Should sports be shut down during covid?

Audric H.

I believe sports leagues should be shutting down during this COVID-19 pandemic. The coronavirus is still spreading and we need to do everything we can to slow it down. 

One reason sports should shut down and stay shut down is that sports matches always bring a lot of supporters into close contact to watch the games. Two meters distance is basically impossible for supporters to maintain in a sports arena. If sports are played without supporters, many teams may not want to play because nobody is there to support them. 

Another reason why sports should be shut down during the pandemic is that a lot of sports include physical contact. For example, in rugby and American football, the purpose of some positions is to literally tackle the opponent. If one player on the field is infected by the coronavirus, every player on the field could also be infected.

People may be bored during quarantine and want sports to come back for entertainment, but people should have patience and realize what effect it could have if sports matches were to continue. Not only are the supporters at risk if they attend games to support their team, the sports players and staff are at risk as well. If everyone gets infected, sports leagues would get shut down again, probably for longer than if they had waited until the pandemic is over.

We have to take the coronavirus seriously. Some people still think it’s nothing, just a virus like the flu. But it is a lot worse than the flu. Almost 4.9 million people have already been infected, while more than 320,000 have not survived. If sports leagues continue, the risk will be higher that there will not be enough health care for those infected with the virus and if that happens, even more will die. 

Rudy S.

Sports. They unite fans across the globe to watch their favorite teams play. From racket sports to golf, people love sports, especially on a professional level. Lately though, many sports leagues have been cancelling or delaying this season due to SARS-CoV-2 otherwise known as Covid-19, Novel Coronavirus or just the Coronavirus. Many fans looking forward to watching the games of their favorite teams have been left disappointed with the sports leagues shutting down. In my opinion, sports shouldn’t be shut down due to the Coronavirus.

One reason sports should not be shut down right now is that it is still possible for sports teams to play matches. The league can make it just so that the only people there are the players, coaches, whatever management is necessary, and camera crew so that the game can continue and sports fans can still watch the games from home.

Some sports leagues may have valid reasons for shutting down, such as players in the league having the Coronavirus, which was the case in the NBA when 2 players, Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, of the Utah Jazz contracted the virus in early march. However, many other leagues are shutting down even though none of the players or anybody associated with the league has the Coronavirus. I know they are being precautious, but shutting leagues down is an extreme level. Rules could be made such as minimal contact allowed and players must wear masks, but shutting leagues down is both unnecessary and disappointing to the fans.

The Coronavirus is causing sports leagues world wide to shut down, but leagues should consider if they really need to as in the NBA’s case when players got the virus, or if they are just shutting down so players do not come in contact. The leagues also need to consider what the fans want, as they are essentially what sports are for. Sports gives fans hope and excitement and a reason to be happy, which is especially important during the global Coronavirus pandemic.