STACKHOUSE’S 10 THOUGHTS

1 – CFL FOLD? – Every day is like a month with this pandemic and things are always changing. With those changes, I find my opinion on what may occur also changes. Today, I hate to be the bearer of potentially disastrous news but I wonder if we have all witnessed the last ever Canadian Football League game. Earlier this week, British Columbia’s top health official said there would be no large gatherings for, at least, a full year. So that knocks out the 2021 season too. BC is doing better at dealing with the virus than most other provinces, so one has to figure Ontario and Quebec are also going to ban any large gathering for, minimum, a year. Hard to have a league with Saskatchewan, Winnipeg, and Edmonton. The rate Calgary is going, I suspect they won’t be allowed large gatherings for a long time either despite the fact Calgary Stampede is yet to announce they are toast.

2 – MULTI YEAR HIATUS? – I also wonder about the other professional sports leagues and what will be their future. If health officials say you have to social distance for, minimum, one year and, likely longer, then you can’t have them on the playing surface. Anything involving teams results in people getting within close proximity. Dr. Fauci, in the States, says it’s possible to have games with fans in the seats but all have to wear masks and be spaced apart so you are looking at ⅓ capacity in a lot of instances. If you are wearing a mask, forget about food and drinks.  Not to mention the closeness when you are in line. How’s going to the bathroom going to work?  Maybe nobody will have to go since you are not drinking.  There’s just too much risk here so I think it’s done.  Last week I felt baseball was going to come together and get organized quickly.  Today, I think it’s all toast.  Baseball.  Hockey.  Football.  Basketball.  It’s done for 2020 and 2021 for sure and who knows after that.  There is, simply, no avenue to playing unless there is a 180 degree change in advice from health officials or from politicians that listen to them.

3 – INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL – In the case of MLB, NHL, NBA and CFL there is a lot of cross border travel involved.  In my mind, I just don’t know how you allow for international travel at all during this pandemic.  I said from the get go that airports were the haven for spreading this virus and I stand by that as of today too.  When you take into account the madness of each American state, seemingly, doing their own thing with no real direction…I just don’t think it would be wise to open our borders to American people.  Therefore, how do you have a Toronto Blue Jays, Toronto Raptors, Canadian NHL teams, imports on CFL teams, etc.  You can’t.  

4 – FREEDOM OF CHOICE – Now there is a very simple solution to all of this, of course.  Let’s pick Major League Baseball as the example.  Teams request their players and staff to report for work.  Anyone who is uncomfortable and feels as though they will get the virus and die is allowed to be excused and stay home in the basement.  They don’t receive any private money and will, immediately, go on government programs.  Tickets will be sold to fans as always with the understanding that you could show up, sit next to an infected person, get the virus and die.  I know, personally, I’ve attended hundreds and maybe even thousands of sporting events, concerts, festivals, etc. and not a single time have I been made to go against my will.  Be self-responsible.  If you think it’s safe to go watch a game, then go.  If you don’t, stay home.  It’s that simple.  And, if Mike Trout wants to be home for the birth of his baby, then let him do that and he can come play when he feels safe without penalty. 

5 – FREEDOM OF CHOICE BAD IDEA – I’ve mentioned my example above to a few people and I’ve been told that I’m very insensitive.  What about the poor popcorn vendor.  Well, I’m including the popcorn vendor in my list of people that can stay home, without penalty, should that person so desire.  Nobody should be forced to report to work but if you want to go to work, you shouldn’t be blocked from doing so.  And, if you want to watch a game, you shouldn’t be blocked from that either.  If thousands of you get sick and end up in the hospital and are unable to be treated because it overwhelms the system, well that’s part of the risk in playing/watching.  Harsh?  Well, so too is bungee jumping and having the chord snap after you launch yourself off the ledge.  See, I am not okay with the risks of bungee jumping so I use this incredible ability I have of making a decision to not do it.  Just apply the same rationale to team sports and away we go.

