By HPRS Staff Columnist Jacob Stevens
“Happiness is more than doing fun things. Happiness is doing meaningful things.” – Maxime Lagacé
As I sit down to take the collection of thoughts that are swirling around in my mind and put them on paper, I can’t help but have the thought: we are living in very strange times indeed. The pandemic we are currently experiencing regarding COVID-19 is unlike anything that I have ever experienced, and I believe that now, more so than ever, we need to respond with patience, transparency, and kindness regarding one another.
Throughout history humans have a had a unique way in which we handle trying times or times of unrest and that is by utilizing sports or sporting events as a means of escapism. Dating back thousands of years, we have used competitive athletics to escape our current reality, if only for a few hours. We watch sporting events on tv, we attend them live, and we even spend a little extra time out on the trails or in the gym. This mechanism offers a healthy and constructive way to decompress and focus on something other than the situation that is causing us stress and acts as a common theme in which we can all find solace. Well, COVID-19, which is causing mass gatherings of people, and most recently gatherings of even 50 people, to be forbidden, is threatening our ability to escape and find familiarity in sport. The NBA has been suspended, NCAA events have been suspended, trail and road races have been postponed or cancelled, and there is even concerns regarding the 2020 Olympic games in Tokyo.
Dana White and the Ultimate Fighting Championship will not be deterred; however, and as I sat and watched a fight on television that literally had no crowd, I was equally intrigued, confused, shocked, and in awe. The UFC’s solution to the current legislation in Brasilia, Brazil was to simply hold the event with no crowd. As excited as I was to still be able to watch the fights I had anticipated, I couldn’t help but feel a little selfish, and even childish…with all that is going on in the world I was more concerned with how I was going to fill a few hours of my Saturday night than anything else and I had a complete disregard for other people. COVID-19 is having a profound effect on our lives and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. To see exactly how this is affecting our sport along with some excellent commentary on the situation from the perspective of a race director I encourage you to read this incredible article by HPRS owner and RD John Lacroix.
One thing I think we need to be aware of is just how much the decisions being made are costing us and some of the consequences that may not be so evident. Let’s take the NBA suspending the season for example. What this means is that the NBA will no longer be playing basketball games, and this means that the arenas will be empty. How many people does an arena employ? There is not a clear-cut answer, but it is in the thousands and a conservative number would be 5,000. Think about it: one website in regards to the Staples Center stated that there are over 1,000 staff just working in the food and beverage department; further searches mentioned the employees that sell merchandise, office employees, janitorial staff, laundry staff, parking attendants, facility superintendents, box office and ticket employees, employees that build the various floors (basketball courts to ice hockey rinks and back to indoor monster jam courses), and that doesn’t even include security.
The NBA has 30 teams so a conservative estimate of the number of people that lost their job, even if it is only temporary, is 150,000 people or more! So yes, it sucks that you can’t watch basketball and Sportscenter just got a little more boring as you get ready for work, but 150,000 people JUST LOST THEIR JOBS! Fortunately for us, the silver lining to this whole situation is that it gives us an opportunity to give back and help our fellow humans.
Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans started a trend that Mark Cuban (owner of the Dallas Mavericks) and a few others picked up on and followed suit. These guys are paying the salaries of the arena workers while the games are suspended! How amazing and generous is that?!? This generosity and kind heartedness are not limited to the NBA either. Our very own Killian Jornet has released his “Summits of My Life” documentary for free in hopes that it will provide hope and inspiration to all those quarantined and on lock down.
It is people like these that we need more of and that we need to look to for inspiration and guidance. I urge you to read John’s article and really think about how race cancellations and/or postponements are affecting race directors. If a race you are registered for cancels, I urge you, DO NOT TAKE A FREE REGISTRATION FOR ANOTHER RACE. Yes, I said it and I mean it. By simply transferring your registration to a different race you are prolonging the financial effects that race directors are already suffering. I’m not just telling you to do this, I made this decision myself today.
Lake McMurtry 100k in Stillwater, OK on April 11 was to be my next race and like so many other events it had to be cancelled. I was provided with a choice: run a virtual race and upload your data to the race director and he will send you your shirt, finishing award, and race bib (all of which he has already bought, printed, made and paid for by the way) or simply defer your entry to next year’s race or any other race in the Outlaw Trail Series (they will send you a code for free entry if you choose this option). I sent the RD a text message and said, “you know what, I paid for this race and I want to support this race, you, and your company, I know that transferring my entry will take a valuable spot for a paying runner at that future race and will take money out of your pocket…it is for these reasons that I’ll run the virtual race.” His response could not have been more heartfelt or meaningful and not only re-enforced the idea that I made the right choice but simply made me feel good.
During these times, this is what we need: something to feel good about. So, I beg you, do not belittle, demean, or be ugly to race directors, employers, government officials, or anyone else that may have to make a hard decision. The best thing we can do right now is to be kind to one another, help each other out, and simply be good people. Remember, YOU are awesome, YOU are amazing, and YOU have the ability to make someone else feel good in a time when we desperately need something to feel good about!