Return of sports could depend on how we act

It’s a tantalizing twist, a compelling contrast and a delicious dichotomy.

Usually, it’s the public focused on the teams and players. Now, it’s the teams and players focused on the performance of the public.

How the public performs in restaurants, bars, barbershops, hair salons and so many of the “non-essential” shops and stores allowed to reopen will have a lot to do with when players get to play in this province.

It’s Opening Day!

OK. Nobody is going to shout “Play Ball!” There are no players on any field perspiring in public for pay. There are no kids’ games underway with parents sitting in lawn chairs to watch them play. There isn’t a whistle being blown or an orange being peeled.

But today is Day 1 of Stage 1 of Alberta’s COVID-19 relaunch.

One area of focus will be on Alberta chief medical officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw and friends carefully monitoring the results of allowing some establishments to open under reduced capacity.

Assuming Albertans handle themselves with the same remarkable common sense most have managed so far, the sooner sports fans can focus on Stage 2.

The sports spotlight now shifts from the successful opening of golf courses to setting up the structures to allow NHL teams to return to practice facilities in the province and for CFL teams to contemplate holding some manner of training camp to prepare to play a potential eight-game season starting in September.

It also moves entities such as Calgary’s Cavalry FC and FC Edmonton to the frontburner and allows U Sports teams, junior football, high school sports and a long list of others to begin trying to salvage seasons in the fall. Another focus is on the first real live-action events, and that is set up to be horse racing.

On Tuesday, Woodbine in Toronto shifted gears to allow timed training and jockey breezing as well as starting gate training. That poses the question as to whether Century Mile will run neck-and-neck with the Toronto track or be left at the gate.

Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson went on record Tuesday as projecting an opening weekend of June 6 and even suggested a TV deal is close to being finalized with TSN. Much of what is now happening at Woodbine in terms of having horses on track in final training has already been well underway here. But there doesn’t seem to be the same timeline for racing.

“We are gearing up to reopen some of our dining and food and beverage venues during Stage 1,” said Century Casino senior VP of Alberta operations Geoff Smith.

If successful, it might mean the track, casino and on-site betting on races could happen in unison.

“Our reopening plans are near complete and will be ready to go. I am certainly optimistic that horse racing in Alberta will be back in gear soon.”

That is music to the ears of Norm Castiglione, president of the Horseman’s Benevolent Protection Association.

“The HBPA of Alberta is encouraged to hear plans for reopening are nearing completion and that horse racing in the province can resume when safe to do so,” he said.

“The thoroughbred horsemen are ready and able to begin racing when they get the green light. It will take approximately two weeks from getting the go-ahead for the track operator and governing bodies to have both staff and protocols in place.

“At the track there are now more than 400 horses in training. We continue to breeze and have timed works. And we will have the required pool of jockeys in place by opening day.”

But just what day might that be? June 6? June 13? June 20? That will likely be up to the behaviour of the people in the bars and restaurants.