Our nation burns as sports return

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The Hot Corner

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Our nation is hurting and our cities are burning.
We are living in times unlike anything I have seen in my lifetime and people seem more divided than ever.
I typically avoid being political in my columns because I am not a political person, but sometimes events call us to action.
Watching the video of the murder of George Floyd was difficult. Watching a man plead for his life and then senselessly lose his life is not an easy thing to watch and I understand the reasons behind the frustration and calls for justice that have followed.
No person in the United States should feel that they have to fear for their life, or the lives of their children, based solely on the color of their skin. Treat others the way you would want to be treated. We are taught this as children and if we lived our lives by this motto, the world would be a better place.
I am a sports editor and the sporting world is my escape from “real life.” I am sure it is the same for a lot of our readers. Thankfully, the sporting world appears to be getting closer to returning by the day.
Most local high school athletic programs say they are planning to begin some form of summer workouts starting June 8 in accordance with the UIL guidelines. I will have more details on those as the date come closer and coaches get a more clear picture of their plans.
While youth sports will likely take a year off (both Snyder Fastpitch and Snyder Little League have cancelled their 2020 seasons), they will return once it is safe again.
The NFL has remained consistent in its commitment to a regular season kickoff. The league has been adamant on starting on time and while the idea of playing without fans has been floated, there are some that think playing games with fans will be possible. Los Angeles Chargers running back Melvin Gordon was asked about the possibility of playing without fans. The pro-bowler laughed and said “We (Chargers) didn’t have fans anyway. I’m just being honest. We didn’t have many Chargers fans at games so I’m not missing anything.”
The NBA has set a target date for resuming play, but there still seem to be hurdles the league needs to clear first.
Commissioner Adam Silver said the league has its sights set on July 31 and several teams have already begun to transition back into practicing. While there is still speculation as to what the remaining schedule will look like and how playoff positioning will be sorted out, it is a good sign that the league has set a target date.
Don’t expect baseball anytime soon. Reports indicate that the MLB and the MLB Players’ Association are still far apart when it comes to salaries. The owners are asking players to take a pay cut based on the games to be played and then an additional cut depending on their individual salaries. The higher the salary, the larger the pay cut. Superstars like Mike Trout are being asked to take upwards of 60 percent pay cuts and many minor leaguers have already been released.
Another proposal giving players an opt-out was released late this weekend and while it is promising, it would likely result in the leagues’ biggest stars opting out. Why play for less than your value, especially when you have a contract? I understand the position taken by Tampa Bay Rays’ ace Blake Snell and others.
While the sports world will remain silent for the foreseeable future, it is promising seeing these details being discussed. I remain optimistic we will have sports back soon.
Until then, let’s just all be nice to one another.

Reed Graff is the sports editor for The Snyder News. Any comments on this article can be made at sports@thesnydernews.com