Sports ruled out amid worldwide pandemic
No timetable for return
March 26 was gearing up to be an epic day to be a sports fan. The Sweet 16 of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament would have begun, carrying the excitement and intensity associated with March Madness. It also would have been Opening Day for the MLB, which always arrives with thrilling anticipation for the season ahead. Additionally, the NBA and NHL would have been going into the final weeks of their seasons, with the playoffs looming just around the corner.
Yet, the day went by without any of these — all of which were cancelled due to coronavirus concerns.
For the first time in what seems like forever, we are living in a world without sports. Everything from the pros down to youth sports has been postponed or cancelled. Here at Pascack Valley, there is no indication as to the next time school sports will be played, whereas NCAA spring sports have been called off, all in the name of social distancing and fears of the fast-spreading pandemic.
While millions of sports fans around the world now find themselves missing their top source of entertainment, everyone must accept that this is the best — and only — solution. The virus can be extremely dangerous, and sporting officials have undoubtedly made the right decision to cancel events — no matter how upsetting it might be.
It has been about two weeks since most major sports seasons were suspended or postponed, and future plans are just beginning to be put into place. The Tokyo Olympics have now officially been moved to next summer, and are slated for July 23 to Aug. 8, 2021.
The NBA and NHL’s seasons are currently suspended, and with the virus showing no signs of slowing down, it is safe to say fans will not see either of these leagues in action for a while. Each is looking for a solution, and one idea being thrown around is the possibility of skipping right to the playoffs. In the worst-case scenario, each league may be forced to abandon its respective season as a whole.
The NBA season is likely to resume, and the league has options, per @HowardBeck:
Games could return in April and possibly go straight into the playoffs, or the league could push the entire calendar backhttps://t.co/AJMUZKeXdc pic.twitter.com/JE8x8fXwK4
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 12, 2020
Similarly, the MLB and MLS, which are still in the beginning of their seasons, have both noted that they would like to play close to, if not full seasons, and have contemplated moving back the playoffs in order to do so.
Negotiations taking place between MLB & MLBPA (Via @JeffPassan)
-Hope season can start by early June
-Prorated salaries based on # of games
-Players want to play doubleheaders (as many as 2-a-week) to get near 162
-Reg. season games through Oct. -Neutral site playoffs in Nov.
— Starting 9 (@Starting9) March 25, 2020
The NCAA has cancelled its spring season, as well as the March Madness Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments. This will surely have numerous effects on the NCAA, as it will lose more than 80% of its annual revenue by cancelling the tournament. Additionally, all student-athletes playing spring sports will be granted an extra year of eligibility, meaning there will be less room on rosters for incoming players.
UEFA, the governing body of European soccer, has stopped all games — both club and international. It is exploring options for finishing the season in August when the 2021 season is scheduled to start, and consequently shortening the 2021 season.
UEFA drawing up plans to finish suspended 2019/20 season in August, with shortened competitions next season due to coronavirus pandemic .. https://t.co/oai1RquXRk
— MatchDayApp (@MatchDayApp) March 30, 2020
Perhaps the most telling of the chagrin around the world could be the cover of Sports Illustrated. The cover, which normally features a player or team, along with the headlines of stories within the issue, simply shows empty stadium seats.
SI Daily Cover: How do you cover sports when their entire existence is being threatened by a global pandemic?
Introducing the latest reporting tool in SI’s around-the-clock coverage: Coronavirus + Sports, a new daily podcast with host @lmechegaray https://t.co/W9ZtRZqzWA pic.twitter.com/6rhSIaHuQE
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) March 25, 2020
These are unchartered times that we, as sports fans, are living through. However, it’s important to keep in mind that as boring as life without sports can be, it is only temporary. For now, us sports fans will have to settle for watching old games, documentaries, and whatever else sports channels have to offer during this time. So the next time ESPN comes on, but only to show an old basketball game, just remember that the live sports we all know and love will be back soon.
Nolan Wasserman is a sophomore sports writer. He is looking forward to improving his skills as a writer throughout the year.