By Bill Badour
UNIVERSITY CENTER – The world of sports is usually an escape from the realities of the rest of the world. However, these two worlds have collided because of the coronavirus pandemic.
On Wednesday, March 11, the Oklahoma City Thunder hosted the Utah Jazz. After the players were warmed up, though, a medical official ran out onto the court. The announcers then stated that the game was to be postponed due to “unforeseen circumstances.” Shortly after, news broke that Jazz center Rudy Gobert had tested positive for coronavirus.
Four minutes after the positive test, the NBA suspended their season. The NBA had intended to play games with no fans until Jazz teammate Donovan Mitchell and Detroit Pistons player Christian Wood also tested positive for Coronavirus.
The NBA was left with no choice but to suspend the season after the positive test of Rudy Gobert. NBA players are the most likely athletes to be exposed to a virus as they frequently come in close contact with others and travel more than any other sport.
In college basketball, conference tournaments were adjusted to be played without fans. On Thursday, March 12, all major conferences cancelled their conference tournaments. Later that day, the NCAA cancelled March Madness.
Due to the massive amount of people involved in March Madness, it was clearly unsafe to play. The United States does not have the capability to test all players and staff involved for every team, a necessity for the tournament to be held.
The NCAA also cancelled all college sports through the end of the school year. Following this, the NCAA stated that they will be awarding an extra year of eligibility to spring athletes.
On March 12, Major League Baseball delayed the opening of their season two weeks. A minor league baseball player for the New York Yankees tested positive for COVID-19, making him the first known case in baseball.
Following the precedent set by all other leagues, the National Hockey League announced that they would be suspending their season through March.
