Flicker of hope for desperate sports fans Some pro leagues are inching their way back to game action By: Mike McIntyre Posted: 7:00 PM CDT Monday, May. 11, 2020

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/05/2020 (1594 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

How about those Lotte Giants, eh folks? With Jun Won Seo and Dan Straily spinning some magic on the mound, and outfielder Byung Hun Min and infielder Dixon Machado tearing it up at the plate, it’s no wonder they’re off to a perfect 5-0 start to the season. Just don’t sleep on the Kiroom Heroes. They’re on a roll, too, at 5-1. Shades of Yankees-Red Sox, amirite?

Korean Baseball Organization not your thing? Perhaps a little German Bundesliga is more your style. Speaking of which, think league-leading Bayern Munich can hold off a long list of hard-charging challengers including Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig? I certainly wouldn’t bet against Hans-Dieter Flick’s talented crew, that’s for sure!

At this point, you’re likely wondering what the heck has happened to your friendly neighbourhood columnist, the guy who typically talks Jets and Bombers and Goldeyes and plenty of other local flavour in this space, only to now be speaking an entirely different sporting language.

Frankly, I’m not entirely sure, except to toss out a pair of old clichés: 1. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. 2. Desperate times call for desperate measures. In other words, I sure miss sports. And I’ll go to surprising places in an attempt to fill the void, including South Korea and Germany, it turns out. 

Thanks to the folks at the Angus Reid Institute, I know I’m not the only sports fan feeling blue. A recent survey showed Canadians want live action back ASAP, even if it means watching games being held in empty stadiums or arenas. In fact, 88 per cent of the 1,527 people randomly polled said they would tune in to such a production, which is no doubt music to the ears of league and broadcast executives everywhere. 

Right now, you have to look to foreign leagues and players you’re likely not familiar with, unless Dana White’s bare-knuckled brutality of the UFC and/or Vince McMahon’s scripted play fighters of the WWE are your thing. But that’s about to change, as slowly but surely the door is opening for a new normal to begin taking shape in a COVID-19 world.

The NBA has started allowing players to work out at practice facilities, with the eye on a summer return to game action. The NHL is likely to follow suit, with plans expected to emerge in the coming days that could include the league’s draft in early June. The PGA Tour and its feeder tour, the Korn Ferry, will start teeing it up next month. MLB released a detailed proposal Monday for a shortened season to begin around July 4. The NFL just released its 2020 schedule, which begins in September. 

In the words of the great Bob Cole: Everything is happening! 

Of the sports that would normally be going on right now, hockey is missed most in Canada, according to 59 per cent of respondents in the Angus Reid survey. Those numbers dropped sharply for baseball (31 per cent), basketball (28 per cent) and golf (18 per cent). 

At this point, beggars can’t be choosers and I’d be game to watch a televised tiddlywinks tournament. One of the great attractions of sport is the unscripted nature of it, the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat. Perhaps that’s why I haven’t been able to embrace all these reruns of classic games that are being shown now. Not only is the outcome already known, taking away any suspense or drama, but these trips down memory lane leave me feeling glum, a reminder of what we used to have.

But now, after more than two months of waiting and wondering and worry, there’s reason for optimism that fresh competition could soon be on the way, even if it’s going to look and sound and feel quite a bit different for the foreseeable future.

Most folks seem to not only accept that, but welcome it with socially distant open arms.

Only 28 per cent of respondents to the Angus Reid survey say they’d be fine with attending a live sporting event this fall, even if they were given free tickets. Another 40 per cent said they would “probably go but think twice about it,” while the other 32 per cent said they would definitely avoid it, due to ongoing concerns about the pandemic and fears of a second deadly wave. 

Those responses, combined with dire warnings from health officials that large-scale public gatherings could be banned until a vaccine is found, make it clear we may not get back our comfortable old version of sports anytime soon. Some leagues are going to weather this better than others. 

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Moose, American Hockey League officially pull plug on season

City's pro athletes still waiting for all-clear to practise at team facilities

We learned today the American Hockey League is done for the year, which means the Manitoba Moose won’t resume playing games until next season at the earliest. Given how much of a gate-driven operation the AHL is, next season could be in peril as well. Considering NHL teams will need to have some kind of farm system in place for their prospects to develop, I suspect a solution will be found.

“It might not be the best scenario. It might be the only scenario,” Moose head coach Pascal Vincent said Monday of having to play in empty rinks. 

The CFL is also in big trouble, not just for this season but beyond. It seems unlikely the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will get a chance to defend last fall’s Grey Cup championship this summer, and commissioner Randy Ambrosie has been publicly sounding the alarm about the long-term viability of the three-down league without a government bailout of up to $150 million.

The American Association, home to the Winnipeg Goldeyes baseball team and 11 American franchises, is also unlikely to resume play until fans are allowed in the stands.

Still, those who are desperately seeking their regular sports fix may soon have a number of familiar options at their disposal. And that’s something to look forward to. 

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to divert my eyes back overseas while we wait for things to heat up on the homefront. The first-place Giants are kicking off a big series against the fourth-place Doosan Bears early Tuesday morning and I’d hate to miss any of the action.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg

Mike McIntyre
Sports columnist

Mike McIntyre grew up wanting to be a professional wrestler. But when that dream fizzled, he put all his brawn into becoming a professional writer.

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