Should professional sporting events take place during a pandemic?
In the midst of the 1918 influenza pandemic, sporting events continued to be played in some countries. Should the same be allowed in 2021?
Source: unsplash
With the Australian Open just days away, athletes from all corners of the globe have flocked to the Land Down Under to prepare for tennis’ first Grand Slam of the year. Yet with the ongoing pandemic, the 2021 edition of the Open is riddled with change and uncertainty. The tournament, taking place in February rather than January, will be played in front of limited crowds and the players, who in previous years were able to enjoy visits to the golden beaches of Melbourne, have had to quarantine for 14 days. Many have taken to social media to showcase the innovative ways they have spent their time in isolation, with some practising groundstrokes against their mattresses and others using hotel loungers as substitutes for free weights. One athlete, clearly missing the waves of Australian waters, mimicked surfing on his king-size bed. Suffice to say, they have been struggling.
Yet along with harmless videos of make-shift practice activities have come player complaints of stringent Covid-19 measures and unbearable quarantine conditions. Novak Djokovic, the highest ranked men's player in the world, reportedly created a list of suggestions for Tennis Australia - the governing body for the sport - which included better food for the players, access to fitness equipment, and perhaps most controversially, permission to bend the rules of quarantine which would cut short the two-week period of isolation. The French player, Alizé Cornet, in a now deleted tweet, claimed that the situation was “insane” while others argued that 14 days of isolation would affect their ability to play.
Within minutes, the players’ social media posts faced overwhelming backlash. Deemed tactless and insensitive, their comments were put under intense scrutiny given the ongoing suffering of millions of people around the world who have lost their lives to the virus; not to mention the thousands of Australians still stuck overseas due to the country’s Covid-19 restrictions. That players were complaining about bad food and difficult quarantine conditions during a global pandemic provided even more ammunition to their critics who had already denounced their pleas to revise self-isolation rules. “The level of idiocy, entitlement and privilege in the sporting community is appalling”, one Twitter user wrote.
Amidst the confusion and anger surrounding the players’ quarantine, one question has emerged that casts doubt on the prospect of the Australian Open and future competitions in 2021: should sporting events take place during a pandemic? Looking back to 1918, and understanding how the sporting community responded to the spread of the Spanish flu, might act as a starting point in answering this salient question.
On a dusty baseball field in Seattle in 1918, the batter steps up to his box, ready to play. Bat in hand and cap on head, he is the poster boy for the sport. Except for one thing: he wears a mask. Not the face mask a catcher would wear, but a medical one. The influenza pandemic at this time was spreading rapidly throughout the United States, taking hundreds of thousands of lives before subsiding two years later. With all players wearing masks and large gatherings banned, the sporting landscape resembled many of the scenes witnessed today. Yet unlike this year, not only was the world waging a war against a virus, it was also waging a war against itself. Because of both the First World War and the advancing pandemic, most sporting events around the world were cancelled, with The Tour de France, Wimbledon, and all major European football tournaments postponed in 1918. However, despite the collapse of social and economic structures around the world, one world leader refused to submit to the threat of the virus and the war. President Woodrow Wilson - in what was viewed as a highly contentious decision - chose to allow football and baseball events to continue running, because he believed that the United States needed sport.
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to pose threats to the health and safety of millions around the world, questions of whether sporting events should continue in 2021 have taken on new meanings. Along with concerns about the safety of organising tournaments, some have expressed their disapproval on social media, suggesting that it is insensitive of athletes to continue competing while the rest of the world suffers. Bypassing commercial flights and travelling by private jets, the special privileges afforded to athletes during the past year that so many of us could only dream of have caused debates amongst sports fans, leading many to advocate the cancellation of professional sporting events. Yet, if event organisers can ensure the safety of players and staff through strict measures and precautions, should the privilege and entitlement of athletes during a pandemic really stop us from enjoying sporting events?
