The decisions major professional sports organizations make undoubtedly have a trickle-down effect on the policies, procedures and laws that governing bodies like the Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association enforce.
Regardless of the circumstances, the NBA appears to be opting to play in the Disney World bubble beginning July 30.
As of press time, 25 of the 344 NBA players scheduled to compete are infected with COVID-19. While it isn’t a staggering percentage given the contagious nature of the virus, the number of asymptomatic players could be much higher.
The NBA will play, and it will undoubtedly be a distraction from all of the toxic news that infiltrates our cell phones and social-media news feeds on an hourly basis.
It won’t be the same product. Without fans, it’ll look an upscale AAU scrimmage with a shiny court nestled inside the corporate conglomerate Disney bubble.
Many players, mostly who are on the edge of their contracts, appear to be opting out of fulfilling the season.
Then there is baseball.
Between still-unsettled labor disputes and COVID-19 numbers surging, it’s a wonder if they’ll complete their planned 60-game season.
The All-Star game is canceled. What’s next?
The NFL is even shortening its preseason.
That brings us back to the HHSAA, a multi-million-dollar organization, with unique venues moving forward.
The state of Utah is undoubtedly struggling with whether they should play or not.
A recent column by Salt Lake Tribune writer Alex Vejar showcases the struggle.
Many players and coaches are testing positive for COVID-19 as football teams all across the state have started summer workouts, which are governed under the rules of individual school districts, according to the article.
The Utah High School Athletic Association’s oversight takes over again July 27, and games are scheduled to begin Aug. 14.
The HHSAA appears to be playing it smart, putting its participants’ safety ahead of the games.
It appears they are observing how other schools are doing before putting the safety of others at risk.
“The HHSAA meets with the five leagues to provide opportunities for updates, as they are having meetings with the (state) Department of Health and other government agencies,” said Brent Mizutani, executive director of the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation, in a written statement. “The hope is to put forth a document that will guide interscholastic opportunities for our schools throughout the state.”
Let’s consider this: The four major pro sports leagues are multi-billion-dollar operations. The HHSAA is not.
Some of the venues in which many of the HHSAA teams play in are also poorly ventilated, and would have to undergo a significant overhaul to comply with the new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regulations.
To make everything COVID-19 safe and comply with the CDC guidelines would be a costly maneuver.
Some states moving football back to the spring are experiencing logistical problems with players trying to get recruited by major collegiate programs.
There are so many questions and so few answers in this COVID-19 world we now live in.
In this win-at-all-cost mentality that has seeped through the collective subconscious of popular culture, let’s hope the HHSAA continues to remain vigilant when they make decisions on the upcoming fall 2020 season.
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Jason Blasco, sports reporter, can be reached at 245-0437 or jblasco@thegardenisland.com.
