I’m not sure about you, but I’m getting a little tired of all these non-updates about when sports might return.
For the last six weeks, fans have been eagerly awaiting the return of their beloved sports as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to bear down on the United States (and beyond). And commissioners from professional sports leagues throughout the U.S. have been providing intermittent updates on their respective league’s situation, and rightfully so.
That said, some of those updates have become a bit, shall we say, redundant.
Look, it’s not that we don’t want some form of meaningful update about the league’s recent progress with the coronavirus crisis whenever it’s available. But putting out updates only continues to get the hopes up of fans (like me) interested in seeing these leagues return.
Obviously, these leaders might face more questions about the issue than they might be ready to answer, at least at the moment. But simply acknowledge that, because it isn’t a weakness. It simply tells fans you’re not at a point where you can make a firm decision. (And at this point, almost no major region in the country is prepared to make similar decisions either. So why is saying “I don’t know right now” such a big deal?)
Most fans simply aren’t asking for much — just a little clarity. Because with so much uncertainty in the world, the last thing any sports fan wants is any sort of ambiguity surrounding one of their biggest sources of comfort and solace. And with fewer and fewer confirmed events on the horizon (though rightfully so), some are growing increasingly desperate to find new ways to fill that void, whether it’s meaningful or not.
It’s not that fans aren’t interested in updates about the future of pro sports, they just want something a little more concrete than what they’ve been receiving of late. Neither the NHL, NBA, NFL or Major League Baseball appear to have and solid for their upcoming seasons thanks to the mysteries still surrounding COVID-19, though they’ve all been actively discussing various possibilities about how to take the field (or the court, or the ice) again.
Some of this might stem from questions posed by reporters, and it’s absolutely OK for them to ask for an update. But sometimes a simple response, however dodgy it might seem in the moment, might be more appropriate than some superficial answer.
Anyway, here are a few random thoughts from your Wednesday:
— After months of waiting, Major League Baseball finally released its report on allegations of sign-stealing against the Boston Red Sox.
And the results are interesting, to say the least.
J.T. Watkins, the Red Sox’s video replay system operator, has been suspended without pay for the entire 2020 season. Boston also was docked a second-round pick in the 2020 draft, and ex-manager Alex Cora has been suspended for the 2020 season, but only due to his conduct as the Houston Astros’ bench coach in 2017.
In the meantime, Ron Roenicke will serve as the Sox’s manager, having the interim tag removed from his title Wednesday. His contract expires at the end of the 2020 season, though chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom hasn’t necessarily ruled out bringing him back beyond that date.
— Boy, was last night’s replay of Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final a riot.
The Bruins had a blast with Tuesday night’s 2011 squad reunion on Zoom. Milan Lucic managed to make a couple of toasts in the process, too.
The first went to netminder Tim Thomas, who earned the Conn Smythe trophy for his valiant efforts in the series. The second, however, went to the entire team and the hard work that went into earning the Stanley Cup and the bond they built in the process.
“Let’s just cheers to the fact that we got our names on the Cup and we won together,” Lucic said. “This is a family we’ll have for the rest of our lives. So, I love you guys. Cheers.”
C’mon, how can you not love that team?
— OK, we tried avoiding the Rob Gronkowski-to-Tampa Bay conversation as long as possible, but here we are.
That video of the two bopping around to the hit “Bad Boy For Life” in Jan. 2019 has gotten plenty of views in the last 24 hours. Brady even posted it to his Instagram story in celebration of the move.
And much to the chagrin of Patriots Fans across New England, Gronk likely would have considered returning to the squad had Brady done so as well.
**Spoiler Alert** (This next quote might sting for a few Pats fans.)
“I would’ve definitely looked at the opportunity, for sure. Hands down,” he said Wednesday. “When he was going through that free agent process, I was interested to see where he was going to go. … At that moment, I was still up in the air, too. I really didn’t know if I was going to (return) or not. I wasn’t sure if I was going to play. I had a little fire under me, but (returning to the Patriots) would’ve definitely been an opportunity I would’ve looked at, for sure, because playing with Tom is special. He’s one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. …
“It just happened to be the right opportunity down in Tampa. Tom was like the appetizer of the whole meal. He got me hooked when he went down to Tampa. I saw what was down there — the opportunity to go down there and play with that type of offense… I’m definitely looking forward to that.”
*sigh*
Well, it certainly was fun while it lasted. Hopefully, this isn’t the end of the dynasty. *knocks on wood*
Stat of the Day
Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are preparing to square off in a *checks notes* golf tournament? With Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson?
OK…
Peyton Manning and Tom Brady have faced each other 17 times. Brady leads the overall series 11-6, but Manning is 3-2 in the playoffs.
Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have been in the same group for 37 rounds on the PGA TOUR. Woods leads that series 18-15-4 with a 20-stroke lead. https://t.co/mz5TqbFBH6 pic.twitter.com/NTi2zF3gla
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 22, 2020
Tweet of the Day
Kanter coming in clutch with the late-night SpongeBob Squarepants reference (which I totally stan):
Mood ? pic.twitter.com/vwhvFFDpXg
— Enes Kanter (@EnesKanter) April 23, 2020
Video of the Day
Danny Ainge has lots of thoughts about Doc Rivers… as a player.
Danny Ainge says what he admired most about Doc Rivers was his competitiveness. The C’s knew he was a great athlete and had a lot of respect for him. Ainge knew that if the team wasn’t at their best, they’d be in trouble. pic.twitter.com/ZrUsvW9Arm
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 23, 2020
