The sports world going on hiatus was the signal for many that the coronavirus pandemic that is spreading SARS-Covid 19 had to be taken seriously. When the Utah Jazz’ Rudy Gobert fell ill and tested positive prior to a game, it led to the first …
The sports world going on hiatus was the signal for many that the coronavirus pandemic that is spreading SARS-Covid 19 had to be taken seriously. When the Utah Jazz’ Rudy Gobert fell ill and tested positive prior to a game, it led to the first cancellation in the NBA and hit home for people who had dismissed the possible severity in the United States. Video of Gobert making light of the danger when he maliciously made sure to touch every microphone placed in front of him at a press conference before he tested positive will be the lasting image of the lack of concern and understanding the country had while the disease ravaged parts of Europe and Asia.
Soon after, the NBA shut their season down, followed by the NHL. MLB halted spring training and delayed the coming season and the NFL had to curtail their offseason process of player and prospect visits ahead of free agency and the NFL draft, which has remained on schedule for Thursday April 23 but has gone completely virtual. Now, president Donald Trump, in his forever focus on the American economy has tapped several sports power brokers from the leagues to help shape the federal response to the economic downturn. That group includes Dallas Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones.
Jones, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, Patriots owner Robert Kraft and other high-profile entities including the commissioners of the four major sports, will be part of an advisory panel. The sports panel (one of several) show how integral the live-sports world is to the nation’s well-being, as all leagues are billion-dollar entities.
“We want to get our sports back,” Trump said at the White House during his daily coronavirus press conference. “I’m tired of watching baseball games that are 14 years old.”
Trump plans to talk to the group on Wednesday.
The president has previously been critical of the NFL during the early months of his presidency, when he called NFL players who were peacefully protesting social injustice and police brutality “sons of [expletive]” and called for owners to fire players who knelt during the national anthem. He has also been complimentary of Jones and Kraft in various instances.
Now, Trump has reached out for the league’s help as the country looks to find a path out of the shutdown of all but essential services. By official count, the virus has infected over half a million people in just over a month, killing over 20,000. Some feel the official count is lower than reality due to issues with difficulty in gaining access to tests for many across the country. There is still no agreed upon cure for the infection and a vaccine is projected by some to possibly be a year out. Leagues are looking to find a way to play their seasons, including MLB considering having all 30 teams play in front of empty stadiums in Arizona.
Other leagues have also proposed playing games at some point in empty arenas, which would allow for them to be broadcast. While that will entertain the millions of Americans who are obeying stay-at-home orders, the eventual re-opening of stadiums will likely be the goal of the panel, as that will have a wider ranging impact on the economy in major cities across the country.
In recent polls, many sports fans said they will not attend sporting events until a vaccine is made available to the public.
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