Now that all Major Conferences have cancelled their Basketball Tournaments, when was the last time America stopped playing?
In American Sports there have been Work stoppages, labor disputes, hold outs, games cancelled and postponed for weather, riots, all sorts of reasons to stop or move an event to a better time and/or place. However sports in America have never been cancelled on such a wide scale. Now we have the Corona Virus or COVID-19 coming after our beloved March Madness among other things.
Sports are more than just a hobby or something your 45 year old fat gym teacher makes you do right after lunch. (except the cool kids, they didn’t want to stink before 7th period math). Sports matter to people, not just fans, or athletic departments, or big time television companies who make crazy money. These young student athletes have worked their entire lives for these moments, March Madness is the culmination of years and years of work for most of these kids. For a lot of them, this is their last chance to make an impression on an NBA scout, or put down tape for the Euro leagues, or even the last chance to leave a legacy at their small school in Vermont. This is an opportunity they may never get back. Lets just hope the NCAA tournament is delayed and not cancelled like these Conference Championships. What other events have caused something like this?
During World War I, not only were all able bodied men from 18 – 20 years of age were slated to be drafted in early 1919( by the military, not the NFL, NBA or MLB.) But, fear of the Spanish Flu had eviscerated most of the 1918 college football season. Instead of cancelling football, The Army Athletic Program decided to allow young men to enlist in the Student Army Training Corps instead of being drafted so they could physically train for the possibility of war. We were heading into a major military offensive, and the Spanish Flu had cancelled college football, and the government says ” Ya know what? People love sports, lets give them sports.” So they funded basically the whole season and convinced other colleges that the men at their universities must play football in order to prepare them as soldiers for service in the military. The 1918 college football season would go on.
World War II? Attacks on American soil. still played sports- Fun Fact: The Rose Bowl was played in Durham, N.C.
Korean War? still played sports
Vietnam War? still played sports
Avian Flu? still played sports
H1N1 (swine flu)? still played sports, you get the picture.
The largest delay I can think of other than a labor dispute, was back in 2001. In the U.S. of A, even 9/11, the largest attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor only postponed Major League Baseball’s playoffs for 1 week. I mean we were under actual attack, thousands of people had died, countless affected by that day and what would turn out to be our nations longest war, still on going to this day. (Another topic for another time.)
When President George W. Bush stood on the mound at Yankee Stadium to throw out the first pitch of ALCS game 2, America stood with him, and sports were the uniting factor for a president and a people. All of whom for 3 hours that night could live in the moment, and not in fear of the realization that we stood on the brink of war.
So, what is different this time?
Perhaps its internet coverage? Maybe people are soft and scared to get germs in an age filled with bubble wrap and hand sanitizer? Maybe the liberal media is trying to scare you and tank the market so they can get the President beat in the election!!! (joking)
Maybe, just maybe we put our stupid monkey brains away for a second and realize that sometimes life is bigger than sports, bigger than our team pride, bigger than our latest money-line parlay, or even bigger than the huge, I mean HUGE TV deals these broadcast companies have. We are talking about the lives of humans, people will die, maybe even people you know. I love sports, I love everything about them, but this time I know the fans and athletes should probably wear this L and do what we can to help. Even if it just means not going to a game or event and try to stop the spread of a deadly disease.
Normally when we think of Flu outbreaks, we think of people dying sure, the elderly who may have compromised immune systems, the young and defenseless, or maybe just regular old sick people. What I didn’t mention in the paragraphs above was the Spanish Flu is estimated to have infected 500 million about 30% and to have killed 3-5% of the world’s population in 1918. It was attacking young, healthy people just 100 years ago, and the only reason people didn’t freak out was government interference. Wartime censors were effectively blocking reporting of the Flu in countries fighting on our side. They were allowed however to talk about how it was ravaging Europe, especially Spain, hence the name “Spanish Flu.”
The internet may have actually done us a solid, Twitter might have actually help us be the right amount of scared this time. So ya know what, cancel the games, if I know my generation, we have plenty to do anyway. I see months long Netflix binges, Video game streams lasting days, maybe even a book reading in my future. Not for nothing Florida State is now the ACC Regular Season Champions, and outright ACC Champions with the cancellation of their tournament. ALso with an Appearance at #4 of the Associated Press Top 25 this week, I say we give them a Final Four Banner as well. Go Noles.
Who Cares Sports 