THROWIN’ ELBOWS WITH BRENDAN MCGUIRE

1. OUR RESPONSE TO COVID-19: Is this overkill? Maybe a little. But let’s all be thankful that we’re living in a world that cares enough about our seniors, infants and the most vulnerable, that it is willing to literally stop to try and protect them, and all of us, from getting sick. I don’t know about you but I would rather live through this isolation and economic damage than deal with what’s happening in Italy right now. My grandparents were part of the greatest generation who grew up in the great depression of the Dirty 30’s and fought in World War 2. But they never had to deal with this. That generation could’ve rolled over and let it finish them but instead, chose to rise and conquer. Just like we will do with this.

2. HOW TO HANDLE THIS: Don’t panic. Don’t add to the misery everyone is feeling right now. Go out of your way to be nice to someone who has it worse than you. Read a book. Don’t sweat the small stuff and just be grateful that we’re all here. This too, shall pass.

3. FIND THE SILVER LINING: Enjoy the chance to work from home. Employers will let some of us get away with more of this in the days and weeks ahead. Enjoy the chance to be at home with the kids and treat this as an adventure we won’t get, ever again.

4. ULTIMATE SOLUTION: World banks and federal governments around the globe will need to decide that charging loan payments and interest payments will need to stop for one year. Just like investors will have to stop collecting interest for one year. This is about the only thing that will prevent world chaos and has just got to happen.

5. CHINA: Not holding a grudge over this as I don’t believe for one second that anyone had bad intentions here. But seriously, after putting the world through all of this, can they not give Canada a break about this Huawei executive crap? From this day forward, China had better accept Canadian Canola with open arms. If not, the rest of the world had better be prepared to unite to take a stand against the communist Chinese government. And I’m talking about real sanctions. Not the all-talk-and-then-a-whole-lot-of-nothing approach of the guy in the white house. Whatever happened to him standing up to China, anyways?

6. IT’S OKAY TO MISS SPORTS: No one should feel guilty for wishing the NHL, NBA or March Madness could go on. Sports doesn’t matter in times like these but that’s the beauty of sports all the time. It never matters! Not just now! It’s a distraction from reality where we get to go home, put our feet up and pretend like it does matter. Never have we needed this distraction more than in times like this.

7. SOMEONE SHOULD FILL THIS VOID: You will never convince me that March Madness or Major League Baseball or something like it shouldn’t be going ahead. Having 20 well-conditioned athletes with strong immune systems going against each other in the presence of highly trained physicians would present a pretty low risk of anyone dying. Do it in an empty gym or ball diamond, put it on TV, and give the world something to smile and get excited about. Not the trashy UFC garbage Dana White throws out there.

8. ALL HAIL VINCE: WWE and XFL boss Vince McMahon let all of his employees in the XFL off the hook in agreeing to pay them all out for the remainder of the cancelled season. Never cared much for Vince but this is an unbelievable gesture on his part. Sure, he can afford to do it, but so can a lot of others, who choose not to.

9. NFL REACTION: Roger Goodell says it’s “business-as-usual”. What an arrogant boob. That outfit is so out-of-touch with reality that their reckoning will hit them hard in the way of empty stadiums one day. And I suspect that day is coming soon.

10. BOOK OF THE WEEK: Ron Snyder is about to release a book about the only American team to win a Grey Cup and the first CFL team to win a championship in Regina, The Baltimore Stallions. He says it’s due for release shortly. Stay tuned for details.

(Follow Brendan on Twitter at @brendanhowardmc)