Ezra Klein Show
The frightening fragility of America's political institutions
Ezra Klein brings you far-reaching conversations about hard problems, big ideas, illuminating theories, and cutting-edge research.

How I Built This with Guy Raz
How I Built Resilience: Live with Melanie Perkins and Bill Creelman
"This week, the online design platform Canva closed a new round of funding, bringing the company's valuation to $6 billion. Founder Melanie Perkins is also focused on helping her employees work from home, while supporting more than 30 million users worldwide. Also: Spindrift can't sell its sparkling water in many restaurants that are closed because of COVID-19, but founder Bill Creelman has seen a significant uptick in grocery store and e-commerce sales. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times."

The Indicator from Planet Money
Live Music Industry Blues
"Live music events are like micro-economies that support hundreds of small businesses. Coronavirus is hammering them."

Quick Reads.
Serious Eats
7 Ice-Cold Coffee Beverages for Hot Summer Days
"From a simple cold brew iced coffee to a creamy Indonesian avocado-coffee shake, these are our favorite cold coffee drinks to beat the summer heat."

Entrepreneur
Re-Opening America: 5 Things to Remember as You Serve Customers

"As we begin our return to "normal" life, understand that this isn't a finish line – it's a starting line."

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