Are Sports… Expendable?

When compared to the past month of March 2020, sports have proved of little significance when compared to an overall purpose, and hence has been postponed.

I think it’s safe to say everyone wants the coronavirus pandemic to be eradicated, so that we can all get back to normal life. The coronavirus came onto the scene quickly, and soon wiped out collegiate sports and has threatened the seasons of professional sports leagues.

Early March

Back in early March, the sports world had plans to continue going throughout 2020 without any strings attached. I think the sports world got a wake up call on March 11, 2020. Just 5 hours after the NCAA had announced that the Division I March Madness tournament would continue without fans in attendance, the NBA suspended its season indefinitely.

Rudy Gobert

Center Ruby Gobert of the Utah Jazz has just tested positive for COVID-19 before their game against the Oklahoma City Thunder that evening. With this development, the NBA suspended its season. Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks was stunned by the news, as the Mavericks were in the middle of a game when the news broke. You can see his reaction here.

To add to all of this, Ruby Gobert may have put himself into this situation with his carelessness around the virus. Earlier in the week, Gobert made it a point to touch all of the microphones and every surface at Jazz media day to show his lack of panic of the virus. Here is a clip showing Gobert touching all of the microphones on Monday.

Now while this may not be the way Gobert actually contracted the virus, it makes you wonder..

Suspension of other Sports

After the NBA cancelled its season, other sports and sports leagues shortly followed suit. The NCAA cancelled all remaining winter and spring sports contests, Major League Baseball pushed its season back indefinitely, and now all of a sudden there are no sports. All of this – in a matter of days.

What to do without Live Sports?

So, what impact does sports have on society today?

There is just something exciting about live sports. Not knowing the outcome of the game, allows viewers to be enticed until the end of the game. Sports networks thrive on this passion to consume live sports. But what happens after the conclusion of the game?

Sports are not like your television shows that you can watch and re-watch over and over. Once the moment of live sports end and you know the outcome, to watch it again is, well not as entertaining. This article explains it pretty well about the shelf life of sporting events.

ESPN is now showing documentaries and old sports games because they do not have any live sports to report on. Sports have become… expendable. Or have they?

Conclusion

I found myself watching those documentaries these last two weeks, to immerse myself into the world of sports, even though there are no sports going on in progress. There is something fascinating about watching sports documentaries, you can learn so much about the people involved.

I have also been watching old NFL games that have aired on TV. While sometimes I do know the outcome of the game, that has not stopped me from continuing to watch the game. With a world without live sports, I still find enjoyment in watching old games. Hey, sports are sports.

The realization that there are no live sports has hit, which is disappointing as an avid sports fan. I follow the professional league stats and my favorite teams, all of which I thoroughly enjoy. But the reality is I cannot do that right now. Without that, we can either forget about sports entirely, or embrace a world without live sports.

Sports are an integral part of society today. They are an escape from the everyday stresses of life, and bring people together to form a sense of community. Sports play a vital role in our lives, and they will continue, even without live sports.

There are plenty of ways to still consume sports during this difficult and unprecedented time. I encourage you all to involve yourself in any sports and of course, stay safe.

Have sports become expendable? What are your favorite sports documentaries? Comment below and thanks for reading!