'It’s been weird' defines impact of pandemic on collegiate, pro sports
MILWAUKEE - Rudy Gobert is a good basketball player, an all-star for the Utah Jazz. But he may always be more known for his role in the game stopping than for anything he’ll ever do to keep it going.
Gobert’s lighthearted approach to the coronavirus left a jarring impression when he became the first NBA layer to test positive, prompting the league to call off games. Players, coaches, and fans were thrown into limbo until games resumed in the summer in a bubble.
"I don’t think guys are extremely scared of going down to Orlando because of the virus, but we’re definitely cautious," said Khris Middleton of the Bucks in July. The Bucks had the best record in the league when the games stopped. They made a sooner-than-expected exit from the bubble.
College basketball tournaments were called off, even in the case of the Big East, during a game. There would be no March Madness for the first time in 81 years.
The 2020 Olympics were pushed to 2021, the first Olympiad ever postponed. An inevitable, but still emotional situation for the U.S. team members.
"Learning about the postponement was definitely difficult," said Molly Seidel, U.S. marathoner.
"The timing of the situation has been pretty hard," said Ally McHugh, U.S. swimmer.
"There’s been a lot of stress in these past couple of weeks," said Katie Drabot, U.S. swimmer.
Major League Baseball teams went from spring training to their first-ever summer on the sidelines. The teams came back and the games resumed in late-July, but most ballparks, including Milwaukee’s, did not have fans. The St. Louis Cardinals had a team-wide COVID outbreak while on a road trip in the city -- and had to quarantine in a downtown hotel.
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The NFL took notes on all of the above and did its best to stay the course. Sure, the NFL Draft from basements across America was unusual, and fans were missed at training camp, and there were no preseason games at places like Lambeau Field. But the Packers and their peers found a way through alterations and close contact absences to play a full 16 game regular season schedule.
Green Bay gradually opened Lambeau Field to some fans, culminating with fewer than ten thousand people being on hand for the NFC Championship Game loss to the Buccaneers.
The principles in every sport were left to get their feelings across through Zoom interviews. As March 2021 arrived, Jrue Holiday of the Bucks spoke for many when he said, "I’m not going to lie to you, it’s been weird. It’s been weird. But at the same time, it’s life, right?"
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