Before practically everything closed, I knew the Coronavirus was serious, but I didn’t yet grasp the effects that it would have on the economy, my family, and sports. 

It was a normal Wednesday night for me at youth group. We were all just hanging out, having a good time, until I got a bleacher report notification telling me that the NBA had suspended its season indefinitely due to the Coronavirus. The sports purge had begun.

In the days following, it seemed as if everything relating to sports was either being canceled or postponed. The Masters was canceled, the College World Series was canceled, and the 2020 Summer Olympics were postponed. In the eyes of any sports lover, this was gut-wrenching. 

At first, I thought sports leagues like the NBA were only getting postponed for a month or so, but when the College World Series was canceled, I began to understand the longevity of this pandemic.

This got me thinking, how will canceling the CWS and the Olympic Swim Trials affect Omaha?

Firstly, canceling the Olympics and CWS essentially cancels any tourists and fans coming into Omaha. Let’s be honest; outside of the zoo and the CWS, there isn’t much to do in Omaha.

Considering the fact that hotels and restaurants gain a substantial amount of money from tourists in the summer, they will lose a massive amount of money from sports being canceled. In fact, according to KETV, “Omaha could lose 70 million dollars due to the cancellation of the CWS”.

Worst case scenario, what if this virus and quarantine lingers into the fall? 

To be blunt, all football will be canceled along with highschool sports. That would be a devastating blow for senior athletes and all involved in highschool sports. 

It also got me thinking about how canceling sports for the foreseeable future will affect sports fans themselves.

For so many people, including me, sports are a massive part of their life. Watching sports is not just a casual thing, it is a lifestyle. And for a lot of people, sports are an escape from the chaotic fast-paced world. 

Right now, anyone passionate about sports has a massive void in their life. Without sports what is there to really do? Stare at the wall? 

However, there is still hope.

One of the few bright spots that has come from the past few weeks is the NFL’s announcement they are continuing the draft.

This was awesome to hear. I look forward to the NFL draft as soon as the NFL season is over.  While the players won’t be coming on stage this year to shake the commissioner’s hand, the draft will still go on virtually.

Also football channels, such as Fox Sports and NBC are replaying Super Bowls and some of the greatest games in recent history. If you are bored one day, give it a watch.

We should all do our part and stay home and pray that the upcoming football season is still on because if it gets canceled, there will be hell to pay.