Will COVID-19 be the needle that finally bursts the sports bubble?

To me, you can't start preseason football practice until you have a directive from a team of medical professionals -- neither stupid politicians nor the college football coaches who pay them homage -- that says it's safe for normal residential life on campus to resume. For reasons of optics and basic ethics, you can't say a return to campus is unsafe for the student body at large but is just fine and dandy for football players. Football, after all, is a sport in which social distancing is discouraged. Defensive coordinators whose schemes value social distancing tend to be unsuccessful. Or they work in the Big 12.
If the second summer session is held exclusively by remote learning technologies and on-campus residency or instruction is prohibited, the football team ain't practicing. It just can't. So if you want to start practice with the re-opening of campus, that's fine as long as it has been cleared by people who know what they're talking about. If that's the deal, the season cannot start in September. Cancel the non-conference games and play league contests only if you want to adhere to the established postseason schedule. Or play the full thing and go through January.

But whatever you do, don't start this thing too soon. We have seen that one soccer match in Italy triggered an epidemic. Two funerals in south Georgia gave the virus to dozens.
As soon as one NBA player tested positive, the league suspended its operations, making a move that proved to be wise.
We don't want to say of this virus what I say of cancer. The worst thing about cancer is not that it afflicts someone. The worst thing about cancer is that it comes back. Don't let this thing make a comeback.

 

Check that. Erase that. Thank you.

 

That might not happen nationally until a year from now.

And if an assistant coach for the Eagles tests positive a couple days after the Cowboys game, you will have to quarantine both teams. How do you fix the schedule at that point?

 

I know one thing that's dead and gone, preceded in death by the dead lord of libertarianism: there will not be another taxpayer-funded stadium, ever.

 

My university announced today that all summer classes will be online only.

 

There it is.

 

I’ve been seeing a lot of memes and social media posts about how quickly this mess showed how little we need sports/athletes and, I have to say, more than ever, I wish I could watch a goddamn baseball game today.

 

I feel the opposite. Haven't missed sports one second this entire time.

 

WNBA, NWSL face uncertainty entering critical seasons: ‘I’m definitely a little concerned’

 

my social media feed is a lot of professional pool players and organizations. Two weeks ago, two players did a three-day challenge while self-quarantining at their manager’s house. It was drawing 3,000 viewers a day on Facebook live. People are so bored.

 

A quick search of recent news revealed that Michigan State is moving Summer I to online only and Theeeeeeeeeeeee Ohio State is moving all summer classes online.

 

NBCSN is airing classic Premier League games and it's been great to see something again. I really miss turning on soccer on the weekends or hockey during the week. My Giants were going to suck this year but I wish I could feel the hope of a young season that maybe just maybe they could shock some people.

In any case, I'm going to a ball game as soon as it's safe to do so if for no other reason than to enjoy a distraction again.