Will the Games Stand Tall?

While ballparks and all sports venues remain closed, there is hope the Football Season can be salvaged.

Baseball appears to be all but lost, while there has been a plan “spit-balled” that some games with all 30 teams might be played in Arizona and Texas. Actually relocating all MLB teams to these two states and get the season in. Frankly, that’s a long shot at this place in time. It looks very unlikely to me. If our current situation related to COVID-19 improves, perhaps a half-season could be made to work starting at the All-Star break. Locally, there is some discussion that Dixie Youth Baseball could begin the season on May 28th. However, I picked this information up about ten days ago, and it now looks unlikely to me.

NASCAR has approved the May 24th race at Charlotte Motor Speedway; the Coca-Cola 600. The Charlotte Mayor is onboard as long as health conditions continue to improve. It's important to note that NASCAR races at Atlanta, Homestead (TX), Bristol, Richmond, Talladega, Dover and Martinsville have been postponed, not canceled, at least not yet. NASCAR still intends to hold all 36 Cup Series races in 2020. So far, 8 races have been cancelled, subject to rescheduling, perhaps.

The NBA had planned to allow the teams to re-open training camps, but now that has been pushed back to May 8th. Atlanta is now an open state and the Hawks could begin camp, however, as of this writing they have decided to wait. The NBA, much like MLB, is considering moving teams to “open” states and play the season there, until the other states deem it safe enough to allow teams to play.

The NFL held their draft albeit in a virtual setting. LSU led in the draft, with both Auburn and Alabama close behind. All SEC schools placed players in the NFL with the exception of Ole Miss. My always-the-underdog favorite, Jalen Hurts was picked in the second round by the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles front office stated they picked him not only for his football prowess, but equally, if not more important, that he’s a good teammate. What a compliment! And we all know that Tua went to the Miami Dolphins; they also got a great quarterback and an amazing teammate. The most fascinating non-decision in the draft was New England. They did not draft a quarterback. They seem to feel confident that Jarrett Stidham can fill the shoes left by Tom Brady. Stidham was the 133rd pick in the fourth round of the 2019 Draft. Now if Stidham becomes the starter and plays well, I suspect there will be a lot of head scratching at The Loveliest Village on the Plain.

I’m fascinated by the remarks of one of the top medical people on President Trump’s COVID-19 team. He suggested recently that it would be OK to go ahead with the sports seasons as long as “no one” attended the games. And by “no one” he means fans and reporters, just the team members, referees, and coaches on the field. Let’s let that idea sink in for a few minutes. I can’t imagine it. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Why I suppose even Steve Spurrier would throw his cap down and stomp it with that kind of an idea rolling around. From Dixie baseball to MLB, from pee-wee football to the NFL, the fans are an integral part of the game. That’s like having a peanut butter and jelly sandwich without the peanut butter. Heck, if we’re going to do that, let’s just play flag football in the SEC.

I am persuaded that football will be possible in the fall. Surely different, certainly a new normal, and likely for some time to come.

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1