There are days right now that are better than others. Everyone is having them. We have all been in some form of quarantine, usually too lax and dangerous, for around 175 days. We are nearly a week from being locked down for 6 months. And you still find people not wearing masks, after all the evidence is thrown in front of them. And that's not to count the BLM rightful movement/the issues with police and the issues with that online prankster turned presidential influencer I won't even dare name here. We've had a rough go lately.
One hundred and eighty seven thousand. That's the total dead of COVID-19 in the US so far, and it doesn't appear to be slowing down as people continue to ignore the simple reality that has been staring us in the face since the spring. Yet here we are, schools attempting to go back then closing a week later after a mass outbreak. The situation can become overwhelming for any human being at any point. You can get this whenever, wherever, from anyone. And now, we are letting fans back into sporting events.
On the 25th of August, 2020, I attended a sporting event in person. Yes, in person, at Children's Mercy Park to see Sporting Kansas City get thrashed by Houston. And to be honest, I didn't really feel unsafe at all. They took the right steps in social distancing and mask enforcement, at least in the section I spent the game in. The precautions were all in line with all the safety standards most outdoor events and even some indoor spaces are using. But should I have been there, should anyone have been there? I'm still not sure.
There will come a day, hopefully soon, that a vaccine is readily available for every single person in this world. And on that day, sports will matter again. Right now, as much as I love each and every sport I watch, there is a part of me that is actively attempting to push them away. I feel distracted while watching NBA and NHL playoff games, my heart just isn't into it. You know in your heart that this isn't right, this isn't normal.
So as you look at the Royals standings right now, their record is atrocious and not looking like they'll even get a whiff of the expanded postseason. But I find myself in a situation where I'm not worried about the wins or losses. At my seat for the soccer game last week, without the loud chants from our beloved Cauldron and South Stand or almost any other noise, I could hear things I've never heard at a game before. I heard the players and coaches yelling just about every word you could imagine to each other, I could even hear the birds chirping and the bugs droning on from outside the grounds.
And with that, I felt nearly all the stresses of COVID wash away. Not because of the first live sporting event I had attended in over 170 days, but by the eye opening reality of not really needing the sports to be my release right now. We've all had to adapt to finding something normal to grasp onto during this and mine was releasing the vice sports has had on me since childhood. For the first time ever, I was able to simply take in the environments instead of letting the game dictate my mood afterwards. SKC lost 5-2 and I could not even find myself upset at all. For a moment, I truly found myself as close to personal nirvana as one could imagine.
Now then, there is a chance I could go back to my awful old ways of letting sports take over for a bit once everything returns to normal, but this time has allowed me to mature as a fan and not to let it run various parts of me more than I should allow. After seeing the four main teams I support across 3 sports win trophies on trophies over the past few years, you have to allow yourself to relax and enjoy the life of the spectator. The trophies are just metals worked into shapes, nothing more.
Even if COVID ended human life, the planet would keep chugging along. Enjoy the sportsball, don't let it consume you. We can exist without it, as we did for a few months. All of the leagues will be back in full force but we can operate without them if need be. None of it really truly matters after all.
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