There were 36,108 new cases of COVID-19 in the United States yesterday. It is a number which doesn't impress Don Trump and a lot of his fans. Neither does the 132,000 deaths, even though over a scant five months that is more than twice the number of Americans killed during 20 years of combat in Vietnam.
No, there are many in this land who don't care about such gruesome statistics--as long as they don't include someone they love--they just want to get on with life without any constraints, including those pesky masks. Besides, no one tells these hearty patriots what to do unless it is The Big Orange Guy himself.
All of which brings us to sports. Major league sports in the United States and Canada are due to make a return by the end of this month, although in a severely limited way. Limited as in no vast cheering crowds exhorting their teams onward. In fact, no fans at all, unless you count the ones watching on TV.
Even as we near these auspicious dates things are a tad dicey. NBA teams opened their practice facilities to players so they could prepare for what amounts to a play off tournament in Orlando. However within a scant couple of weeks, the Denver Nuggets, Miami Heat, LA Clippers, Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Sacramento Kings have all shut down their gyms because either staff, or players have tested positive for the Coronavirus.
The league is set to play their abbreviated schedule at Disney World sans spectators. The restrictions are such the players must limit their outside activities--no Space Mountain between games--and not bring their families along until the all clear is sounded. Any player testing positive must spend two weeks in quarantine then test bug free not once, but twice.
The NHL isn't quite as restrictive, but has limited all play to a couple of, "hub," cities. At the moment those locations are Edmonton and Toronto whose cavernous arenas will also be utterly empty.
Major League Baseball, the only sport which is actually in season, is set to play a 60 game schedule before their playoffs begin. Travel is limited and interleague play is restricted. In short, the Dodgers interleague schedule is limited to American League teams on the west coast. Conversely the Red Sox interleague games will be against NL East teams only. Again, no fans other than the ghosts of Harry Carey and Joe Buck will be allowed.
That's in addition to a couple of rule changes meant to shorten the length of games. First, the vile designated hitter rule will apply to not just the American League, but the National as well. Next comes the really weird part. After the first inning each team will start off with a man on second base. He will be that team's last out from the previous inning. So, if a player whiffs on three straight pitches in the top of the third to end it, he will find himself on second base at the the top of the fourth as if he led off with a double.
Meanwhile the NFL and NCAA football are both acting as if their seasons are going to start on time with their stadiums filled to the brim.
Well, maybe.
On the college level there is at least an in common nod to reality. A quick survey of major college football programs shows all of them supporting, "the idea," of spring football. In other words, if this shit doesn't go away we will delay everything until next March, or April.
It isn't a bad idea, since anyone who has ever been to a big time college football game knows there is no such thing as social distancing, both in the stands, or below in the concession and restroom areas.
At the University of Oklahoma for instance the vast majority of fans in the stadium holding over 80,000 are sitting on benches literally shoulder to shoulder. At the half so many make a run for the restrooms and concession stands the jam of people below the seats is physically crushing. At times one can barely move. The micro spray of a single unguarded cough can contaminate dozens at a time.
Imagine that scenario in less than two months as the plague rages on and half the rubes there refuse to wear masks, no matter what the University mandates. Hey, those fools might put on one at the gate for admission purposes, but once inside, especially in Norman, OK's September heat, there is no way they will keep it on.
And we've seen how one crazy anti-mask white woman can tear up a Target Store. Just imagine a squad of poor campus cops trying to enforce a mask required rule with tens of thousands of hyper worked up drunks, many of whom believe the one true guru is, Donald J. Trump.
Yes, it is a scene too ugly and violent to even contemplate.
As much as I love college football this foul year of 2020 is all wrong for it. It's wrong for the players, the coaches, the students, and the fans. Just push it back to next March, then maybe, hopefully, there will a vaccine. If there isn't, then it is on to the fall of 2021.
That's right, let science determine when we get back together in huge crowds not an ego maniac, his half baked political toadies, and the screeching heathens who think both he and themselves are anointed by God Almighty.
The NBA, NHL, and MLB realize it. College football and the NFL should too.
sic vita est
7-6-20
Donald fiddled while Rome burned.
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