Back to Basics

The Schloss-Blog is getting back to basics today. In other words, my sportswriting roots.

With a touch of coronavirus.How enormous?

As we are on the verge of baseball's World Series, the coronavirus is running out of control.

For instance, what was coronavirus-infected coach Nick Saban doing on the sideline this weekend?

Which leads to, why isn't sports doing a better job of protecting players, coaches, administrators and their facilities? Why are leagues and teams able to get testing and processing done at a pace none of us mere mortals could ever afford?

The scope of this is enormous. The World Series, being played in a neutral site, consider the illegitimacy of all this.

• It was a 60-game season. How validating!
• It included softball-prototypical 7-inning games in doubleheaders to expedite the schedule. Did starters have to pitch 5 innings to get a win in a 7-inning game?
• It included runners on 2nd in every extra inning. Why not just start with the bases loaded?

All in all, 43 games were postponed over the course of the season due to coronavirus There were 45 doubleheaders featuring 90 7-inning games. Your MVPs are going to have 10 home runs and CY Young winners could have 4 wins.

As the NFL enters week 6

• Its entire preseason was canceled.
• 12 games have been rescheduled due to coronavirus.
• 67 players opted out rather than play this season and risk the virus.
• There was a Tuesday night game. The last one was in Detroit 10 years ago, between the Giants and Vikings, when Minnesota's dome collapsed days earlier.
• The Titans, Bears, Chiefs and Patriots are among the teams dealing directly with the virus.

There will be more postponements, cancellations, to be sure.

Jason McCourty, one of the league's premier defensive players, challenged the NFL on its premise of what he says is pulling out all the stops to be sure that games get played, above and beyond the health and safety of the players, coaches, staff, stadium personnel ... and fans.

When has the NFL ever done anything not related to making money?

College football, that's a whole 'nother story. Countless games have been cancelled, then rescheduled, in the Big 5 conferences and now everyone else. Teams are allowing a percentage of fans in stadiums.

But that has come back to bite the the University of Florida. Head coach Dan Mullen was outspoken when his Florida Gators lost at Texas A&M, critical that A&M's fans who were allowed in were a factor in the loss. He insisted that Florida, per the (feckless) governor's order, should be allowed to have a full house in its game this weekend against defending national champion LSU.

Except the game never happened. Florida's roster was suddenly bitten by the coronavirus, with 20 players testing positive. The game never happened, may never happen and Mullen, disdainful of the virus, has not been heard from. And an FCS-level champion will not be crowned this year. Sorry, North Dakota State Buyzzz-on.

High school football is in a state of confusion. Arizona pushed its season opening back 2 months and shortened it to 8 games, with no make-up dates for cancellations built in. Still, too many teams state wide cancelled whole seasons or many games, including state powers.

Illinois and California moved their high school football seasons to the spring semester. Good luck with that. Uh, the vaccine may not be ready, boys.

In addition, whole teams canceled out of the NWSC and MLS season-opening soccer tournaments because of the coronavirus.

The Summer Olympics in Tokyo were pushed back a WHOLE YEAR.

Maybe. If we're lucky, they'll be competed before the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Did anybody really think that the coronavirus would not play havoc with sports at all levels? The virus doesn't care if you're an athlete, a politician, a coach or debate moderator. By the way, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and the Washington Post no longer send reporters on the road to cover Trump campaign rallies.

Would you go to one? 

In the end, the coronavirus has beaten sports.

Final score: COVID 19

                    Sports    0

Good night, Mrs. Calabash. Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?

More on Sunday on my Radio Free Phoenix rock 'n' roll show. Happy birthday, Cheryl.