March 11, 2020. Something we never thought possible happened. Some of the greediest bastards in the world decided that money wasn’t more important for once. The Day the Balls stopped bouncing. Or, TDTBSB, for short. And, I am saying this as a devout fan of the respective leagues of said greedy bastards. I’m also not saying this lightly. Once the NBA announced it was suspending the rest of the season - in the wake of Kobe Bryant’s death, in the midst of the playoff race and a resurgent season for superstar LeBron James – I honestly started realizing the gravity of the COVID-19 pandemic. It may sound silly, but these sports entities are larger-than-life billion dollar machines that never stop production. Until now. I suppose it was foolish of me to think that nothing could ever disrupt my favorite obsession. I make no claims at expertise in anything but spouting my opinion, but I think we are all feeling afraid and uncertain of the world as it seemingly topples and burns to ash around us. Nothing feels quite like it did, and we are all trying to grasp on to some kind of semblance of normalcy. Watching highlights and reruns of an unrecognizable world only goes so far.
Three years ago I published an essay I dubbed, “The Plight of the Superfan.” It was a project I had started in a non-fiction workshop in college about my obsession with the sports world and the psychology and biology of sports fandom. A real coming of age tale some would say. I was attempting to come to terms with why I cared so tremendously and invested so much time into being a fanatic of professional schoolyard games when it was also seemingly affecting my mental well being and personal relationships. Not to rehash old material, but I basically entered down a rabbit hole of research that led me to a wide variety of destinations including sociological studies, testosterone levels, gambling, and fantasy sports. Eureka! I was not alone! Well, I knew that already, but I liked seeing the hard data. Did it help me cope a bit to write that essay? Absolutely. Did it help me to change my behavior for the better? Well, a lot has changed in my life since then. A marriage, a divorce, a change of scenery, a new relationship, two adorable hell beast puppies. So, a little, maybe. I honestly feel like I’m at one of the healthiest points in my life mentally and physically, so I’d say I’m on the up and up. But, my passion for sports remains. I definitely treat my relationship with sports differently now, and with age I’ve gained some maturity about sacrificing everything else to watch every game that’s available (yes, even the Browns). But, I’m still not satisfied. I need an outlet for all the random bullshit sports knowledge rattling around in my skull. I guess that’s why I’m jumping back into the saddle of that white bronco and hitting the road again. Who am I kidding? I’m a goddamned junkie.
I’ve decided to do an essay series during these confusing and unprecedented times to satiate my desire to talk, think, and breathe about sports. I want to continue my expedition into why people are so fanatic about balls and also any other sports topic I want from around America and the world. My goal is to not only provide an irreverent outlook that true sports fans and junkies will enjoy but also to bridge the gap and maybe peak the interest of a few non-sporters. Before you continue if you’d like to catch yourself up with my original essay, there is a link to it here.
As I sit here writing this on the balcony of my new house overlooking the Siletz River on the Oregon coast, looking not too unlike a cliché in a Chicago Bears hat and a pair of my girlfriend’s Ditka-esque aviator sunglasses, it has been just over a month since the NBA shut down operations and the rest of the sports world closely followed. The hellish process of moving into a new place has been enough of a distraction to temper my withdrawals (five trips over three days). But, I was also recently laid off from my cool new job at a brewery because of all this mess, and I’m starting to sweat about the rent, the bills, and having enough food money, not to mention the upcoming NFL season after the Bears had a decent offseason (well, except for Nick Foles maybe...). Now that I think about it, I’ve sort of distanced myself from the sports world without even thinking about it. There’s only so much speculation I can sit and read about, and besides the occasional ESPN update scrolling across my screen, it hasn’t felt right to indulge like usual. I was listening to The Dan Patrick Show on my long commutes to work for a while to try and keep up as much as possible. Dan and the Dannettes were welcome company as I cruised south along the coast on Highway 101 as the sun rose over the ocean on my way to the brewery. But, once that ended I couldn’t bring myself to turn it on anymore. What was the point? Nothing was really happening anyways. And, even though some things like the NFL draft are continuing forward virtually (and I do applaud the attempt to maintain some normalcy from them), it feels cheapened. A bandage on a burning building. How can I enjoy something so trivial while the fate of the rest of the world still hangs in the balance?
