Coronavirus ends sports as we know it: Part Two
Are things back to normal?
Yesterday I popped my head out to do my best Punxsutawney Phil impersonation to see if the world had stopped burning.
It had not.
So six more weeks of pandemic? What? It has been five months!?!
Back in March I opined on how the Coronavirus had drastically effected the sports world. You can read it in the link below if you like (please).
Back then, many sports leagues postponed or cancelled their seasons.
To be honest my initial thought was by the time fall rolled around things would be calmed down, people would have taken the proactive, recommended advice by doctors and scientists and things would be over by July.
Apparently I highly underestimated many's goals of achieiving the coveted Darwin awards.
With the school restart date looming, it is uncertain at this point if students will be able to go back at all in South Carolina.
And the first domino has fallen for that to become a reality. In southern Anderson County, Belton-Honea Path announced it was suspending athletic activities for preseason conditioning. The news came from head football coach Russell Blackston.
BHP Football -Sad to say that I just got the phone call that we are shut down from all athletics at this time. This does not mean the season is shut down. Our school district is trying to protect you. #s are high right now with the virus! Please stay safe and continue running.
— Russell Blackston (@rblackstonbhp) July 7, 2020
At the rate of growth of this second outbreak of Covid, expect more schools to follow suit.
But what is next? There are two scenarios that can play out from this.
One, the positive one, people take the next two months to get everything under control and have a complete shutdown of everything and the US government does another round of stimulus, but this one goes to citizens only. No corporate bailout.
Then, hopefully schools can reopen with either a shortened football season, or a delayed season. Time must be made for athletes to condition and practice before games begin while schools look to install social distancing and make wearing masks in school a requirement.
State leagues must also contribute to funds to supply ample testing for athletes and athletic staff. This cannot turn into a case of the have's vs. the have not's, as so often happens in athletics.
Option two, the negative. Things stay as is.
That likely means schools do not reopen, and instead distance learning takes its place again, and all extra curricular activies are cancelled for the year.
The first option has a lot of inconvience. The second gives you nothing.
This doesn't stop at high schools. It likely would extend to colleges as well, and SC Governor Henry McMaster recently stated.
The biggest losers in the second scenario will be the players, especially seniors. The spring sports felt this with players missing their final year. That is something that cannot be gotten back.
We can all point fingers at national and state leadership, down to local municipalities and sports league leadership who either did nothing or actively worked against recommendations, but that gets us no where.
(To be clear, still mention it. It goes to accountability.)
It all comes down to choices and consequences. Leaders and others chose this route, and these are the consequences.
If these choices continue, there will not be a fall sports season.
I hope when I complete this terrible triology in the coming weeks, I'll have good news to report.
Wear your masks, social distance, wash your hands, don't touch your face.
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