Priorities, priorities. Right now, with the nation in a health and economic crisis, as folks are doing their jobs at home, or just staying at home sans employment, there's no doubt the sporting world isn't--and shouldn't be--a priority. But that doesn't mean sports isn't on everybody's mind. In fact, sports, if there were any, would be a good distraction just now.
So we distract:
• There was a fine idea, from some talking head, to hold the NFL's draft over a period of nights, in prime time, starting April 23. And conduct one round at a time, one night at a time. Which would last more'n a week.
Oh, come the last week of April, how ready would Americans be to spend a few nights filling our heads with dreams of football season? The craving for brain candy might be more like an aching thirst.
• The NCAA Division I Council has voted to grant an extra year of eligibility to spring-sports athletes. Which is the right decision, although you-know-who lives in the details.
The NCAA says schools can go over the scholarship limits to keep returning seniors on the court or on the field. (Or track. Or mat.) And by doing this, some schools are going to face a growing budget gap. Scholarships aren't cheap, and schools lost a lot of money this year.
But at least these seniors can complete their college (athletic) experience next year. We can't see that anything can be done for high school seniors. Speaking of unfair:
• You wouldn't believe it, but the Astros scandal keeps getting worse. Buster Olney of EPSN reports that the two men suspended from baseball for one year--former manager A.J. Hinch and former GM Jeff Luhnow--would fulfill their suspensions in 2020. Even if no games are played.
After the pitch-stealing scandal, MLB banned the two men until "the completion of the 2020 World Series."
And here we thought the "punishment" handed out for this scandal couldn't get more rich.
• The debut of the new documentary about NBA great Michael Jordan was moved up from June to this month. All these years after his retirement, MJ still attracts an audience. There's a reason so many people consider him the greatest of all time.
That, and a fistful of championship rings.
• The only time Olympic games have been canceled in the past were because of world wars. Last month, the International Olympic Committee and the Japanese government decided this year's Olympics would be postponed until next year. A postponement was something that didn't even happen after 9/11.
Japan resisted the change until the world's individual Olympic committees started sending in cancellations. Japan's government has noted that the covid-19 virus hasn't hit that country as hard as other Asian nations.
Yes, but who knows if that'll be the case next week, next month, or in July, when the Games were to begin?
This is the best decision.
• Wimbledon has been canceled, too. The Masters has been postponed. Even the governor of Arkansas has canceled his pick-up basketball games.
Bring on the NFL draft and the brain candy. We the People need a break from the news.
In fact, call it a time-out.
Editorial on 04/04/2020