Implications are that one by one sports will return. Details of how, when, and in what format are unclear. We continue to play the waiting game. Continually. NASCAR is running races without fans, the Fire, as a part of the Major League Soccer, will return to competition Saturday, June 13 at Columbus and on WGN television. See the Sports Lineup below. Professional golf will resume June 8 with the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas, June 8 without fans.
Major League Baseball forces are meeting this week to overcome the obstacles of salary agreements. Which side will budge first. Of course the answer must be that each should give a little for the benefit of the game and each, naturally, maintains it is doing the majority of the giving.
• Then there is the question if college football will resume at the end of August and the beginning of September, and if fans, or, how many, will be permitted to gather in the stands to watch the games. So many questions and so much uncertainty, and, for good reasons. Those impatient to have their games and to have their return, certainly must take stock of their reasoning. Safety of participants and fans must be a priority.
• In horse racing the Belmont Stakes, if it is run in New York June 20, will be the lead in the Triple Crown instead of bringing up the rear.
• Both the National Hockey League and the National Basketball Association show signs in making progress to competition with playoffs an early view.
• Minor League Baseball is in jeopardy because the parent Major League Baseball does not want to incur expenses and have dismissed many minor league players from the payroll. That’s too bad for the players who want to play ball and in some cases still nourish the dream of making it to the big leagues. The communities, in our case, Geneva for the Kane County Cougars, Joliet for the Slammers, and Schaumburg for the Boomers may not play this season. Fans come from a wide area to see their teams and may be disappointed this season.
• High school sports are among those waiting for clarity. The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) seeks more information to make a decision about if and when. All Spring sports competition was canceled early.
June 1 the IHSA leaders met to bring clarity and decided to wait a little longer to make a final decision. IHSA executive director Craig Anderson issue the following statement to say everything remains on hold with little more than two months prior to official Fall practice would be allowed to start Here is his official release:
“I recognize that IHSA schools, students, and coaches are anxious for the IHSA Return To Play Guidelines to be released. In many ways, they represent the first step in a return to normality as we continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The IHSA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee was diligent in their development of these guidelines, and we have worked in good faith with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to make sure our plan optimizes safety for high school students in Illinois. IDPH approval is vital in this process, and we understand and respect that they have pressing statewide issues to resolve that take precedence over high school sports. Quarantine has been a test of patience, and now we ask our IHSA community for just a bit more of it as we collaborate with IDPH to finalize these Return To Play Guidelines. We understand that the return of athletics is important to our high school students from a physical, mental, and emotional perspective, but we also recognize that we must be in full accord with IDPH to maximize safety and help avoid any setbacks in reuniting our students with their coaches.”
• An interesting subject came up through the IHSA publicity/media coordinator, Matt Troha, about Thanksgiving tournaments in which schools have held the most tournaments in Illinois. A little research revealed the following tournament count: St. Charles East, 61; Sycamore, 57; Rockford Boylan 51; Decatur, 50; Batavia, 43; St. Viator, 43; Galesburg, longevity but, unknown.
• The National Football Foundation postponed its announcement from June 2 to June 9 for the 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Ballot. It will include 78 players and seven coaches from the NCAA Subdivision (top level) and 99 players and 33 coaches from NCAA divisional and NAIA ranks. Only .02% of the college football players have been voted into the College Football Hall of Fame. The National Football Foundation has said that in 150 years, there have been 5.4 Million players.