In normal times college and pro baseball would be in season, followed by college football and NFL football. But these are not normal times with a virus hanging around all 50 states that is killing people and shutting down almost all activity considered normal. And now there are voices in sports who thinks America needs sports now more than ever with out considering the consequences. Sports is putting people to work which is good for an economy on the brink of recession. But lets examine what takes place in sports.
Baseball: Players sit in the dugout shoulder to shoulder, spit on the dugout floor thru out the game. The players on the field are doing the same thing. The batter has to take a spit after each pitch right Next to the umpire and the catcher. The pitchers on the mound are spitting after each pitch. The 40,000 plus fans in the stands are sitting shoulder to shoulder, screaming and blowing spit flying all over the place.
Football: The players on the field make body, head and face contact on every play with sweat and saliva flying all over each other. Some even spit in each others face when tempers flare. The players on the field and on the side lines are spitting on the ground the whole game. Many players blow their nose openly with out protection next to another player. And what about the quarterbacks that wet their fingers with their mouth to have a better grip on the football. The stadium fans, same problem as above with baseball but worse because football stadiums usually hold 80,000 plus fans.
So if the coronavirus is transmitted by fluids from people to people how will that square with sports if sports are returned too soon. It is obvious to this writer the cancellation of sports on a temporary basis is worth the sacrifice in-lieu of the alternate that could take place.
Everything is relative that the country and its people are experiencing now, but for the sake of a better future it is best to be safe than sorry. We will survive this virus and gain wisdom if we remain vigil to the challenge at hand. And that challenge is to defeat the virus and have a vaccine that puts an end to another health threat to our nation and its people.
That is the best way to ensure that in the future, sports will continue to play a great role in our national past time.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
