Oral Tracey | Sports in a post-COVID-19 world

IT IS emerging as a general consensus that even if competitive sport resumes before the end of 2020, it will be without fans in the stands. Certainly, in the short to medium term, the reintroduction of sporting events will not be pre-COVID-19 business as usual.

It has been with excruciating consequences that almost all traditional activities, sport included, have been quite rightly suspended in response to the still-spiralling global pandemic. It stands to reason that in the sudden and dramatic way in which the arenas, stadia, restaurants, pubs, and clubs across the world slammed down their shutters, the return of sport will not be as dramatic or spectacular and will likely be a more gradual process.

The priority ought to be the completion of the leagues and competitions that were already in progress when the coronavirus struck. The several football leagues around the world as well as the NBA come immediately to mind.

The unpredictable and volatile nature of the still-novel coronavirus points to the likelihood that even if there is a significant arrest in the rate of its spread for a reasonable period, the emotional, physical, and psychological scars it has already inflicted on the general populace will continue to linger. From a medical and public-safety perspective, it would be also be foolhardy to rush and fill arenas and stadia with passionate sports fans anytime soon.

The best-case scenario is a restart of sports without spectators. Too bad for the intricate role that fans play in the general packaging of sports. The nature and magnitude of the crisis and its lethal effect on human life which provides the fan base of sport, means spectators must reasonably be the proverbial sacrificial lambs in this initial process of the meticulous re-engagement of the games across the world.

Better Than No Sports At All

There were a couple of UEFA Champions League (CL) football games without spectators just before the shutdown. It was far from perfect, but it was much better than no sports at all, like we are having now. It would be nothing short of a spectacular relief for all sports fans to see their favourite leagues and competitions, such as the English Premiership, Serie A, LaLiga, the CL, and NBA, restart and proceed with only game officials, coaches and players in the venues and presented to the sports-thirsty audience on television. All that being said, it is still quite conceivable that no play at all in any professional sport will take place anytime soon, even without spectators.

There would still be enough players, officials, and media personnel to pose significant challenges to the execution of the ‘no-spectator/ product. There are likely to be issues involving how players, especially in contact sports such as football and basketball, would approach their respective games after COVID-19. Will tackles still be flying in football? Will post-up plays and general contact drills be executed in basketball? How will the new norms forced upon us by COVID-19 affect the essence of these games, and sports, generally, going forward?

The more we delve into the thoughts and expressions of hope for the resumption of sports globally, the more the reality continues to hit home that sports, and life itself, will never be the same after this pandemic. An early test of these new norms could likely be a restart of sports, without any fans in the stands.

Oral Tracey is a radio and television broadcaster with over 20 years of experience in providing sports commentary. Send feedback to oraltracey@gmail.com or on Instagram at oraltraceymaverick.