To add some light irony to the whole coronavirus situation, most people found themselves with a lot of spare hours at home, at a time when there was hardly any sports to watch on television – except for classic reruns and fixtures from years long gone.
But, on a more serious note, like any other element of social and economic life, COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on all aspects of sports, from the athletes themselves to major fixtures, plans and training regimes. Media coverage has suffered as well – especially considering that the most-watched sporting broadcasts, including the Summer Olympics, have been postponed by months.
The business aspect of sports is also on its knees. According to the World Economic Forum, in 2018, the global value of the sports industry was worth a staggering $471bn, and the only trajectory seemed to be upwards. Now, every part of the sporting value chain – from leagues and teams to the athletes themselves – has been affected.
Now that various countries are easing social restrictions, sports is finally doing some warming up. Some football leagues – including the Bundesliga – have resumed, albeit with no spectators present at stadia, while the first race of the Formula 1 season is set to be held on the weekend of July 3 at the Red Bull Ring in Austria.
Across the pond in the US, the situation is similar. All major leagues – from football to hockey and basketball – ground to a halt because of the pandemic. And that meant that teams and well as fans suffered.
In New Jersey, especially, where the sports culture has deep roots, super fans couldn’t watch and cheer on their favourite teams. Hockey fans couldn’t watch the New Jersey Devils play at the Prudential Centre in the National Hockey League while soccer aficionados couldn’t support the New York Red Bulls at the Red Bull Arena. As for football fans, there were no cheers as both the New York Jets and the New York Giants couldn’t appear at the Meadowlands. According to World Sports Network, most sports events were postponed – and the website kept its readers updated on which events had been postponed and till when.
But now there seems to be some light at the end of the tunnel as on May 22, New Jersey governor Phil Murphy said that professional sports teams could return to training in the state, after a long pause of two months.
Professional teams in New Jersey – one of the US states which permits online sports gambling – also issued their own statements. Among these were the 76ers – the basketball team said it would reopen its training complex in Camden for voluntary, individual workouts, with players and staff respecting NBA guidelines.
In his media address, governor Murphy said, “We have been in constant discussions with teams about necessary protocols to protect the health and safety of players coaches and personnel.” Moreover, the governor added that he was confident that “teams are equipped to practice and eventually play in a responsible manner, protecting the health and safety of players, coaches, and team personnel.”
With various associations considering the idea of cancelling the remainder of regular seasons, the issue of when New Jersey teams will return to competitive play remains to be seen. Governor Murphy said professional teams were allowed to compete in New Jersey, “if their leagues choose to move in that direction”.
That is a classic half-full glass situation – but like anything else, the pandemic will eventually be over, some form of normality will be established, and sports will make a welcome return.
Disclaimer: Play responsibly. Players must be over 18. For help visit https://www.gamcare.org.uk/