Last night during the Mavs v Nuggets game we all got a glimpse into the reality that is the Pandemic label on a virus we know nearly nothing about. Yes, I’m aware that we all have our own news sources we trust and our own perspective on the matter that is so accurate we can’t stand to entertain the idea that someone else has accurate information but we know next to nothing about the actual happenings of the virus world. That’s just how it is. Unless you’re a doctor of some kind, in which case I would say this blog is the last thing you could be doing with your time. Unless you just need some comic relief and in that case, I’m happy to oblige.
News came during the Mavericks home game that the Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder had stopped their game before tip off, leading both teams to enter the locker room. The initial fear was that Utah Jazz Center Rudy Gobert, a “Questionable” tag for “Illness” for the game, had contracted the Coronavirus. Announcers spoke over the loud speaker that the game had been postponed and that the fans were in no real danger, a term that I’m assuming the NBA’s PR team used to make sure fans didn’t stomp over one another exiting the building.
The Jazz and Thunder remained in the arena under medical supervision until they were allowed to leave. The Jazz left the arena around 2 AM.
The weirdest part of all of this was that if you were watching the Mavs game, this was all coming as a second hand experience. The Mavs and Nuggets continued playing as all seemed normal until news broke that the NBA had officially postponed its entire season.
Earlier in the day, Juventus defensive back Daniele Rugani had tested positive for the Coronavirus in Italy. The most startling aspect of both Gobert and Rugani is the amount of contact each player had combined with the uncertainty of when they contracted the Coronavirus. Juventus teammates, including Cristiano Ronaldo, all remain in quarantine.
This morning on ESPN they showed a graphic that Gobert, in some way, shape or form had come in contact with all 30 NBA teams recently, due to the refs who officiated the game, the various players and teams he came in contact with and their schedules. Obviously this is an extremely loose guess as there’s no official understanding as to when he contracted it.
Some NBA fans and players have started to draw comparisons to the hit movie Space Jam, which was made available on March 11th…
I do formally believe that the NCAA should cancel March Madness. I get the overhyped hysteria that could be this entire saga, but if the NBA is shutting down you can’t expect the free league to continue play despite the money they would lose. But don’t worry about the big wigs in the NCAA!
A Rainy Day fund. I despise that entire organization. As of right now, no NBA, no La Liga, no Seria A, no E-Sports live events. Baseball’s moving games, the NCAA tournament is all (as of right now) going to be played without fans, the Olympics is in question and freaking Tom Hanks has it. Wash your hands and tell someone you love them.
thoughtsfromthebench.com 