I’ve been around a few days. In fact, when Sept. 5 arrives it will mark the 45th anniversary of the first high school football game I ever covered and thus begins my 46th year doing this thing that has somehow morphed into my career path. During this journey I have covered high school, college, professional, youth, and recreational sports — ranging from youth league baseball, to 5K races, to The Masters. While many an interesting thing has been processed through these ever-dimming eyes, I can’t say I’ve ever experienced anything quite like these past six months. COVID-19 has transformed sports from something we could count on into something, like everything else these days, very uncertain. A handful of high school football games — with extreme caution and limited attendance — have already been played and a full slate of MHSAA and MAIS contests are set for Sept. 4. Some school district have opted not to play fall sports at all this fall, while others are taking a no-holds barred approach. Most, however, are proceeding with a day-by-day approach, that includes wearing masks over the nose and mouth, social distancing when possible, and making personal and community safety a priority. As I sit here banging out this column on a Monday morning I have no idea how this season will turn out. How many teams will have to forfeit games along the way; how many will not be able to complete their season; will there be enough teams to even have playoffs; will the entire season go relatively unscathed? All of these questions, and many more, are both legitimate and necessary. The players want to play, the coaches want to coach, and I can promise you the spectators want to spectate. Should they be playing games at all this fall? Should everything be moved to the Spring? Should children even be going to school? Is the COVID-19 situation going to be worse or improve? The answer to all of these questions, and many more, are : I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know, and I for sure don’t know. And neither does anybody else. Most folks are just doing their best. During times like these we as humans struggle to find normalcy, to latch on to something that brings us comfort. More many that is a football game on a Friday night or a Sunday afternoon or some other sporting event. It is watching someone, or a team we care about play a game. That brings peace, that brings comfort, that brings stability. But this year, and maybe for several to come, it brings challenges as well. Just six months ago we were getting ready for college basketball’s March madness, high school spring sports to begin, and the approach of Major League Baseball’s Opening Day. Now, March Madness is the event that didn’t happen, spring sports were cut VERY, VERY short, and MLB is just now beginning to play its season. My personal approach for the 2020-21 sports season is to enjoy what sports I am afforded the opportunity to watch; to pray for those playing, officiating and attending; and to appreciate each morning I am blessed to see. My advice to you is simple: Be safe, be wise, and above all, be prepared for change. It’s coming, that’s for sure. Austin Bishop, AKA the Old Sports Dude, has been covering sports in Mississippi for 45 years. He has been the sports editor for three daily newspapers — The Meridian Star, Laurel Leader-all and Natchez Democrat, and has worked to produce a quality sports product for many weekly papers across the state during his career that has now touched parts of six decades.
