The games will continue, suspended by the almighty dollar.
Even as uncontrollable coronaviruses in large areas of the country and portions of society begin to close in hopes of stopping the fatal tide, there are no plans to close sports as they did in March.
There’s a lot at stake.
Everyone has ended up in this quest without joy.
But it’s easy to see why so many people have developed those games designed for television.
Competitions take place in largely empty stadiums and arenas, devoid of any atmosphere or excitement; constantly evolving queues and rescheduling or cancelling scattered matches, a few hours in advance; teams forced to play in transitional and remote homes because, well, we’re in the middle of a global pandemic that’s already claimed the lives of a quarter of a million Americans.
Welcome to theArray . . . your Tampa Bay Raptors?
Georgia men’s basketball coach Tom Crean summed it up more productively when his team’s first game of the season was canceled shortly before prediction due to COVID-19.
“This season has already been a surreal experience,” said Crean, who hasn’t even played a game. “
It’s that kind of week for the Bulldogs.
On Monday, they learned that their time-of-season game, scheduled for Sunday against Gardner-Webb, deserves to be canceled due to a positive check on their opponent’s schedule. On Tuesday, the Bulldogs programmed Florida A
Florida A
Assuming nothing happens in the next few days.
Meanwhile, anyone who made plans to close Thanksgiving by watching the highly anticipated Baltimore-Pittsburgh NFL game in high-time had to make plans for election (who is in a position to be chat parchís?) After this game was postponed at least until Sunday for an outbreak. coronavirus in the Ravens’ locker room.
CUARTERBACK’s Most Valuable Player, Lamar Jackson, would have been among the hits, covering a season that looks more like the “Survivor: NFL All Stars” truth show.
True to that theme, Vanderbilt without a win went to Missouri for what could be the first Power Five school football game to introduce a player.
Football goalkeeper Sarah Fuller was allowed to be with the Commodores and could end up doing the kicking duties on Saturday after a rash of COVID-19 disorders swept the team’s special unit.
“Let’s make history,” Fuller said in a tweet that included a photo of her wearing a Commodores jersey and holding a soccer ball.
“She’s smart with a football, she looks pretty smart with a football, so let’s see,” Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason said.
While we’re looking for Fuller’s chime chase, the madness of a Southeastern Conference football team that has to do an impromptu recruitment into the women’s soccer program sums up this season’s shameless training.
Forget about victories and defeats.
All that matters is whether the network clearly verifies.
That’s the case with the NBA, which, not long ago, ended its 2019-20 season, delayed by the pandemic, by housing the most of its playoffs against 0 enthusiasts in a de facto school gym at Disney World.
While the bubble is an organizational marvel and, more importantly, kept everyone healthy, the NBA doesn’t aim to double it as it rushes into its next season with the pandemic on a larger, scarier scale than ever before.
The league made its draft last week, temporarily driven through a flexible agency, and is preparing for groups to show up at education camp next week, even though it hasn’t even published a schedule for a season that’s meant to begin. December 22.
“It’s going to be a crazy year, ” said Atlanta Hawks manager Travis Schlenk. “We’ll have to adapt on the fly. “
You might not get any argument from the Torontos, uh, do that Tampa Bay Raptors thing.
Due to travel restrictions imposed through the Canadian government by the pandemic, the Raptors had to locate another home and moved to Amalie Arena, home of NHL Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning (who has no idea when they will return to the ice as time shortens for the start of New Year’s Eve).
Well, at least the weather on the Gulf Coast will be a lot better than a Canadian winter.
“I’m glad you’re in a warm place,” joked Raptors star Fred VanVleet, who took over the homeless franchise after agreeing to a four-year, $85 million contract.
At some point, in the not too distant future, given the progress made in the immunization box, the game will return to normal.
The stands will be full. Schedules will not replace each and every hour. Raptors can come home.
Until then, it’s hard to explain why to rejoice.
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Paul Newberry is a sports columnist for the Associated Press. Write to pnewberry (at) ap. org or https://twitter. com/pnewberry196 His paintings may be in https://apnews. com/search/paulnewberry
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More AP Sports: https://apnews. com/apf-sports and https://twitter. com/AP—Sports
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