There’s no rush to play ball

While sports hold significance, they are still a poor reason to risk public health

Sports were among the first things to go as the coronavirus took firm hold in America. Professional leagues began canceling games in March as the number of cases began to rise, followed by college and high school teams as schools closed to slow the pathogen’s spread.

Restarting these events aren’t priority one as parts of the nation begin to reopen, but their return would mark a step toward normalcy that many people covet. That desire must not result in hasty decision making, which would needlessly put players and spectators at risk.

Sports serve as a cultural touchstone for a nation that seems to have little in common these days. Seven of the top 10 most-viewed programs last year were sporting events — professional football, mostly — and an eighth was a reality show which followed the Super Bowl broadcast.

Here in Hampton Roads, organized sports fill a need for participants and spectators — to enjoy exercise and competition, or as an escape and entertainment. The region is fortunate to host several minor league teams as well as the college and high school sports that are the focus of so much enthusiasm each year.

The cancellation and postponement of events in March as a response to the coronavirus effectively nixed a number of popular annual events, including the NCAA college basketball tournaments and the Summer Olympic Games.

The loss of high school spring sports was especially heartbreaking since seniors were robbed of their final season — a last chance to chase championship dreams or draw interest from college coaches for scholarships.

These were prudent if difficult decisions, favoring public health over the costs — both social and financial — of suspending play. Now leagues are trying to find a way to return to the field safely and smartly.

That’s easier said than done.

Take college football, for instance. The sport generates millions in revenue for colleges and universities, money that in some cases provides funding for the rest of the athletic department or other operations, including academics.

Some programs face financial ruin if the season is canceled.

But teams that have invited student-athletes back to campus for workouts have reported an alarming number of positive COVID-19 tests, requiring quarantines and other measures to protect other players, coaches, trainers and staff.

Players and owners in Major League Baseball sparred for weeks about how or whether to resume the season before reaching agreement last week.

Same for the National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, Major League Soccer and so on.

Professional golf, tennis and NASCAR have been holding events — some with fans, some without — offering an early test case for how sports might resume. And it’s offered a glimpse of the power these events hold in the public’s eye.

Last Monday, following a report of a noose found in the garage of Bubba Wallace, the sport’s only black driver, NASCAR organized a moving show of solidarity that saw drivers and their teams walk with Wallace to the starting line. The FBI concluded on Wednesday that the noose had been there since October, but that does not diminish the strength of the message against racial injustice.

There’s also something to be said about the healing and sense of community sports can inspire.

The English domestic soccer league resumed play this month, and each game began with a minute of silence in tribute to COVID-19 victims and health workers and a moment of solidarity for racial justice. Instead of player names, every jersey read “Black Lives Matter” on the back.

Given the ongoing controversy in this country about kneeling during the national anthem and respect for the flag, such demonstrations will be seen in some corners as polarizing instead of unifying. It’s a reminder that separating sports from society at large is a fool’s errand.

For now, though, that moment of catharsis will have to wait. Caution is prudent and while sports hold great significance in our nation, they’re still no reason to needlessly risk public health.