So, what now?
As of the day of writing, March 19, it has officially been a little over one week since the NBA decided to hit pause on their season. It caused every other major league on the planet to hold off on their season as well. As someone whose entire world pretty much revolves around the world of sports, it’s safe to say this has been the longest week of my life. While there are people who are much more affected by this than I, it has left me feeling a little bit like the featured image. A reminder, it’s only been a week.
Here is a day-by-day description of how my life has been without sports.
Day one: Most of my day was spent following everything going on and seeing what leagues across the world had decided to postpone their seasons. I could see the light slowly fading away.
Day two: Doesn’t seem so bad. Just seems like I’m taking a vacation and none of my teams happen to play that day. If only I had known.
Day three: Reality sets in as I see how much my life is already changing without daily sports updates and highlights. I ponder what to do with all the time usually spent watching or catching up on sports.
Day four: I’ve been thrown a lifeline as National Football League free agency starts. A day full of surprise signings and trades give me hope that, even without games, sports will survive.
Day five: The NFL offseason has betrayed me. My Chicago Bears traded for Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Nick Foles to solve their quarterback problems. It feels as if I have been stabbed in the heart. It’s Cody Parkey all over again. #BearDown
Day six: I explore the internet for even the slightest hint or rumor of a signing in the NFL. Frank Caliendo and his Adam Schefter impression give me a smile in the meantime. I try to go to my backyard and work on my short game with a couple of sleeves of golf balls. Alas, the weather had other ideas.
Day seven: Things have drastically slowed down, playing sports video games are the only thing that even gets close to the real world of sports. I’m barely hanging on at this point.
And now for your amusement, I will predict what the rest of my foray into a world without sports will be like.
Day 11: My friends and I are so desperate for a game to watch that we bet on NBA2k and Madden computer simulated games. I took the Sacramento Kings to upset the Houston Rockets, but that didn’t even work for me. Hopefully, the Madden simulation we do tomorrow will go in my favor.
Day 12: It didn’t.
Day 22: I print out cardboard cutouts of horses with stick Lego men on top of them. I hold my own mini Kentucky Derby and bet on all the horses. Take All My Money (Yes, I named the horses. Back off, I need this) defeated Doom and Despair by a hair after coming up on the stretch. Again, I lose money to myself.
Day 33: It’s sunny outside, so I decide to do my own March Madness tournament. I am the players, announcers and crowd all at the same time. Out of nowhere, the online University of American Samoa wins the tournament as a 16th seed. On the street, people heckle me as they drive.
Day 48: I’m watching all the Star Wars movies for the eighth time since being quarantined, and every time they swing a lightsaber it looks like Tiger Woods teeing off on the 18th at Augusta National with the sun setting in the background. God, I even miss sports like golf at this point.
Day 89: I’ve moved on from sports, I have found in my solitude they were useless and only wasted valuable time that could have been used to educate myself. I decide to dedicate my life towards science and research.
Day 90: Sports are back.
I hope that this has brought you some joy in a time when we all need it. On a more serious note, the other night I was watching a replay of an old Blackhawks game on TV. I tuned in just in time to see vocalist Jim Cornelison sing the national anthem. As most Chicagoans and all Blackhawks fans know, we cheer during the national anthem because it is a tradition that goes back 30 years.
As I sat there watching and hearing Cornelison sing with thousands of fans cheering in the background, I realized that, one day, everything will be back to normal—not just sports, but the world. It’s going to take some time and a lot of effort, but one day I will be back at the United Center along with 23,000 other fans as we cheer Jim Cornelison on as he belts out the national anthem.
In the meantime, stay safe, wash your hands and flatten the curve.
Cheers ‘till then.
