READ - What We Need Now Are Some Classics

When I wrote this, it was early in the morning on Friday, March 13, 2020. Just as I normally would, I filled a cup of coffee and took a seat at my desk. Unlike most mornings though, I was feeling unsure about what to do next. The week had been filled with the suspension of play in nearly every professional and amateur sport due to COVID-19, with no definitive idea of when it would resume. There would be no game to turn on after dinner and I immediately began to wonder what we would do instead. I logged on to LinkedIn to share the thoughts that follow. My original post was picked up by Sports Business Journal and published as an opinion piece on March 23. Click the image below to see the article.

The first day without sports. I never thought I would type those words. None of us did.

I feel the sadness like the day after the Super Bowl every year. The idea of waiting for the NFL players to take the field again seems a decade away. The sadness passes.

With the flip of a channel, I dive into my other sports passions - NBA, College Hoops, Hockey, Skiing – even a little motorsports. What gets me through February is sports. Now – I wonder what the sports networks will play. As I hear the pitter patter of my two boys running around upstairs (they are 11 and 12 so it’s more of a thumping sound), I have hope that I can turn this distance learning period into something truly educational.

I am going to teach my sons about the history of sports. I am going to have them watch some of the greatest sporting events ever – with the help of Jim McKay and Howard Cosell, I am going to show them what is old – can be new. It will teach them that the power of sports is eternal. It unites us in times like these.

While our current heroes take a hiatus, let’s hope that the networks air some of the classics and remind us of the roots of our passion. The image of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson in short-shorts, Arnold Palmer in checkered pants, Billy Jean taking out Bobby Riggs, The Miracle on Ice, Al Unser winning at Indy, Martina and Chrissie battling at Wimbledon, Jimmy V and NC State’s iconic ’83 NCAA Championship Run – too many more to name.

I hope the sports networks help us remember – what is old has value to our psyche. Sports unites like no other. We could use a little of that right now.