MINNEAPOLIS — Earth's evil interloper still was being referred to as the coronavirus in mid-March, and our apprehension was such that one positive test, by Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz, basically shut down American sports.
The NBA put its schedule on halt after the games of March 11, and sports at all levels — from youth to the Tokyo Olympics with $12.6 billion in expenditures — were soon being postponed.
Eight months later, North America has crowned champions of the World Series, NBA, WNBA and NHL. On Friday and Saturday, the Breeders' Cup provided the traditional finish of the major thoroughbred racing season, and on Sunday, NASCAR winds up a full schedule of Cup races with the Season Finale in Phoenix.
The Masters will complete the three U. S.-based major golf tournaments next week at Augusta National.
The financial hits have been onerous and TV ratings plunged, but how have the sports entities handled holding competition at a time when the biggest foe has been The Virus?
Here's a review, with grades.
