‘Dorkapalooza’ Sports-Data Expo Proceeds, But Without Handshakes

(Bloomberg) -- Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey eschews handshakes these days, instead offering an elbow bump amid growing concerns over the spread of coronavirus in the U.S.

And if Morey has his way, there won't be any handshakes at this weekend's Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, an event he co-founded that brings together some of the biggest names in sports.

“Elbow bumps, the Vulcan,” Morey said, flashing the fingers-spread gesture made famous by Spock in “Star Trek.” Anything but handshakes.

Many other conferences have been canceled, and companies have scaled back travel to cope with the coronavirus scare. But the Sloan conference is still set to take place on Friday and Saturday in Boston, where there has been one reported case of the virus.

Conference attendees -- slated to include Apollo Global Management co-founder Josh Harris, the managing partner of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers and NHL's New Jersey Devils; ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro; and “Jeopardy!” champion Ken Jennings -- will be told during opening remarks to forgo handshakes. There will also be an insert in the conference's welcome packet that delivers the same message, Morey said.

Former ESPN writer Bill Simmons has dubbed the conference “Dorkapalooza” because of its focus on data and analytics. Jessica Gelman, the chief executive officer of Kraft Analytics, is the event's other co-founder.

The virus is steadily spreading. There were at least 40 cases in the U.S. as of Monday morning, and the disease is now in at least 65 countries. Washington state health officials reported a second death.

But health officials have said that the risk for most Americans remains low. Healthy adults can expect symptoms akin to the flu while the elderly are at greater risk, said Anthony Fauci, director of U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health.

To contact the reporter on this story: Scott Soshnick in New York at ssoshnick@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Nick Turner at nturner7@bloomberg.net, Rob Golum

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