Covid-19 in Sports

As the COVID-19 virus continues to rip through the country and all over the globe the sports world continues to hibernate.  In Germany the Bundesliga, the national soccer federation just announced that they aren’t sure when or if the season will resume.  This is true in the rest of soccer crazy Europe and it is especially difficult for one sport fans.  American have five top-flight leagues in baseball, basketball, soccer, hockey and football plus college sports so we have alternatives.  But to have them all stopped at once with no idea if they finish the season is a strange feeling for all American sports fan.  The Philadelphia Phillies, with hopes for a potentially good season remain shut down.  In fact, just this week the Major League Baseball offices requested that if possible all players report to their offseason or full-time homes.  For many players they were still at the spring training locations.  For the Phillies who have spring training in Clearwater, Florida it was especially concerning with the news reports of Floridians and spring break kids still going out to restaurants, bars, and tanning on the beach and swimming in the ocean.  With reports and science suggesting that social distancing works it was hard for baseball to overlook the threat of community spread being created in Florida.  Major League Baseball has yet to set a date for when the sport will start for the 2020 season but some talkers on the sports talk radio stations are thinking the Fourth of July.  That is effectively eliminating half of the season.  For the Phillies who have two pitchers coming off injuries the additional months of healing would help.  This would make the regular season a spring to the playoffs.  For a team like the Phillies mixed with youth and veterans led by a brand new manager a short season could be beneficial.  But for now the season is a dream not yet realized as we all continue to live through the night mare of a global pandemic.