Just over three weeks ago, the NBA became the first of North America’s four major professional sports leagues to announce the suspension of its season due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The NHL, Major League Baseball, the MLS, the PGA Tour, Wimbledon and a litany of other leagues and events have all followed suit in an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19.
It’s been less than a month, but it has felt like a lifetime.
The unprecedented stoppage was, and still is, desperately needed as we all try to do our part to physically distance ourselves from one another and flatten the curve of infections.
While the rate of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus at home and abroad hasn’t yet flatlined, it is imperative that we continue to adhere to the recommendations from public health officials so our hospitals, front-line health-care workers and first responders are not overwhelmed.
It hasn’t been easy, however.
Life as we know it has ground to a virtual standstill, millions of hard-working people have lost their jobs, and the worst part about this current scenario is nobody knows when it will all come to an end.
From a sports perspective — with no hockey, basketball, baseball, et cetera — fans are crying uncle.
Uncle! Uncle!
If coronavirus were a professional wrestler, it would have us in a sleeper hold — no, even worse, it has delivered a Jimmy Snuka ‘Superfly Splash’ off the top turnbuckle followed by a figure-four leglock.
The question is, can we get up off the mat and beat this thing?
In short, yes, but it is going to take a total team effort to win this battle.