The Time the Sports World Stood Still

Sometimes sports as a whole serve a greater purpose, we are in one of those times.  There are hidden meanings in sports that serve as a pick me up.  As I sit here on what is supposed to be MLB opening Day, the world is changing.  With the onset of the (novel) Coronavirus, the sports world has been put on pause for the foreseeable future.  The NHL and NBA were at the end of their seasons and about to begin the playoffs, MLB shutdown spring training before beginning the regular season, NASCAR is postponing races, MLS is delaying, European soccer canceled games, the USMNT and USWNT cancelled games, golf has moved major events as has tennis, just this week the Olympics were postponed for a year and I've probably missed some. Sports is supposed to heal us as it did on 9/11, (I don't mean to compare the two 9/11 was a terrorist attack and the Coronavirus or Covid-19 is a debilitating flu like disease) they're outlet to getting away from our problems for 3 1/2 hours.  Without sports to distract us from the world's problems, all we have to hang our hats on is the 5pm news conference from the president and Dr. Faucci.  Instead of watching Gerrit Cole, Gary Sanchez and company lite up the Orioles or LeBron James score 40 points or the NCAA basketball tournament we're doing puzzles, reading books, watching your favorite shows and a news conference.  One of the few sports events happenings and the only major sporting event was NFL free agency.  Thankfully the NFL league year started, so that even though the league is not in season we have something other than the virus to talk about.  Now that free agency started we can discuss Tom Brady going To Tampa Bay or Philip Rivers to Indianapolis.  We also have the NFL Draft coming up in late April, the event's supposed to be in Las Vegas but the format might change.  In some way shape or form we'll find out where Joe Borrow, Tua Tugovailoa, Chase Young and company will wind up.  Sometime soon hopefully we'll have our sports back.  When we're reflecting on how our lives have changed, trying to get our lives and the economy back to a new normal, sports should be back to distract us for 3 1/2 hours.  When sports do comeback, we'll have a lot to choose from NHL and NBA playoffs, baseball, NASCAR, Tennis and more.  When sports finally do come back they will serve not only as entertainment but they will have a greater purpose, to heal.