Return of sports will be welcome sight

As several professional sports leagues continue to develop plans for a return to action amid the coronavirus pandemic, a couple of things seem obvious: When or if teams resume play, it will likely be in empty venues, and regardless of whether the stands a

The nation is in desperate need of a diversion, and a live televised game would be a nice change of pace.

The nation is in desperate need of a bit of diversion from the isolation of the lockdowns that are only now starting to ease across the country. A chance to watch a live televised hockey or baseball game would be a welcome change of pace for millions.

Whether league officials can come up with a plan that puts player safety first while returning to play is the first hurdle to overcome.

Players and staff would have to be tested regularly for COVID-19, and any positive results would require isolation of the player and implementation of a host of safety measures to prevent spreading the virus.

Then there is the matter of limiting travel and exposure to the coronavirus while living in hotels.

The National Hockey League, Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association are all exploring options that would have teams playing in only a few cities and having players and their families, as well as team officials, living in hotels in that city for extended periods.

The NHL, which announced plans Tuesday for a 24-team Stanley Cup playoff tournament that would be played in two “hub cities” possibly in late summer and early fall, also faces the challenge of getting back players who left the country.

Several players returned to their homes in Canada and Europe when the shutdown was announced, and current travel bans would prevent them from immediately returning to the U.S.

The respective players unions would have to agree to any plan, and that includes how players would be compensated for shortened seasons played in empty ballparks and arenas.

Still, there is hope for a return of sporting events. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said recently that he expects to release “more serious guidelines” for how sports can return and left open the possibility of having NASCAR run its doubleheader weekend at Pocono Raceway in late June — without fans — if Monroe County is in the yellow phase by then.

And while baseball, hockey and basketball are working on plans for a more-immediate return, the National Football League is intent on playing games — with or without fans — this fall.

Sports is part of the nation’s fabric and a return to play, even in a limited fashion, would salvage something of what is shaping up to be a lost summer. Swimming pools will be closed, parades and fairs have been canceled, and most organized youth sports are shut down.

At a time when fans are normally reveling in the play of the Stanley Cup finals and the NBA championship, and settling in to the early days of the MLB season, they instead find their viewing options limited to replays of past games.

President Franklin Roosevelt encouraged baseball owners to keep playing during World War II, writing in a letter that “I honestly feel it would be best for the country to keep baseball going.”

If the safety issues can be properly addressed, a return to play this summer would be a welcome sign of hope and bring some much-needed enjoyment to millions of fans.

Sports is part of the nation’s fabric and a return to play, even in a limited fashion, would salvage something of what is shaping up to be a lost summer.