Many professional sports leagues look for a way to return, while COVID-19 cases rise in the U.S.
As someone who has enjoyed sports my entire life, I feel the emptiness in the media that was once filled by sports. In fact, right now I should be enjoying the best part of hockey, the NHL playoffs, and the start of a new MLB season. Usually, this would be the best time for a fan of these two amazing sports; however, COVID-19 has led to the shutdown of both, as well as many more professional sports leagues. Although I want sports back more than others may, with the recent pandemic sweeping the continent, starting up professional sports again may send the wrong message to millions of viewers.
In British Columbia, we have seen far better results pertaining to the coronavirus. Over the recent weeks and months, we have been able to flatten the curve of new COVID-19 infections. I’m thankful to the many nurses, doctors, and health advisors that have helped save lives and spread the word that this is something that should not be taken lightly.
In saying that, many of the professional leagues are international. This includes the National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Baseball (MLB), National Basketball Association (NBA), and Major League Soccer (MLS). While states such as Washington and New York have begun to flatten their curves, the average infections per day in the United States of America remain in the thousands. By having players start playing, even without fans, this could lead to many players possibly travelling internationally, spreading the virus from one city to another.
Some leagues, such as the MLB, have suggested that all games be played in a single facility. The MLB considered playing all games in Arizona, which, at the time of print, has 21,250 cases of COVID-19 and 943 deaths.
Currently in America many of the states are promoting social distancing. While this is the case, it is extremely difficult for teams to do so. During play, there is a max amount of nine players in the field and four players running the base and batting. The problem, however, is how many non-player people from the organization must be present during the game. This includes people such as coaches, GM, trainers, etc. Also, while many people in the world are taking the coronavirus seriously, some are not. The some that are not may be players, and not following guidelines perfectly could result in an outbreak among a large organization.
The simple solution would be to have daily testing for the athletes and personnel. However, if these leagues implement daily testing, much like how the White House has, that could lead to an outcry from fans who are worried that their lives are not seen as equal in the eyes of the government. A similar outcry happened when many NBA players were able to receive tests early in the pandemic.
Although I want professional sports back on the TV, the simple fact is that there is no proper way of returning to sports yet. By returning too quickly, professional sports leagues have the risk of becoming new hotspots for the infection, possibly resulting in unnecessary deaths linked to the leagues. Despite the United States’s president stating two months ago that, “If somebody wants to be tested right now, they’ll be able to be tested,” it is not true.
