On March 11, NBA star, Rudy Gobert, tested positive for COVID-19. This day marked a turning point in the world. After news broke that a basketball player contracted the virus, the National Basketball Association immediately suspended the entire season. The next day, the National Hockey League took action by suspending the rest of their season as well. Before the MLB could hold their opening day, the season was suspended. With the NFL in the offseason, the final sport to remain open was the XFL until they canceled their season on March 20th. At this moment, we live in a world without sports.
At this point in quarantine, it is difficult to keep track of which day of the week it is. I speak for the majority of the people when I say that I am beyond bored, and all I want to do is go out and see my friends. Now obviously, the cause of this quarantine is the coronavirus. Significant outcomes from the coronavirus pandemic include online school and the shutdown of sports. The current state of the world without sports is struggling.
The indefinite postponement of sports harms the entire world. The culture of sports is huge and has a lasting impact on anyone in its vicinity. In America, sports played a huge role in the past time of our lives. Whether we view a sporting event or participate in a sports game, the culture of sports was everywhere. Before the massive outbreak, four major sports leagues were active and going strong. On the weekends we could watch basketball, hockey, and even football thanks to the XFL. Everyone was looking forward to the NBA playoffs, the NHL playoffs, the season-opener for the MLB, but most importantly, the March Madness tournament. Now, none of these are active, and it is heartbreaking.
Something even more depressing is all the athletes who are not getting paid or are just not being allowed to play. Closer to home, Oliver Ames athletes and seniors who participate in spring sports have it the worst, and we sympathize with them. College stars who planned to make a run their senior year for a future career in their corresponding pro league currently do not have an opportunity to prove themselves. Pro athletes hoping to make a paycheck to support themselves in their family now have to look elsewhere. NBA athlete C.J. McCollum came out and said that he believes an unusually large amount of athletes actually live paycheck to paycheck because they struggle to manage their money.
It is difficult to understand the magnitude sports has on the world, especially if you were never interested in them. Sports had a massive impact on the economy. The best example of this can be seen in Florida, where they recently declared WWE and live sports as essential. The state of Florida is positioning itself in a vulnerable place for disease to revive the struggling economy. That is how important sports are. Companies like ESPN and Bleacher Report have been hit hard since sports are the groundwork for all their content. They’re practically forced to air or post old games that are far from relevant. The Instagram account called House of Highlights has been struggling because there are no new highlights to post, which personally makes my feed even more boring than it already is.
The world we live in currently is a crazy one. The ongoing global pandemic has pushed us into a brutal but necessary quarantine that is difficult to manage, especially without the world of sports in our lives. It has forced me and many others to find new hobbies or interests. Thankfully, on Sunday, the 18th of April was the start of one of the most anticipated documentaries of Michael Jordan. Parts one and two of “The Last Dance” aired on ESPN at 9 PM, giving us new and exciting sports content that we so desperately desired.