Written by Jordan Ben-Shalom
Everyone has had losses due to COVID-19. Students cannot go to school, adults cannot go to their jobs, tourists cannot fly around, but we all share one important loss… sports. All sports leagues have canceled their events temporarily so none of the players or fans become infected. Recently, leagues have been trying to find a solution to entertaining the public again and for the athletes to get back on track.
The NBA has not yet canceled this year’s season, they have just suspended it since they had to stop with two months of the regular season and playoffs remaining. The first player to be diagnosed with COVID-19 was All-Star Rudy Gobert; a handful of players contracted the virus after but they are all are healthy now. Players have had concerns about how much of their salary they are getting since the season didn’t finish and the NBPA (National Basketball Players Association) agreed to withhold 25% of their contracts, according to a CNBC article. They have been staying home relaxing and taking care of their bodies during this time in preparation for the reopening of the leagues. However, that date is still uncertain.
At least the NFL season finished before the virus hit. By that time, the NFL draft occurs; it is a big show and one of the most memorable days in an NFL player’s career. However, this year’s draft was done like no other. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the NFL draft was not done in person; the commissioner, Roger Goodell, revealed all the picks from the comfort of his home. The players all stayed at home with their families and close friends watching Mr. Goodell call their names. The 58 chosen players were given video equipment to stream their reactions as they were drafted, said in a Sporting News article. Since everybody was forced to watch the draft at home and could not attend the live event, this year's draft was the most-watched ever. In three days of drafting, there were over 55 million viewers, as stated in the NFL's official website. Last year's draft was about 8.4 million viewers; so, everyone staying home is the reason why the number of viewers was so high this year. A colleague mentioned that "having a major sporting event for the first time in so long was a breath of fresh air." This just shows that even though the draft was not perfect, sports is a crucial societal event that many enjoy. The NFL and the NBA are being questioned about a date for the seasons to resume. However, with the NBA on hold, the NFL doesn’t think it is a good idea for them to start their new season.
Into the fighting world, UFC 249 was set in Jacksonville, FL. Commissioner Dana White has mentioned obtaining a private island and fighting there, but Jacksonville will work too. The fights were on May 9, 2020 and no fans were able to attend, only personnel was allowed inside. This is a big step for the sports world during Covid-19, but one of the fighters, Jacare Souza, caught the virus last minute. He was tested and then immediately withdrawn from the fight. All the other fights happened as planned so things are looking good for the UFC.
Moving into a more global scene, soccer leagues have also been suspended. In March, a matchup of PSG vs Dortmund happened with no fans. Many other important matches happened without fans, but that has slowly declined. However, on May 16, 2020, Germany is resuming its league with of course no fans, as mentioned in a Soccer Today article.
The sports world is trying extremely hard to keep pushing for a comeback. The UFC and soccer leagues have been doing a great job in organizing the events to be played. Other leagues still need to come to a decision. However, if sports come back soon, then the order will be restored in the sports world.