#coronavirus #COVID19 #FlattenTheCurve #sports #NoSports
What does a sportswriter do when there is no sports?
Mark Bradley, sports columnist for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, took on that subject in a June 21, 2020, column.
Bradley wasn’t complaining about having no games to cover. It’s just that, well, sports may change a good bit even after the pandemic has settled down.
Many sports leagues have begun practicing. Some will play a limited amount of games in a single location, to avoid travel. Disney World seems to be a popular spot for that.
And forget about crowds in the stands. In fact, the PGA Tour (Professional Golf Association) has already started playing, without fans on the course. NASCAR (stock-car racing) has done the same.
The media days for college conferences, the SEC and ACC in particular (Southeastern and Atlantic Coast conferences), will be done virtually, Bradley writes.
“What if our (newspaper) representatives can accomplish little more on site than to watch a press conference on a laptop?” Bradley asks. He points out that his newspaper, and undoubtedly a lot of other media outlets, are saving a lot of money on travel for these sportswriters.
Yes, the pandemic has affected almost every aspect of our lives. We are home most of the time and, at least sports fans fret, there is very little live sports on TV.
At least the pro golfers can play to some fans when they play on courses that have homes on them. Many golf course residents, at least from observation on TV, are having a few people over to watch the matches. It was tough to see whether social distancing was appropriately practiced.
To top it off, positive coronavirus tests are increasing in many areas. Even some athletes are testing positive and have to quarantine, as do those who come in close contact with them.
From those numbers, it appears this virus is not going away anytime soon. We must still be diligent about practicing the mitigation techniques: mainly wearing a mask in public when you possibly could get close to people; keeping at least six feet, preferably more, away from others, except those with whom you live; and, washing your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds, with soap and warm water. When soap and water are not readily available, hand sanitizer can act as a substitute. Soap and water are the best hand cleaners, but carry some sanitizer with you in your car.
Other sports columnists have also posed this question: If you are a pro athlete, is an abbreviated season, with abbreviated pay, worth the risk of playing at all? Some are deciding not to.
It’s presumed that they have a little money in the bank to tide them over and the virus can produce a potentially career-ending illness – even death. These athletes love to play their sports, but they have their careers and families to think about, as well as the preservation of the various sports leagues from which they make a living. It goes back to the debate about lives vs. livelihoods.
So, if you are missing your favorite live sports, you may get a taste soon. But it’s probably a great time to contemplate where your life is headed AFTER the virus subsides. Do you want to go back to your old job, or would you look to do something different – something you may have never thought you’d do, but that could pay you more than the job you probably hate. (By the way, it seems Bradley likes his job).
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Bring sports back, SAFELY. You don’t want the virus touching them all.
Peter