Sitting down to watch the final of the UEFA Champions League or the Cricket World Cup can sometimes feel like self-inflicted punishment. Because the outcome of a sporting event is never confirmed until the blow of the whistle or shriek of the buzzer, the chances of a day spent wallowing in one’s sadness are always on the cards. It is part of the reason so many of us love watching sport. Without the unpredictability of a match or a race, sports would not be nearly as exciting as they are. And yet, despite the uncertainty that characterises professional sporting events, one element remains consistent: the two or three hours spent watching an event are a guaranteed spell of escapism. The ability of sports to both ease and erase the stresses of work or school - even if just for a few hours - is perhaps one of its greatest strengths. From the silent suspense before the start of a 100 metre sprint to the deafening cheers that accompany the final length of the 200 metre breaststroke, the immersiveness of a sporting event allows for all the burdens and responsibilities of daily life to disappear. 2020, in many ways, felt like an endless succession of lockdowns, bringing with them continued suffering and hardship. With theatres, museums and stadiums closed, grasping on to the few remaining sources of entertainment proved difficult. Yet, with the window of escapism that live sporting events provided us with, the time spent engulfed in the drama and tensions of a high-stakes competition played a crucial role in supplying a glimmer of joy in an otherwise trying year.
Sports have also been a familiar friend in an otherwise unfamiliar year. Thoughts of self-isolating for fourteen days, completing classes and work online, and having to stand two metres apart when chatting with a friend probably were not on our list of 2020 plans. Many of us did not know what a lockdown was and had never even heard of social distancing. With the bleakness of lockdown and the supposed light at the end of the tunnel becoming dimmer and dimmer, many of us turned to familiar hobbies to ease our anxieties. From baking to reading, sewing to writing, the comfort found in leisure was unmatched. Playing and watching sports also provided a much-needed sense of familiarity. While taking part in sports in lockdown proved somewhat difficult, as evidenced by the creative alternatives some athletes developed like playing football with toilet rolls or competing in curling competitions with brooms, watching competitive sports was a welcome reminder of pre-coronavirus days.
While in the last couple of years, the sporting landscape has changed drastically - for better or for worse - one element has remained true throughout history: sport is about overcoming adversity. From persisting injuries to the high pressures of performance, athletes experience a myriad of obstacles and hurdles - both figurative and literal - in their pursuit for greatness. The immense pressure gymnasts face in executing a perfect ten. The mental grit required of football teams trailing behind. The physical strain athletes experience during a grueling match. The lessons that sports teach have always been valued and yet, with the struggles and hardship that the past couple of months have brought, they appear more important now than ever.
If 2020 has proven how much we as fans rely on sports, it has also shown how much athletes do too. Sometimes, it’s easy to forget that for a lot of athletes, sport is a job. While Cristiano Ronaldo and Roger Federer may not be struggling to pay the bills, the reality for many athletes on the road is not as glamorous as it appears, and has been especially difficult during the past year. From living out of vans to finding second jobs, the financial struggles of athletes are regularly overshadowed by the luxurious lifestyles of those at the top. Despite the illusions of wealth and security that are so often associated with the lives of athletes, the pandemic has hit many of them just as hard as people working in more conventional professions. Some athletes have not just missed out on competing during lockdown, but also from making a living.
Witnessing the top professional athletes gallivant around the globe as we sit stuck in our homes has proven especially difficult in 2020. Compounded by their grievances towards room service meals and the difficulties of living in grand hotel rooms, it has been hard to sympathise with the plight of celebrity athletes whilst the rest of the world grapples with the persisting challenges of the pandemic. However, despite the entitlement of some athletes, the entertainment and escapism they have provided on the court or on the pitch has perhaps never been more appreciated.
In a year which brought so much hardship and difficulty, there was not much to celebrate at the end of 2020. But for many of us, despite the shortage of events, some of our greatest memories from an otherwise challenging year, will be the times spent enjoying the thrills of sports.
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