Cal Sports: We Want to Hear Your Reaction to the Sports Shutdown From the Coronavirus

No live sports on television. No March Madness to watch while you anticipate the next great upset or buzzer-beating finish during an onslaught of meaningful and emotional games. No sports activities for faithful Cal alums to follow and discuss. No spring football to get energized about. No quotes from coaches or reports of athletic practices or games to mull over. Nothing. That’s the immediate effect of the novel coronavirus on sports in the Bay Area as well as in this country and around the world.

And who knows how long it will last. What if the shutdown extends into the football season? How will you deal with that? How much do you miss sports already? Can you survive without the excitement of March Madness? How disappointed are you that the Pac-12 basketball tournament was cancelled after Cal played perhaps its best game of the season? Could you imagine a fall without college and pro football? Is there something specific that your will miss?

Tell us by writing a response in the “Comment” section below, or respond to what someone else has said in that section.

Here's my take:

How do you feel about the decision to virtually halt sports in America? Is it a necessary move to minimize the effect of a dangerous outbreak of the novel coronavirus? Or is it an overreaction, creating a panic that might be worse than the illness? Do you think many colleges are merely following the lead of other colleges and pro leagues, cutting off sports simply because it would look insensitive if they didn’t? Or should college athletic departments and sports programs be doing even more than they are to help halt the spread of COVID-19?

What will be the effect on our society of having no sports to watch or follow? Is it a good thing, perhaps causing people to get off their butts and have some physical activity? Or will it lead to a general malaise of the populace? Or does sports even have that kind of influence of our society and culture?

We want to know what you think. Write your response or questions in the “Comments” section below, and perhaps we will respond with an article about your opinions.