Do you realize that Thursday of this week is Day 366 AG of the sports stifling coronavirus pandemic?
That’s right, Thursday is May 11, exactly one year to the day after the Utah Jazz game was cancelled just before tip-off because center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. Within days all NBA games, the NCAA “March Madness” Tournament, Major League Baseball spring training, NASCAR, professional golf and any number of other events were put on hold due to the virus. As a sports guy I look at May 11, 2020, as the official beginning of the pandemic.
It’s been a long year, to say the least. Many people have died, many businesses have closed and many people have suffered, physically, mentally and financially. It was disappointing to lose so many sporting events, but in the big scheme of things that was the least of our problems.
Now, one year later, things are getting better. We still don’t have arenas filled with fans, but we had a great NFL football season, enough college football to keep us entertained and both NBA and college basketball. March Madness is scheduled to go on, although with limited fans it won’t be as “mad” as usual.
After going nine months with few sports to cover I’m busy again, and I love it. We have Virginia High School League fall sports squeezed between winter and spring sports, and it’s sort of cool to still have some football to enjoy a month after the Super Bowl.
At Roanoke College you have the end of winter sports this week, with both basketball teams participating in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference tournament. In addition to that the fall sports are being played now and all the spring sports have already started. Within a month’s time every sport offered by the college had a game, meet or match.
I’m optimistic we’ll be back to normal by the fall sports season. We now have three vaccines and I’m hoping everyone is smart enough to get vaccinated while continuing to “mask up” at large gatherings.
Of course, there will always be people who buck the establishment. I had someone recently tell me he wasn’t going to get vaccinated because it was the government’s plan to put a chip in everyone, so they could track you wherever you go. He also said the vaccine was very dangerous, and that doctors who spoke out about this were being murdered to keep it quiet.
I certainly hope that’s not true, but if we can save humanity I’ll gladly have a chip implanted in me. Just don’t put it where I have to sit on it every day.
Happy one year anniversary, Ruby Gobert. Maybe that’s why you were the last one picked in the all-star game draft.