6 – CORONAVIRUS PERSPECTIVE – Earlier this week, I looked at the death numbers in Quebec and they had 1000 people pass away from the virus.  Of those 1000, only 14 were under the age of 60.  I’m not sure how many of those 14 were considered to be of good health and no underlying issues.  Which brings me to another thought – why not allow young people like those who would be playing junior and university sports to just get together and play?  I get that this is the most contagious virus of our lifetime, but the risk to someone who is in tip top health is low, low, low.  How many athletes play through various forms of illness over the course of the season?  Why can’t this just be another one of those things like strep throat or the flu?  I know it’s not strep throat or the flu.  But for young athletes who are in terrific shape, yes it is.

7 – RICH GET RICH, POOR STAY POOR – I think one of the most disgusting things about this pandemic is how much money is lost by Joe Citizen and how much is made by companies who are already filthy rich.  Your Walmarts, Canadian Tires, and Home Depots of the world are thriving.  The independent restaurant, small town clothing store, hair salons, etc. are on the verge of going under.  These big box stores should all drop their prices and do their part.  Lose some money.  Banks should be forgiving payments and not charging a penny of interest.  Crown corporations should be allowing people to not pay their bills and just let it go without ever having to repay.  Yes, money is lost but then every person and every company shares in that loss and not just the little person.  When this is finally over, the little person is going to be so far in debt and the taxes are going to be through the roof more than they already are.  The rich will still be rich.  In fact, they’ll be richer for this.  A good many who have put their entire lives into being successful to the point they reached an upper middle class lifestyle and it’s poof, gone.  Stolen from them really.  And, it’s wrong.  This social distancing stuff would last about one week if you took profits away from those box stores I mentioned above.  As far as they are concerned, this can go on forever.  It’s great for them.  There’s no incentive at all to loosen restrictions.  Federal politicians even gave themselves a raise a couple of weeks ago.  It turns my stomach.

8 – NOT AN EITHER/OR SITUATION – Somehow this whole virus issue has become an ‘economy vs senior citizens’ issue and I don’t know how that happened.  You mean I have to choose one over the other?  Why can’t we find some sort of a balance?  It doesn’t have to be equal, but nobody talks about the fact there are teenagers locked in their home who can’t hang out with their friends.  This may not seem like a big deal to many, but it is.  Huge.  These are the developmental years of their lives and having no real interaction with peer groups is devastating.  No, Facetime doesn’t count.  How about the folks who are admitted to nursing homes and may never ever see their loved ones ever again?  It’s just beyond comprehension what we are okay with accepting as a trade off for ‘until we get a vaccine’.  It’s madness.  It must end.

9 – FIRST TO OPEN – PEI is going to begin opening it’s economy late next week with elective surgeries set to be one of the first things to return.  I wonder why that was tops on the list?  If they loosen restrictions and there is a surge in cases, won’t the fact that there are people in the hospital recovering from these elective procedures only going to put more strain on the system?  Travel to New Brunswick may be allowed in July.  New Brunswick has, basically, no active cases of the virus so if a trip to a safe place is 3 months away, just imagine how far away a trip to North Dakota may be for those of us who live here.

10 – NOVA SCOTIA – I lived in Nova Scotia for about a year and a half in the mid-1990s.  My dad lived in Elmsdale (very close to Enfield) for a period of time and my roommate’s mom lived in Elmsdale as well so I have been to this area where this past weekend’s mass killings occurred.  I’m very familiar with it actually.  I’m quite sure I’ve been to the Irving gas station where the killer was finally put out of his misery many times although the building would have looked a lot different back then.  It’s hard to believe such violence could happen anywhere let alone there.  I don’t even know what to say.  You couldn’t write a script to a horror movie that’s as bad as what happened.  Thoughts, prayers, condolences, etc. just seem too hollow. 

(Mike Stackhouse is a freelance writer/broadcaster. Follow him on Twitter at @Stack1975)