Holding sports events during coronavirus crisis not a good look for Washington
Editor’s note/update: Gov. Jay Inslee issued a directive Wednesday morning prohibiting sports events and other gatherings of more than 250 people in Pierce, King and Snohomish counties. Click here for more information.
Sports can serve a unique purpose during a national crisis, connecting people with bonds of flag and anthem and bringing a few hours of between-the-lines normalcy to lives turned upside down.
A prime example is when baseball helped America — especially New York City — recover from the Sept. 11 terror attacks. Ten days later, chants of “USA, USA!” rocked Shea Stadium as the Mets hosted New York’s first major post-9/11 sporting event. A month after that, the chants returned as the Yankees hosted an emotional World Series game, and President George W. Bush threw out the first pitch.
Sports also can be an outlet during Washington’s novel coronavirus outbreak. Cheering for the Seattle Sounders at CenturyLink Field, or for high school basketball players at last weekend’s state championship games at the Tacoma Dome, certainly provides a break from the barrage of COVID-19 news.
But an ongoing, fast-spreading virus isn’t the same thing as a singular day of violence. Imagine if the New York terror attacks had lasted weeks or months, and baseball games had continued without interruption.
It’s time for professional sports organizations in Washington to prepare to postpone events that draw large crowds and work with their respective leagues on alternate arrangements. So far, more stringent measures have been taken in other states with fewer coronavirus cases, such as this week’s cancellation of the BNP Paribas Open pro tennis tournament in Southern California.
If teams don’t act on their own, Gov. Jay Inslee may have to intervene — or risk a state public health response that appears inconsistent and ineffective.
Though painful to the bottom line, the Sounders and other clubs, such as the Seattle Dragons football team, should take steps on par with what other Puget Sound institutions have taken. Universities and federal courthouses have closed their doors out of an abundance of caution; it feels out of touch for sports teams, which draw larger crowds in close quarters for nonessential purposes, not to follow suit.
Sports teams that play ball later this spring — the Seattle Mariners, Tacoma Rainiers and Tacoma-based OL Reign women’s soccer club — should be proactive, too. It’s not all bad news if they have to reschedule early-season games; we’d love to see the return of a bygone tradition: doubleheaders on a warm midsummer day.
Meanwhile, officials should cancel sports practices in communities where schools are closed. For high school athletes to compete together while it’s supposedly too risky for them to attend class together sends a contradictory public health message. Northshore School District should rethink this policy.
Right now Washingtonians are feeling whipsawed by mixed signals, even as coronavirus cases have topped 260, including 24 deaths. On the one hand, we’re told to be cautious and adopt “social distancing” practices; on the other hand, we’re told it’s OK for the games to go on and for fans to keep showing up.
It gives “March Madness” a whole new meaning.
Why don’t different sectors of society follow the same coronavirus playbook? Are we getting close to the point where they’ll be forced to?
Inslee has that authority under the emergency proclamation he issued Feb. 29, and he’s forewarned a shift from voluntary to mandatory action. In a Sunday interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” he mentioned “reducing the number of social activities” and added: “We are thinking about stronger measures right now.”
An emergency directive may be necessary, but we hope sports and entertainment organizations start postponing stadium-size events on their own.
There are other options, the worst of which is playing games without fans present, like Italy’s top soccer league is now doing. They also could trade some home games for neutral-site locations, push back opening day and extend seasons later into the year.
Sacrifices are necessary in times of national crisis. That’s what happened after the Sept. 11 attacks, when the World Series stretched into November for the first time ever. And it’s what may be required now.
This story was originally published March 10, 2020 at 2:00 PM.