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Chicago Cubs: Baseball could stop the spread of COVID-19
MLB and the Chicago Cubs have decided to suspend spring training and the first two weeks of the season due to COVID-19; now America needs her pastime more than ever.
There is almost no one in the world that isn’t aware of COVID-19. This, of course, is the virus that has caused the deaths of people around the world and many major sports to be canceled due to worries about the virus and spreading. Experts have already said that the United States could easily slow and even stop the spread of the virus by more isolation in society.
“Sorry, Pete, can’t watch the game with you… it’s safer these days to just stay home!”
That’s what many businesses and even the government is beginning to realize as schools start to close, that parents should also be home for their families. Why not have dad working at home if he has the capability to do it?
Of course, this leaves construction workers out unless we’re talking remodel during quarantine… Maybe moms will be taking all the bandwidth in the house while dad is making a second level (or a bunker depending on your level of isolation). Kids will surely be doing distance learning classes online.
That makes me wonder if we have enough bandwidth for my neighborhood or block? Geez, if everyone is going to be home and on the internet, maybe it’s a good time now to pump up the volume? Hopefully, COMCAST is reading this (or your local provider), cause they are going to need a lot of bandwidth!
So that brings me to baseball. If you have come to grip with the fact that we are probably going to be in our homes in the very near future, with minimal social contact, then you might understand why we need baseball. Can you pretend to understand? Good.
This reminds me of the days of WGN when there was nothing else to do and no other channels to enjoy, except WGN. You see, that’s how the Chicago Cubs became a household name, and they could be that again and much more right now.
Chicago Cubs: Coming to the rescue
So baseball has been stopped literally, and why? Well, crowds and social contact are an issue these days with every leader and doctor swearing that limited social contact is the only way to stop the spread of COVID-19 until there is a cure.
So many colleges have stopped playing in front of fans, and TV shows have stopped taping in front of audiences and this is a great thing. Crowds should not be gathering together. Instead, they should be at home, watching baseball on television.
Oh, I know what questions are on the tip of your tongue. “What about the players, team and coaches?”
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Let’s talk about that in just a moment. First, I want you to understand how MLB can save America, and by doing so, will allow baseball to be played. Just like when the Cubs first hit the World’s Greatest Network (WGN) airwaves in 1948 across the country, there weren’t many other channels being broadcast on television at the time. That’s the reason so many people watched the Cubs games on WGN. It was something fun and exciting to watch on TV. Across the country, the American family gathered in the home, making everyone’s favorite dishes and watching the Chicago Cubs together.
How are things different now?
They aren’t very much different than they were in 1948. Today, the government would like people to stay home if they are sick but also begin to think about staying home in general to limit social contact. The Chicago Cubs new Marquee Sports Network could be broadcasting the Cubs as a national service across the nation. The teams would play in front of no crowds except their teams, coaches, staff, broadcast team (Cameramen, producers, etc.), and their families (I’ll explain later).
During commercial breaks, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) or even the federal government could pass information to America.
Maybe it’s a bridge too far to think the Cubs could do it all, but why couldn’t MLB? Use the commercial breaks to pass info to America. All the latest news about COVID-19 as you watch the game!
“Stay inside, wash hands, minimal social contact” could be running on every break of the game. Local networks could take the feed as well and broadcast which days specific neighborhoods in a city could shop at the local grocery store. Baseball would be saving America by keeping everyone inside, indoors, entertaining us and providing everyone life-saving information. Why can’t they do it?
Oh, yes… what about the players and the team’s safety?
Chicago Cubs: Keeping the players safe – test them
Don’t be fooled fans; the owners have money enough to have their team, coaches and broadcast staff checked for COVID-19.
Len, Jim, Gracie… time to do your duty for baseball and journalism! Get tested gents!
Why not? If you test everyone and then make sure they are quarantined with their families at home when not playing – than everyone would be safe. This, of course, means the players’ families will have to be already living and working at home, which probably isn’t far off anyway. So now the entire group is clean –teams, the staff, players and families. They can all participate in this historic effort to keep America indoors and save the nation.
The government might even pay to test everyone since MLB is keeping America informed, educated and entertained. America’s favorite pastime becomes America’s source of relief. Now is not the time to cancel games. We need baseball now more than ever to take our minds off this just for a second and then teach us what we need to know to help our country survive.
Test the players, team, staff, broadcasters and families. Owners will have to their teams, drivers and handlers and it won’t be easy, I know – but think of the alternative? How can they not try in the face of a national crisis?
dark. Next. It's got to be Hendricks for Opening Day
MLB and owners should step up and volunteer for America; it’s your time to serve commissioner and all your people and all your organization. America is counting on its favorite pastime to come through. Marquee Sports Network, Sinclair Broadcasting and Tom Ricketts have the chance to all be national heroes and start a new legacy better than WGN. Someone needs to try.
Play ball!