The NBA, the MLB, March Madness and many other sporting leagues and events have been cancelled due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Even the Olympics were moved to the summer of 2021. All of these cancellations and reschedules are showing the world why they need sports.

The NBA was the first league to shut down, after Utah Jazz all-star Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus before the tip-off of a regular season game versus the Oklahoma City Thunder. The game was cancelled, as well as the other games going on that night. Over the next several days, the NBA decided to suspend the rest of its season. In the following weeks, more and more leagues followed suit until there were no longer any sports being played. In the span of less than a month, sports fans went from cheering on their favorite teams to counting down the days until they can watch sports again.

The absence of sports has done more than break the hearts of fans, the players and coaches are upset as well. Many teams were halfway through their season when the leagues began to shut down, and there was a large amount of rage throughout the sports world because all of their hard work seemed to have gone to waste. In addition, there were many athletes that were having record-setting seasons prior the the suspensions, but now it seems that none of their performances mattered. One of the most significant suspensions was the cancellation of March Madness, which as a result, meant the end of hundreds of college students’ dreams of playing college basketball on the highest stage. Both athletes and fans are having a difficult time without the sports that they love.

In these sometimes stressful and frightening times, a sporting event would be a welcome sight to escape from the fear surrounding us right now. Sports is ultimately a distraction, it takes its audience into a place where they can forget about their stress and yell and cheer for their heroes for an hour or two. Now, however, there are no more blissful distractions such as sports, and fans all over the world are feeling the effects of this.

Suspending the leagues was obviously a necessary thing that had to happen; it was done in order to help keep people around the world safe and healthy. Not only is it protecting the millions of fans around the globe, but also the athletes, coaches, and other members of sports’ teams. Even though it clearly was something that needed to happen, it has been a very hard pill for people to swallow. Still, one thing is for certain: when sports return, it will cause a much-needed reason for joy for people all over.