As of the writing of this article, we are in the final days of the month of June. It has now been over three months since the Covid-19 virus forced the nation to a halt. It is a phenomenon not seen by many in a long time, if not ever. Businesses and schools have forced their members to work online, shops and restaurants have closed down, places of worship hold services online, etc. Even public places that remain open require their consumers to wear protective masks. It is a new challenge faced by many, but one that is slowly being adjusted to. Not all transitions have been easy, however, especially for the sports fanatic who faces a challenge he/she has never had to encounter. The cancellation of sports.
2020 will go down as an infamous year in the sports world forever. With seasons postponed and even whole events like the NCAA Basketball Tournament being canceled altogether, it is hard for the above-average fan to swallow. Many questions of "what if" have arisen in the past few months.
While it will always be tough to not know the champion of a canceled event, it is also tough to see a champion eventually be crowned, as many of the experts say an asterisk would have to be placed next to a team's name. There may be some truth to that. Back in March, the NBA and NHL seasons were put on halt and would resume play when each organization felt it was a safe time to do so. In a few months, after the seasons pick back up and a team has been crowned the new champion, there will only be questions, mainly because of the massive halt giving certain teams more of an advantage. This pause in play has given certain players more time to train, while others have not done the same. Some players have and will test positive for Covid-19, and therefore will be unable to compete.
As a sports fan myself, it has been extremely difficult to live without in the past months. Sports have always been an escape for many people. An escape from the world outside, escape from the negativity, and a chance to see athletes perform in a way the average person could not. But what happens when that escape is tampered with? Well, that's the problem many are facing now.
It is currently late June and a Stanley Cup and Larry O'Brien were supposed to be awarded to a lucky pair of teams a few weeks ago. The MLB season would almost be at its midpoint, and preparations should almost be complete for this summer's Olympics in Tokyo. While these things are not happening at the moment, the sports fan will wait eagerly, hopefully keeping in mind that these organizations are doing the right thing, as hard as it might be. It's like the old saying goes: "Patience is a virtue."
