Why We Need Sports

Like the rest of the general population, I've spent most of the past two weeks not doing much. The growing concerns surrounding the novel COVID-19 virus have rightfully sent the country, and most of the world, into near shutdown mode. Never in my 20 years of life have I experienced a global pandemic that even comes close to what we're going through right now, and never before have I faced the reality of a world without sports.

Since I became big enough to hold a basketball in my hand, I would say that sports have been the driving force of what gets me going. Memories of my childhood are predominantly centered around major sporting events, the seasons of the year are defined by what league is taking center stage on TV, and the dinner table discussions have revolved around the latest breaking news. As I write this, it has been 18 days since professional sports have been played and I'm trying my best to accept my new reality. For the first time ever, my March will be without madness. April will not give me reason to believe that the Royals could right the ship this year as Opening Day rolls around. June will likely come and go without crowning a new NBA champion.

I've attempted to cope with a world lacking new content in my favorite realm of entertainment in many ways. I started by trying to relive the past, watching complete games from prior NCAA tournaments that had been posted to YouTube. After discovering that that solution was almost painful to endure, I switched to just the highlights of some of my favorite games from a number of sports. Even that was too challenging. NFL free agency has currently been all that has gotten me through the past few weeks as I've tried to go into complete shutdown mode, avoiding ESPN on the TV guide and staying away from YouTube channels as much as I can. All of this has brought me to my biggest realization; live sports, and live entertainment in general, are a necessary tool in society and the best form of content we can produce.

Gif via Giphy

Live content of any kind transcends the time slot that it is aired in because it creates those extra conversations. As I mentioned earlier, I tie so many of fondest memories to sporting events, and that's largely due to the fact that the game that was being played serves as the placeholder for me to remember those great times. I'll never forget any details about my freshman year Homecoming dance because the Royals beat the Orioles in the ALCS on the same day to take a 2-0 series lead. Whenever I see highlights of that game, I'm reminded of all of the other great things that were happening in my life at the same time, and that's where the true beauty of sports lies for me. Instead of a "Where are they now," I get to do a "Where was I then?"

The message I want to send to everyone else who is obsessively missing their favorite team or season right now is that you aren't alone, and you aren't selfish or crazy for caring so much about a game in the midst of a pandemic. We need sports in society because they serve a far greater purpose than pure entertainment. There's a common ground amongst most people that can be found in the memories and nostalgia that live content can either create or help to engrain other events in our minds. As we all come up with creative ways to spend our quarantined time, and develop new hobbies from our homes, let's keep our energy high for when sports eventually do return. It's going to be a first week back truly like no other.

To sports, and all of the people in the entertainment business who work so hard to help us create memories that will last a lifetime; I leave you with this:

Gif via Giphy