When sports went dark in 2020

Most of the content in this entry was written in mid-March, right as the COVID-19 pandemic started shutting things down. I didn't feel compelled to share my thoughts at the time, but I thought they would be good to post as the year 2020 comes to a close. 

What ended up as the final Minnesota Twins spring training
game of 2020.

The sun was shining on the lush, green grass at Hammond Stadium. The temperature at game time was 79 degrees, exactly 40 degrees warmer than the Twin Cities, which was met with cheers from those fans in attendance for the Atlanta Braves versus Minnesota Twins game on Wednesday, March 11, 2020.

It's always fun for Minnesota baseball fans who make their way to Fort Myers for some baseball and summer-like weather during February and March. Though the results don't count or much matter, it's all about the baseball atmosphere that hasn't been around for months. It's about checking out the new players and seeing the familiar faces. It's about the anticipation of a new baseball season, which this year was pretty much off the charts for fans in Twins territory.

As the game went on, the Twins lineup didn't produce much for runs. But the bright spot in the 3-2 Twins loss was Jose Berrios on the mound during his 4.1 innings with 5 strikeouts (many, if not all, were looking Ks). Later that day, Berrios was named the Opening Day starter for the second straight year for the Twins.

I attended the game as a fan with my parents. We walked out of the stadium with some friends after the game, having no idea that it was going to be the final game of the Minnesota Twins 2020 spring training.

Unprecedented - yes, I used the word - times 
Twenty-four hours later, everything in the sports world was turned upside down and effectively shut down for the time being in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. Major League Baseball announced the cancellation of the rest of all spring training games, adding that Opening Day (March 26 against the Mariners for the Twins) would be delayed at least two weeks.

Before I go further, let me just say that with all the information and takes going around social media that it seems to me there is a both/and situation going on. When it comes to sports, one can 1) Absolutely understand that public safety and health are a top priority and most definitely take precedence over sports. You agree that postponements and cancellations are the right call. 2) Still be disappointed, sad, frustrated or feeling whatever you want to about these unprecedented and abrupt changes to sports.

And I will focus on sports here, because, well, that's my arena.

All the unanswered questions
So much has happened this week and particularly in the past 24-48 hours. I'm already a bit of a Twitter junkie, but it felt like hitting the refresh button couldn't be done enough. And then every time you'd check it, something else was canceled or postponed, or first, it was set to be played without fans. NCAA, auto racing, all the major sports leagues, etc. The news cycle was constant and stories seemed to be outdated faster than Byron Buxton can get down the line.

It's a weird time. There are so many more questions than answers about so many things. Ticket refunds? Travel refunds? How will part-time/freelance workers make ends meet? Will seasons be shortened? Will Mikko Koivu play in an NHL game again? What else will be canceled?

Many answers aren't there right now. The important thing was getting everything buttoned up and postponed. Now the work begins or trying to figure things out from here. It's no secret that scheduling for professional-sports venues is a logistical mess, and that's during regular-season play. Try rescheduling games now or figuring out how to resume seasons or playoffs while still making it fair for all involved. It won't be an easy task. But I'll save that for those in charge.

While the Coronavirus has hit, that uncertainty has also hit the stock market. Say what you will about the market, but it's taken a hard hit here recently. That's not the only measure of the economy, of course. Things will certainly trickle down immediately to plenty of people, and that's just considering the sports shutdown.

I saw plenty of Tweets about who's affected and what this abruptness of no-sports means to them. Of course, the one that hits home are those who aren't employed full-time with benefits. Freelancers and contract employees and hourly/seasonal/part-time employees (hand raised). It's everyone from sports venue employees to sports writers to those who work in sports TV production. I'm sure there are many more I'm not thinking of, like food or merchandise industry workers who won't have ballparks or arenas to supply with their products. 

Fast forward to December 2020...

It's interesting to go back and re-read this. I don't remember why exactly I didn't share the post in March. If I recall, I think I really felt compelled to write something that day, even if I didn't share it immediately. 

It really was amazing how quickly things escalated. Had our scheduled vacation been set for a few days later, I don't think we would have traveled. But there we were in Fort Myers, having attended a baseball game one afternoon and then preparing for the next game to get canceled. 

That Thursday was an odd day. As more news unfolded and high-profile cases were reported that Wednesday night, March 11, we figured it was only a matter of time before baseball followed. The Twins had a rare spring-training night game scheduled for that Thursday. Had it been the usual 1 p.m. start, they would have gotten it in, not that it really matters. So we spent the day out and about, grabbed a patio lunch at Panera and kept obsessively checking our phones to see the latest updates. 

I also had my eye on the Minnesota state basketball tournaments back home, too. After other winter sports, like hockey, finished their seasons and tournaments, boys basketball wasn't able to crown a section winner in some cases, and girls basketball had their state runs stopped in the middle. Those stories are still being told. I wrote a story about Henning girls' basketball for Breakdown Sports for the 2020-21 season, following the team's heartbreaking end to the season without a state-title game. 

So, a very odd vacation turned into a long spring and summer for me. Thankfully, the blessings of good health and safety have been with me and my family. From the sports perspective though, it was certainly different not working baseball games for a while, and then watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs being played in a bubble. 

With 2021 on the horizon, there's a light at the end of the tunnel with a vaccine. Sports came back, though nothing is back to normal, or even a new normal. Here's hoping for good things for all in the new year.