SPANISH HARLEM – It all started with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Utah Jazz game being suddenly postponed for unknown reasons. 
It was suspicious and led many to believe that it was serious, because the NBA doesn’t just cancel games. Soon enough, the news broke that Ruby Gobert tested positive for the #Coronavirus. It was only a matter of time before something like this would happen; if you saw the news the number of people infected was climbing. Eventually, someone in the sports world would become infected and now all games are suspended until further notice.
I fully expect that Major League Baseball and the National Hockey Association League will follow suit… to some degree. Neither the MLB nor NHL have issued a statement about their season but it will be addressed at some point. They have to. While each league has issued rules when interviewing athletes and coaches, more changes will come and I won’t be surprised if they each decide to suspend their seasons as well. And new leagues like the XFL and rugby’s Major League Rugby are also on red alert.
I won’t sit here and act like I know anything more than the rest of you when it come to COVID-19, but I will say this: the impact has been, and will continue to be, enormous. Sports leagues like soccer have had games with no fans in attendance and the NCAA has stated that they will play their tournament games in empty arenas. With the NBA taking a big stand on this epidemic, most leagues will revisit their decision and may decide to not play any games at all.
This situation will only get worse before it gets better and I agree with the NBA for suspending games. Athletes constantly make physical contact with other players and can easily spread this virus very quickly and that includes the people behind the scenes that are around the players on a daily basis, whether for medical reasons or other. When you take in account the amount of people that gather for sporting events and the like, its important to limit those occasions until the situation is controlled. It’s the smart thing to do and maybe, the only thing to do.
Hey, my intention is not to freak anyone out and I believe things will get better, but I understand these decisions were made for the betterment of all. Stay safe everyone! And come back tomorrow for a guy we send in first when there’s an unknown deadly virus in the room, Replacement Matt.