Well, to be fair, I had nothing else to do, so I did in fact indulge a little. It was honestly a pretty surreal experience being someone who has participated in watching this event for about a decade now. When it began, I felt that high again. The competitive juices were flowing and I was so happy to be able to participate in something in the here and now, something to take my mind off the current existential dread. And, I think the rest of America, and maybe some of the world, felt the same way. The first round this year was the most watched telecast of this event of all time with 15.6 million viewers huddled quarantined at home dreaming of Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday night lights. That is a staggering 37% higher than last year. I could feel all of us watching taking a collective sigh as commissioner Roger Goodell announced that the Bengals were officially on the clock. But, it still didn’t feel quite right. No more were the crowds of dedicated fans ready to spend dozens of hours at the draft venue drinking beers, and booing the commissioner. No more were the draft rooms filled with coaches, owners, and scouts crunching the numbers. No more were the select few players chosen to participate strutting out on to the stage with their families and their new team’s gear adorned on their bulky frames. Instead they were at home in front of their computers and televisions; still afraid and uncertain of the coming months like the rest of us. At least it gave us a chance to forget for a few days.
Also, on the topic, while I do think it’s cool that pro athletes from major leagues are virtually competing against each other in online gaming, talk about snoozeville. That’s too far removed for me, and unless I’m the one personally playing against a COVID-positive Kevin Durant, I’ll wait to watch him until next year when his knee heals.
I’m still in disbelief at how fast everything transpired. CJ2K fast. The National Basketball Association’s first response was the start of the avalanche, and then the rest of the mountain seemed to fall with it. I kid you not; the NBA literally started the domino chain of postponements (including, although unrelated to sports, the Tool concert my girlfriend Laura and I were supposed to attend. Damn you coronavirus!). I think this was one of the first times I truly realized the influence of American sports, and specifically the NBA. Although in America the NFL is king in terms of popularity and ratings, outside of the States soccer (football) and basketball remain the most popular international sports. And, when it comes to basketball, the NBA does it best. I’m only assuming, but my theory is that the royal treatment, lucrative contracts, and celebrity status athletes in America receive is a big selling point to international basketballers, undercutting their home country markets and leagues, and consistently keeping the NBA’s talent pool the best in the world. Also, let’s not even start on American basketball dominance in the Olympics. Also, don’t take this as some sort of weird nationalistic view of American sports because in terms of soccer (football) the MLS is far behind the rest of the world. Sorry MLS, get the hell out of here! But, I digress.
What I’m getting at is that the NBA is the biggest and glitziest league in one of the two most popular sports in the world, and when they sneeze, everybody turns their head. And then depletes the world of toilet paper. Instead of me just jabbering on at you, let’s look at the timeline of events courtesy of Bleacher Report:
· March 11, 2020
o The NBA suspends the 2019-20 season "until further notice."
· March 12, 2020
o FIBA suspends all competitions indefinitely.
o La Liga postpones matches.
o The ATP suspends all tournaments.
o Major League Soccer suspends its 2020 season.
o The NHL suspends the 2019-20 season.
o NFL cancels its league meeting.
o The NCAA cancels all remaining winter and spring championships, including the men's and women's basketball tournaments.
o XFL Commissioner Oliver Luck says the XFL will not be playing its regular-season games.
· March 13, 2020
o Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters announced all fixtures will be suspended.
o Ligue 1 announced it is suspending play in France's top two leagues.
o The 2020 Boston Marathon is rescheduled.
o NASCAR postpones events.
o The London Marathon is postponed.
· March 14, 2020
o The Wynn Las Vegas becomes the first Nevada casino to temporarily close its sportsbook and poker room.
o The Pro Football Hall of Fame closes to the public.
o The Nevada State Athletic Commission revokes all licenses for combat sport events in the state.
o The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum closes indefinitely.
· March 15, 2020
o Liga MX, Mexico's top soccer league, announces the indefinite suspension of all games.
· March 16, 2020
o MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred tells reporters, "we are not going to start on April 9,” meaning the start of the regular season will continue to be pushed back.
o UFC President Dana White announced in an email to employees that all events have been indefinitely postponed.
