Life happens!
The world turned upside down in sports makes it a learning experience. The predictability of events such as opening day, rivalry games, planned tournaments, and championships, are on a different schedule as a result of pandemic COVID-19 (corpnavirus) The only certainty is that the silent assassin can touch any person, any family which will go outside the home, or, which is host to anyone who brings it into the home.
The Tuesday announcement by governor JB Pritzker that the ban on public gatherings, continuation of school closings, and the shutdown of many businesses will last through at least April 30, a Thursday, four weeks hence.
High school sports teams which in hopes the pandemic would subside enough to resume school and start practice April 7 would mean a State tournament focus. No school through April 30 means, by date calculation that the brief Spring sports season could mean no State tournament play at all. With good health, literally, some games could be played by the final scheduled day, Saturday, June 13, the boys and girls large school State tournaments in baseball and softball.
Literally, schools and teams are on a day-by-day schedule. Such is the case for college Spring sports and for professional sports. The Indianapolis 500 originally set for Memorial Day weekend, Sunday May 24, has been moved to Sunday, Aug. 23.
Subsequent changes and cancellations will continue and make keeping track a tricky task at the least. Debate, discussion, and endless dialogue of presumption, will surround the plans and resumption of all sports, especially professional sports.
Hockey in August? Baseball in December? Football modestly changed? We must count on little certainty for schedules. Debate and discussion include shortening the baseball regular season, or, playing many doubleheaders, or, playing a full 162 games and ending, what?, the day after Christmas! See the possible resumption dates below in the various professional sports.
Money in the professional ranks always is a consideration, however, playing a deadly scheduling game with the schedules, however, should be viewed with strong consideration for tradition.
No, it is not a good idea to play Major League Baseball until the day after Christmas, or, play hockey in August or September, and delay the subsequent season by a month, or, play the National Basketball Association game seven three days prior to starting training camp in September for the next season.
Sanity and coordination must prevail!
• The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) has delayed making a discussion at a meeting until after April 30 for the choice of girls softball State tournament site. The Board will meet later this month by a virtual gathering through teleconference and meeting in person for discussion is the correct choice.
• Aurora University recently revealed that it will add two more programs to its NCAA Division III competitive sports, men’s and women’s wrestling. The growing sport of women’s wrestling will be in its first year in the 2021-2022 season. The men’s wrestling will mean a return after a 35-year absence. The sports will be the school’s 23rd and 24th collegiate sports. Aurora a few years ago added men’s and women’s hockey which have met with successful seasons, especially the women’s teams recently. Other intercollegiate men’s sports at Aurora University include baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, and volleyball. The women’s sports are basketball, bowling, cross country, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, and volleyball. The school has been in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference since Fall 2006 which includes 12 schools in Illinois and Wisconsin.