The Beatless Beat Writer: Here We Go
Here we go.
Sorry for the long absence. Last week was Memorial Day and on top of that, my brother and his family moved to Texas so I took a couple of days to assist with the move.
But anyways, back to what I was saying.
Here we go.
This week starts, in my opinion, the beginning of the end of no sports in America. Not only is there a college baseball tournament in Texas, but also college athletes are returning to campuses to begin voluntary workouts for the fall.
Just because we are starting to have more news does not mean that things will be completely normal, but it is the very first step in returning to the status quo after what seems like an eternity.
The baseball tournament that I referred to is the Collegiate Summer Baseball Invitational, which takes place this week in Bryan, Texas from June 4-6. The tournament consists of players from all around the country, including the University of Alabama’s own sophomore reliever Dylan Smith.
Regarding the return of fall athletes to college campuses, the workouts are voluntary and team workouts/practices are still not to be held until the NCAA gives the go-ahead, which is still largely up-in-the-air as to when that will happen.
While the return of sports is exciting, there are still some drawbacks that keep us from returning to 100% normalcy.
First and foremost, there will be no fans at the CSBI. The games will be streamed online (available to purchase), but no fans are allowed to attend. In addition, drastic measures are being taken to ensure player safety regarding both play on the field as well as the pandemic. Players aren’t even allowed to leave their assigned hotel rooms unless they are going to/from the practice facilities and/or stadium.
For football, it’s a similar story. Crimson Tide players don’t have to adhere to as strict of guidelines outside of workouts, but inside the athletic facilities there are rigorous rules set in place by both the school and the NCAA to ensure player and staff health.
While we still might not be back to complete normalcy, this week is the first baby step to having sports this fall.
Personally, I am ready for it.
The Beatless Beat Writer is a series of stories by BamaCentral's own Joey Blackwell. The series is meant to reflect on and discuss Alabama athletics and its fans in Tuscaloosa during the current pandemic.
