I usually love this time of year as the European soccer seasons are heading for the home stretch and the Champions League is getting down to the wire. Meanwhile spring training is taking place in Florida and Arizona as the baseball season will soon get underway.
This year, we have a new reality. I know that I have never experienced anything like this before and I hope we never see something like this again. First teams were playing matches, but in empty stadiums. Now, the games have all together been put on hold. Outside of soccer, the NBA and NHL have halted play, March Madness has been cancelled, MLB has scrapped the rest of spring training and will have to decide when and how to proceed with the 2020 season and tournaments such as Euro 2020 and even the summer Olympics are facing possible postponement.
Then there are youth leagues. This is the time of year when Little League and other sports leagues awake from their winter slumber and kids can get back outside and play sports.
All of that is on hold for now. Sports are an outlet for people and with the games stopping many of us are left feeling like we’ve lost a part of ourselves. Unfortunately, this has to happen until the world can come to grips with this insidious virus that has spread throughout the globe. It’s times like this when we have to take stock of what’s really important in life and of course that’s our health and the health of our families and friends.
The games will come back and we’ll get past this terrible moment in history. Until then there’s always DVD’s of Arsenal’s 49 game unbeaten run, the 1986 New York Mets World Series victory or whatever sports highlights you’d like to revisit.
In the meantime, stay safe and wash your hands.