THIS IS NOT A DRILL

THIS IS NOT A DRILL

The sirens are blaring. The PA speakers are buzzing. The whole world is being warned. This is not a drill folks. This is the real thing. It’s not an earthquake nor a fire drill. It’s a life drill.

Welcome to the world brought to its knees by COVID-19. Corona virus. N-Corona virus. Wuhan virus. The year 2020 is only three months old, but it has already felt like a full year has passed. And for us in the sports world, we have never seen a phenomenon that has held us “hostage” and on our knees. Just when we thought the sports world is invincible, we hear the news about Robert Gobert, Donovan Michell, Arsenal team manager Mikel Areta, Juventus defender Daniele Rugani, Danish football player Thomas Kahlenberg and a staff member of Formula 1’s McLaren racing team. A child from Rhode Island who got an autograph from Gobert is also positive for COVID-19. I wouldn’t be surprised if more sports fans are also infected with the virus. For us in Cebu, we haven’t recorded anyone with the virus so far, but this is primarily because we haven’t had too many  tests at all.

The biggest professional sports leagues and competitions have screeched to a halt. You name it, they’ve stopped. NBA, U.S. NCAA, FIBA, FIFA, NHL, PGA Golf, Primera Liga, Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A, Formula 1, PBA, MPBL, UAAP, NCAA Philippines, CVIRAA, Palarong Pambansa, pro boxing and a whole lot more. With July not too far away, I’m sure that the International Olympic Committee is seriously studying the matter. To play or not play? The Tokyo Olympics.

But let’s all remember that it’s not all about sports. Tito COVID-19 has brought the entire world to a halt, forcing businesses to drop, shutting down entire towns or even countries. “Walay pili ang virus,” a friend told me. Tourism, malling/shopping, the stock market? All down. The only unaffected businesses are those producing alcohol, sanitizers, face masks and medicine. All affected countries are now taking steps to minimize the spread of the virus, and these include drastic measures such as community quarantines, travel bans and lockdowns. The Philippines is implementing community quarantines for  now, anywhere from two weeks to a whole month. Classes have been suspended, while schools whose school-years were set to end in March advanced their final exams and ended their academic years earlier. Graduation ceremonies and balls/proms have been cancelled. Work places have been shut down. Skeletal work forces are in place. And work from home is now highly encouraged, thanks to technology.

Extraordinary times call for extraordinary actions. And again. This is not a drill. Let’s all unite against COVID-19 and do our part.

To those sports leagues that continue to hold games or clinics, you still have time to stop as there’s no need to prove your machismo and invincibility. Stopping your games is bigger proof of your manliness and more importantly, your concern for others.

To teams that intend to practice and have training sessions. Think twice. Take a break and find alternative ways for your athletes to stay in shape. Even the PBA has advised all its teams to suspend practice for the next two weeks. The Utah Jazz players, coaches and staff members are all in isolation or self-quarantine. And so are the NBA teams that have come in contact with the Jazz.

To those worried about lost chances to play. Let’s all remember that there is more to life than sports. Your athletes’ lives are more important than the medals and trophies that you’ll win in a whole lifetime.

To those who want to use COVID-19 as a venue to attack/criticize politicians, how about a ceasefire and a re-channeling of efforts towards spreading positive information about the matter?

To the media outfits that attack more than anything else, how about focusing efforts on helping in the much-needed information drive to educate the public about the virus and help in the government’s efforts to help prevent the virus from spreading.

Let’s all stick to the time-tested practices that keep us away from illness. Wash your hands, get enough rest (sleep), eat healthy food, stay home, avoid public places, take your vitamins and PRAY.

There’s a reason behind everything and nothing is thrown at us that we can’t handle. We are now given the opportunity to reflect and act on this; and we can also do nothing. This will pass and end soon. Have faith. This is not a drill.

#bleachertalk
#covid19