The Beatless Beat Writer: My Thoughts Change Every Day
Today's entry might seem scatter-brained, so please bear with me as I put my thoughts from the day on this dimly-lit computer screen.
When I started writing these stories, I said that they were going to informal, yet informing. Sad, yet also have a light-heartedness to them.
So far, all I’ve done is brought the sad.
My anguish only deepened today when I saw this post today from Alabama baseball on Twitter:
This legitimately brought a tear to my eye.
This team fought so hard. 16-1. By far the best start to a season under third-year coach Brad Bohannon. This team was going places. Finally, after a hiatus dating back to 2016, it was beginning to look like the Crimson Tide was going to make it to the SEC tournament.
Alabama finished in the top 25 in three major rankings systems. That’s a big difference from last season that saw the Crimson Tide fail to make the SEC tournament once again and finish the season with a 30-26 overall record and a 7-23 record in the conference.
Yes, this team’s season is over and done very prematurely. The same can be said for all other spring sports at UA. The cancellations were a necessary evil to combat the current situation that our country is facing.
Alabama was slated to start its first series against an SEC opponent the weekend of the cancellations. We’ll never truly know how good this team might have been against top-level competition.
Now, let’s look at some positive things.
Now, if you happened to read this morning’s Crimson Tide Roll Call here on BamaCentral, you’ll notice that the first thing I wrote was that Monday's one of the most sacred of national days to me.
It’s National Puppy Day.
Seeing this tweet on a day where we celebrate all of the good doggos in our lives reminds me of how we as humans have so much to learn from our canine companions.
First and foremost, unconditional love. Love one another, and that means everyone. We all have squabbles with our family, especially when we’re all cooped together like many of us are currently. However, cherish the time that you have with them right now. Soon this pandemic will pass, and sooner or later we’ll all wish that we were at home with our loved ones again.
Second, respect for one another. Respect for our friends and coworkers can be difficult. Personally, I have difficulties with stepping past other peoples’ boundaries. Not that I do it intentionally, but even an unintentional offense can be taken like a purposeful one. Respect and honor your friends, family, neighbors and coworkers. If you do that, then you will see it reciprocated.
Finally, boundless positivity through living in the moment. Are you reading this from your phone, computer or tablet at home due to quarantining? If so, then you’re just like me and so many others.
Two weeks ago, most of us would have moved mountains to be able to work from home. Now that we’re being told to do it, many of us have a desire to get out and about. Trust me, I understand.
If you’re not working from home, then I would like to take a moment to say thank you. Especially if you work as an emergency responder, in retail or the hospitality or medical industries. This country would not survive without men and women like you, and you are greatly appreciated.
If I have a lesson for today, it is this: take a moment to sit and be thankful for what you have. Are you healthy? Fantastic. Do you have a family that loves you? Outstanding. A roof over your head? Food on your plate? Great.
The world could be a lot worse than it is right now. Yes, sports are all gone right now, but at the end of the day, they are just games for our entertainment. As a sports journalist, sports are a huge part of both my personal and professional life, but at the end of the day they are simply for our amusement.
As weird as this is to say, the world would be a much better place if we all behaved more like dogs.
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.
