A week and a half ago, I was unconcerned about the coronavirus. I knew about it, and how it was beginning to affect the United States, universities, and threatening sporting events. It was still the furthest thing from my mind.
A group of students and I were eating dinner in Washington D.C. We joked about the amounts of hand sanitizer we used coming off the metro and signs on doors that said “no cash, stay healthy,” or “we will not be hand-shaking at this time.” It was all still a foreign concept.
All of a sudden, during dinner on March 11, alerts on a nearby television screen popped up one after another. In a matter of 20 minutes, COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. Washington DC declared a state of emergency. Mississippi State tweeted that administration was considering online classes. Our professor received an e-mail that he should begin the transition to online classes. Even though this was unknown and scary, I still didn’t comprehend the gravity of the situation. We asked professors, congressional staff members, and congressmen if we should be concerned. Everyone said no, and the sun was still shining outside so it seemed like just someone else’s problem.
The cancellation of sport was my eye-opener that COVID-19 was a much larger issue than the flu. Professional sports and the NCAA don’t give up an enormous sum of revenue for the flu. I thought it was crazy when the Ivy League canceled their tournament and planned on just sending their regular-season champion, Yale, to the NCAA Tournament. How terrible for any of those players! Two weeks ago, the Ivy League was crucified on Twitter for jumping the gun on this issue. Little did any of us know, almost every sport entity would follow suit a few days later.
I was in the Metro Station headed back to our hotel when ESPN alerts started firing off. First, no fans at March Madness. No fans allowed in Big Ten, ACC, Pac-12, or SEC conference tournaments either. Mississippi State released a statement that athletic events would be off limits to fans through at least March 30.
My plan up until then was to arrive back in Starkville Friday evening, and head straight to work at softball on Saturday morning. My parents planned to meet me after the game. I was picturing how bizarre Nusz Park would be with no fans, and how much we would have to tweet scores to keep our fans updated.
On Thursday, it was one alert right after the other. Conference tournaments were all of a sudden canceled. The NBA, NHL, NFL, MLB, and MLS put pauses to their seasons. Duke, then Kansas, suspended the rest of their spring and winter seasons. This was shocking – I mean, Duke and Kansas? Both legitimate Final Four teams? Then the NCAA canceled everything.
For fans, it hurt. Our little hobby turned lifestyle was quickly out of reach. Those games we were excited about attending, too bad. For workers, it hurt too. There’s experience, connections, and money that won’t happen for the rest of the season. Seniors are going into the workforce with a little less preparation than they planned on. I love going to work, its where I have the most fun, and there was no more of that for another semester. I can still do some work for softball, but all the hands-on work is finished.
I felt the most heartbroken for the players who had their entire passion ripped off the field. There was so much more to accomplish, and so much time. Conference play hadn’t gone into full swing, so the stand-out moments were gone. These feelings are doubled when it comes to student athletes in winter sports. Everyone’s eligibility is in question. No matter your classification – will the NCAA just wipe off the remainder of the season? Especially those seniors, who’s last game came unknowingly and much too early.
I don’t have much to complain about. I’m still a sophomore planning to hop right into football season next fall. I don’t play a sport, I just love to be involved. I don’t have a full-time job that depends on sports being played. There are people in the sports world who are struggling much more than I am. I’m dealing with the stoppage of sport by accepting it and knowing it will be back soon. There’s a multitude of questions, but they will all be answered sometime. That’s what we all have to do, accept that it’s out of our hands and wait until it passes, and our beloved pastimes return.
So in the meantime, post your favorite sports memories on social, vote in would-be bracket pools and re-watch those legendary games. Become a little bit more knowledgeable on sport history with documentaries and biographies. That’s my plan until next season.
Breana Norton 