The world of sports was completely shut down due the coronavirus
pandemic. Sports fans were watching reruns of old games and Netflix
became a bigger part of our lives. While the surge of the virus seemed to be
dying down, leagues were plotting how to restart their seasons. The first
decision was that there would be no fans. Some owners were complaining they
would lose money without gate receipts. This infuriates me because these teams
are just a part of these multi- millionaire portfolios. The only revenue coming
in would be from television. This year will be known for expanding the playoffs
to get as many televised games as possible.
The NHL started the insanity by inviting 24 of 32 teams to two
bubble sites in Canada. The four top teams would play each other for seeding
positions while the others would play best of five then seven game series
to face them. They were playing three games a night, or about 9 hours. The
Blackhawks gave their fans something to cheer about but following their
elimination the playoffs were hard to watch until the field was whittled down
to eight.
The NBA had 22 out of 32 teams go to a bubble in Miami to finish
an abbreviated season and the playoffs. They needn’t have bothered as followers
knew all along that the LeBron Lakers would be crowned champions.
After much bickering, mostly about money, baseball owners
imposed a 60 game schedule on the players. The playoffs would expand to 16 out
of 32 teams. Despite strict protocols, there were many infections throughout
the league. Teams infected had to postpone whole series and it was a struggle
to reschedule. Baseball also introduced you to the half-screen commercial
and every inning having a sponsor. The post season did produce some exciting
moments that kept me watching. However, the season ended on a sour note when
Justin Turner of the Dodgers tested positive for COVID-19 and went on the field
with no mask to join his teammates' celebration.
Football will expand to 14 teams making the playoffs. Their
expansion is the only palatable one in professional sports. The NFL also had
strict protocols yet infections spread throughout the league. With multiple
games having to be rescheduled, there was at least one game on every day of the
week. It has felt really strange to watch football on a Tuesday or Wednesday
night.
As we flip the page to 2021 not much has changed. There are
still no fans and infections and deaths are increasing daily. I suspect some
athletes were disregarding the safety protocols. Here’s to hoping that they
realize the stakes involved and we can enjoy watching future seasons without
interruptions. I’m also hoping a vaccine helps fans return.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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