When the curtain is finally lifted, we need to get back to business without delay. Fans everywhere need the excitement and joy sport brings.
As we approach the start of April, ‘normal circumstances’ in sports simply don’t exist. The sporting calendar would be building up, and we’d be looking forward to watching major sporting events. But this year is different. Coronavirus is the reason. The pandemic is the most significant health crisis the world has faced in generations. With people infected and dying, all other aspects of everyday life–including sport–become insignificant.
Courtesy: LA Times
Across the globe, sport is behind a stop sign. Major events have been either canceled or postponed, including the Olympics and Paralympic Games in Tokyo, which will now take place in 2021, as will football’s European championship. Major football leagues have ceased playing, and the Formula One season won’t start until at least June. The iconic Monaco Grand Prix won’t be run this year. Will Wimbledon (tennis) and the Ryder Cup (golf) follow suit?
In difficult times like this, I know that sport is near the bottom of everyone’s list of priorities. However, let’s not underestimate the benefits and positive impact that sport has on people’s lives, including making contributions to mental health and well-being.
For millions of people who watch and attend, sport is a form of enjoyment and a release from the pressures and stresses they face in everyday lives. They miss the anticipation of seeing their favorite teams and players in action, and they also miss interacting with fellow sports-interested family and friends.
A void exists. That’s why I believe it is vital to resume sporting activities as soon as it is safe to do so. When will that happen? Nobody knows. And re-starting–if it happens–has implications.
For example, we know for sure that Formula One will not have a 22-race season. We don’t know how many races will be run or how a reduced schedule factors into the crowning season-ending champions (drivers and teams). In football, the longer the delay, the more likely that the 2020 season will bump into the 2021 season. How will champions be determined? Which teams will be relegated and promoted?
With the new football season scheduled to start in August–and the ability to delay the start compromised by the need to finish in time for the now-moved European Championships–the feasibility of moving ahead is significantly reduced the longer that games aren’t played.
Yes, to resume sooner, games could be played without fans attending. But football is nothing without fans. They are the lifeblood of clubs, especially for those teams lower down the football pyramid.
Courtesy, The Guardian
And I think it would be unfair to cancel the current season and to null and void all results. Consider the impact it would have on current Premier League leader, Liverpool–a team with fans that have waited 30 years to win another league title? But the alternative–to end the season now and announce that the current positions stand as final–is unfair, too, especially for those teams that are closely matched. Furthermore, in some instances, teams have played fewer games than others. Aston Villa, currently in the Premier League relegation zone, is one example. And many teams in Serie A have played a different number of games due to postponements.
There are no quick and simple solutions to what I’ve just described. Nevertheless, those matters must be resolved.
When the curtain is finally lifted, we need to get back to business without delay. Fans everywhere need the excitement and joy sport brings.