· March 17, 2020
o The 2020 Kentucky Derby is postponed.
o Roland Garros announces the French Open will be postponed.
· March 20, 2020
o The 2020 Scripps National Spelling Bee is suspended.
o The LPGA Tour postpones tournaments.
· March 21, 2020
o The IIHF Council announces the 2020 World Hockey Championships have been canceled.
· March 23, 2020
o UEFA announces the Champions League final, Europa League final and Women's Champions League final have been postponed.
o The Canadian Hockey League cancels its 2020 postseason and Memorial Cup.
o The Hyundai A-League, Australia's top men's soccer league, announces the postponement of the final rounds of the 2019-20 season.
· March 24, 2020
o The International Olympic Committee and the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee announces in a joint statement that the 2020 Summer Olympics will be rescheduled to 2021.
Now, I know that seems like a lot to include, but I wanted to represent the full scope of the impact that NBA’s closure had. I know you junkies out there like me love to look at the stats. I didn’t even include everything! This is just what I deemed important with my sophisticated pallet (yes, the Spelling Bee made the cut). Also, a lot has happened since then, but after the Olympics were cancelled any other sport was a wash at that point. This is also in complete chronological order by time of day as well. Actually, reading over these again, I’m getting that déjà vu feeling of anxiety as we all collectively watched the sports world close its doors. That timeline was only 13 days! Every major sports league in the world was basically out of commission (except the NFL because Tom Brady is nearly a god) in a span of less than two weeks. Las Vegas literally shut down because there were no sports to bet on. Along with no large concerts or events to attend. Las Vegas never shuts down! Are the odds makers essential employees? Are they on unemployment now? So many questions have been swirling through my head. Oregon had just legalized online sports gambling as well, and I was about two-thirds the way through setting up my profile when all of this happened. I was soooooo close to maybe making a few extra bucks here and there. Maybe that’s a sign I shouldn’t gamble? Do I have to set up my profile from the beginning again?
I’ve resigned myself to the fact that our near future is going to look different than our recent past, whether that be professional games played in front of empty 60,000 seat stadiums, or the fate in general of youth and local sports programs. Those programs are so vital to so many communities, even on the adult level, and now those outlets are in jeopardy. Professional teams are also so important in their respective cities in terms of revenue, jobs, and community involvement. I feel strange and out of place in this new world. The days all seem to mesh together, no differentiation between weekday and weekend. Trapped in purgatory, nothing to collectively look forward to. Sports are nothing if they aren’t cliché, and I'm desperately grasping at straws hoping for something to hold on to. What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger? It’s gut-check time? Time to play hardball? Play one game at a time? Defense wins championships? It doesn’t quite have the same ring to it anymore.
As a bit of cabin fever begins to creep in, I’m left wondering when this nightmare will end. When can we feel safe and comfortable to even go to the grocery store without sideways glances at every corner? An NBA Finals watch party? NCAA games at the local pub with friends? A local baseball game in the heat of the season? Heck, I’m even looking forward to turning on some golf on a sleepy Sunday. When can we again enjoy a face-to-face conversation with the ones we love? Certain things unite us all across the globe (including a flamboyant tiger-owning gun nut from Oklahoma, but that’s a story for another day), and currently there is a giant sports-shaped hole, whatever that shape may be, in our hearts. Let’s take the Olympic Games for example. It is one of the oldest known human events and traditions dating back to the 8th century BC. This event brings together people from every corner of the world to celebrate their culture and participate against the world in friendly competition (there are some exceptions, *cough cough* Tonya Harding). There seems to be an inherent desire in humans to compete and have shared experiences, and sport has been a common denominator throughout our history. I’m not exactly sure what point if any that I’m trying to make except that I’m scared shitless like the rest of you out there. Our perception of existence has been flipped on its head and more than ever do we collectively mourn for the things that bring us together outside of this virtual quarantine hell.
...Also. Does anyone else think that Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was the real sign of the apocalypse?
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Eric Toennis is a Montana born writer that fled the Big Sky for the West Coast. He currently resides on the sleepy Siletz River outside of Lincoln City, OR enjoying greener pastures. Eric spends his days writing fiction, essays, poetry, and contemplating the vast expanse of stars, planets, and galaxies above his head. He thinks sports are pretty neat too.
