Waiting for next…month?: While We’re Waiting

No sports for a month. This is a bummer. Let’s just go ahead and get that out of the way now.

I love sports. My wife would tell you I probably love sports a little too much. My daughter, even at the age of 6, would corroborate this.

You probably love sports, too. And it’s probably why you’re here on WFNY.

But for the next month or so, we’re not getting sports. And that’s a bummer.

For us as fans.

For unknown players who were about to become household names for three weeks, and for teams who just saw a once-in-a-lifetime season washed away through no fault of their own. (Pour one out for the No. 3-ranked Dayton Flyers.)

For arena workers who rely on paychecks from working games. (Although a big nod of respect to the Cavaliers organization and Kevin Love for each stepping up on Thursday to take care of those who make Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse go.)

No sports for a month. Is it really necessary? The very smart people who have devoted their careers to very noble causes like public health and safety say yes. They have helpful charts to explain why. It’s not what we want to hear but it’s the truth.

Know that while you acknowledge the gravity of the situation we’re facing right now, it’s OK to be a little bummed out, too. These are uncharted waters.

I spent a lot of Thursday thinking about 9/11 and how COVID-19 is the biggest society-stopping event we have faced since then. I thought about how we responded to 9/11 and how that response has defined the way we have answered crises of all levels in what has been nearly a full generation since. We spent a week mourning those who were lost. And then we collectively dusted ourselves off, tightened up security at our airports and stadiums, and vowed to get back to living our lives. The message to the perpetrators of those attacks was simple: This is America, damn it, and you aren’t going to rob us of our way of life through fear.

Here’s the problem we face now, though: COVID-19 doesn’t give a shit how brave we are. In 2001, we could thumb our nose at terrorists by getting together in large crowds to watch sports. Walking alone to the mound at Yankee Stadium, acknowledging 55,820 fans and delivering a perfect strike was an enduring image of George W. Bush’s presidency. Before we all got sick of the New England Patriots, watching them win their first Super Bowl in a dramatic upset and celebrate by telling the world “we are all Patriots” was a feel-good moment.¹

But today, the very smart people and their helpful charts are making a very compelling case for why we need to postpone games for a month or so. “Flatten the curve,” they say. It’s no fun, but it’s the right call. Not being able to respond in a distinctly American way—rebuking a threat by going on with our lives and doing dumb stuff like caring way too much about sports—is disorienting.

So, once we stock up on toilet paper, disinfect every surface in our house, and build the best work-from-home setup we can, how do we spend our free time? Listen to more podcasts? Start streaming movies? Listen to podcasts about streaming movies?

I started Thursday night by spending time watching cartoons with my daughter. Seeing her laugh at all of Wile E. Coyote’s traps for the Road Runner backfire in epic fashion might be the only thing I love more than sports.

These next few weeks could be scary. Hopefully, they’re just tedious. In the meantime, let’s hang in there together as a society, even if we can’t necessarily hang out in person as often.

1. If you’re under the age of 30, I don’t blame you right now for being baffled by the idea of the Patriots being an underdog, let alone America’s team for a night. Stay with me here. [↩]