Real Talk with OSYL: Rona Podcast Episode 4

Welcome to episode 4 from our “RONA” series of the Real Talk podcast from Our Stories Your Legacy.

Though this can be a breezy short read, there are a couple ways to listen to the podcast. For the audio portion of the podcast, you can listen and download here: https://realtalkwithosyl.buzzsprout.com/

The podcast will also be on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more sites soon! Just search for OSYL!

You can also view the podcast and get our reactions to one another at the video below!

Sports can be one form of entertainment that brings us a sense of passion, inspiration, and unity. During the COVID-19 lockdowns/quarantine, sports are either postponed or cancelled during these strange times we are in. With news that professional sports are soon returning to our televisions, or in some places, stadiums, we answer the following 3 questions about our thoughts on professional sports returning during the COVID-19 times:

1. What are our thoughts about Professional Sports re-opening?

2. What’s the importance of sports returning so soon during these times?

3. And, on the flip side, with sports being pushed to re-open, what messages are being conveyed overall?

First up, general thoughts on pro sports re-opening.

For most of us, water cooler talk in the office with our colleagues and acquaintances can break the ice by simply asking a question about the weather. When weather as a topic can’t cut the snow, that is where discussions about sports can come in and save the awkwardness. With most of us working from home, but often have virtual meetings with our colleagues because of COVID-19, we lost the ability to plug topics about sports into our every day chit-chat. Speculations are becoming more prominent now that we here businesses are beginning to open up, which includes Professional Sports. What do we think about pro sports reopening during these Corona times?

For some of us, this brings relief and pleasure now that sports may return. This excitement is caused by the power of entertainment. Sports may have the equivalent impact of what music, movies, or books may bring to others.

For others, there are still much uncertainty. With the lack of stable testing and vaccines, how are we sure that stadiums can follow safe guidelines for allowing audiences to enter? Even more so, what does it look like for the athletes? As exciting news as it is for the return of sports, others believe the focus should keep public safety measures a priority.

Overall, there are a mixed bag of emotions about sports returning to TV and/or stadiums for all fans at every level.

Secondly, if sports are to return so soon, this may be a very important event for us during these times.

Earlier, it was stated that Sports can have the same power that drives our emotions the same way that music, movies, and books can bring. Can the re-opening of professional sports bring us back to a sense of normalcy during COVID times?

Some look at Sports as a community that can unite people together on so many fronts. Outside of our disparity on religion, politics, and race, for example, cheering on the same professional sports team makes us feel part of a bigger community that shows no discrimination (unless you are a fan of a rival team, of course). It is believed that we may need sports to re-open much sooner to bring us together that ever before. With so much fear and uncertainty, sports can bring the inspiration we need to defeat the stress of these times.

Others see it as a positive for our children. Sports provide an outlet to express ourselves and discover discipline and motivation within. Some may look at athletes as heroes or role models the same way we may look at characters from comic books or movies for inspiration.

Overall, sports may be the missing driver that gets us all out of these uncertain times and into a brighter and inspired future.

Third, and lastly, on the flip side, with so much uncertainty over testing and vaccines, there is a real fear that we are re-opening everything too soon.

By pushing for sports to re-open, what messages are we conveying overall to the world?

For some, we have to remember that athletes are human too. This is their livelihood, and they need returning to work just as much as the next person. However, on the flip side, as humans, and us fans are overwhelmingly pushing for them to entertain us, are we not signaling to them that their lives are not as important? It is a question that just generates more questions with little answers. Uncertain times also brings various opinions.

Others bring up that sports is also a business. There are many thoughts that COVID-19 is NOT as serious as government regulations are making it seems. With the rise of unemployment, many are pushing government to restart the economy by re-opening small and big businesses alike. And professional sports being a business too, will the return of sports being the final straw that tips the scales in favor of things returning to normal pre-COVID times?

In the end, we still have a lack of information. And because of this, we still have a lot of uncertainty to come before we can finally get back to a sense of normalcy. Who knows, maybe sports returning is the call to action we all need to make a positive difference together.