Sports and Fans and COVID-19

Live sports have returned, and oh what a godsend it has been!

By Khilav Majmudar

Early in the year, if I had been asked to imagine the rest of the spring without any sports coverage, I would have brushed aside the idea like a pastor when invited to contemplate a world without God. It is a sickening thought, and I don’t see any reason why one would be willing to poison their brain with it. However, what I or others like me might think has no bearing on the actual state of natural affairs. A few tiny mites from China decided to go on a world tour using humans as a means of transportation. Fast forward to March and the unthinkable happened.

The major European soccer leagues were suspended mid-season, and a similar decision was made by the NBA. These are just a couple of examples among many more sports whose competitions were forced into cancellation or suspension around the world. As you might have guessed, I do not deal with e-sports here. I do not remember a time in my life when I spent a weekend without watching at least the highlights of the matches that had been played during that gameweek. It was an integral part of my existence, and more than a few social engagements have had to be moved around or canceled because of important matches.

While the four months of no live sports did not do fans any favors, I wondered how the players were dealing with it. They would have to commence and maintain their off-season training schedules with no concrete end in sight. Quite a few home workout and practice videos were doing the rounds on the usual social media platforms. One vexing issue was that of pay. News of non-playing staff being furloughed or having their salaries cut became a daily feature. Not all players were immune from this, though. For example, soccer players from several German Bundesliga clubs agreed to wage cuts for the duration of the lockdown. When international cricket finally began gingerly in July with the West Indians touring England, it was with the men from the Caribbean playing with half pay. This tour was financially important for both the respective cricket governing bodies, as the pandemic and its ensuing lockdowns have inflicted serious damages on sports revenues throughout the pipeline. It is interesting to note here the West Indies are among the regions least affected by the virus, while the United Kingdom has the highest number of deaths in Europe.

It was, and to some extent still is, a gloomy time. When decisions were finally taken to resume seasons—like the NBA did—it was with some trepidation, and no plan went ahead without hiccups. The words “biosecure bubble” were on everyone’s lips, with almost every returning sports team using this hitherto bizarre concept. The wheel of life was given a spluttering jump start, akin to cajoling a stubborn old lawnmower.

I was glad. I was guilty of spending the barren four months simultaneously improving and destroying my intellect. This was achieved by the contradictory effects of reading more philosophy than usual, watching some of the worst movies ever made, and binge-watching shows I “normally” would take months to finish. I wouldn’t be lying if I said that I don’t particularly miss this aspect of the spring.

The long period without any live sports coverage made me think about why we want to watch people play games in the first place. Is it not, after all, just a childish pastime? I believe it is for the sense of spectacle, of grandeur, of the primal need to win—which is achieved through “our” team and players. And this is true even for such a sport where portly middle-aged men mostly drink beer and sometimes shoot darts at a board. You want him to hit that third triple 20 to get a perfect score of 180, just as you want Anthony Davis to score that buzzer beater 3-pointer in the conference finals. This rush of adrenaline by proxy makes us want to watch these people fling and sway their limbs with the hope that they will create beauty and drama, and this craving was at its peak following a dormant spring. It is safe to say that largely, they don’t disappoint.