Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Loss of games will have huge impact on Las Vegas, but our health is paramount

Behind-the-Scenes at a Vegas Golden Knights Game

Wade Vandervort

Seats are seen empty prior to the start of a Golden Knights game against the Colombus Blue Jackets at T-Mobile Arena Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019.

Don’t overreact to the decisions that are causing major global sporting events to go dark. The decision-makers made the right call.

It was the right call for the Las Vegas service industry worker who relies on tips and was counting on March Madness viewing parties for a much-needed spike in income. It was right for the parents who were excited to take their child to a Golden Knights game. It was right for the fan whose college team was poised to make a championship run.

The loss of games, without question, is devastating on many fronts. It’s a reminder of the important role sports plays in our lives and the fabric of our great city, especially economically.

But games aren’t more important than life itself.

The sports world has hit pause on competition this week, as major leagues across the globe and college basketball conferences across America suspended seasons and canceled tournaments to contain the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. It has infected more than 130,000 worldwide and claimed nearly 5,000 lives, and, unfortunately, it’s getting worse each day.

It’s important to keep in mind that sports, even at the highest level of the NHL or NBA, is nothing more than recreation. The purpose of playing is no different than youth football or beer-league softball, which gives participants and supporters a much-needed break from the grind of daily life and unites a community for the greater good.

The community could be the massive following of residents for the Golden Knights, or a group of 15 buddies and their families who play recreation basketball on Wednesdays at the local park.

The greater good has quickly become limiting the coronavirus outbreak to ensure all the fans who intended to support a team or players who would participate in an event are healthy and alive to do so when there is another game to be played. Let’s not forget how precious and valuable each and every life is in this world.

Canceling games and ending seasons is the only acceptable response to the global health emergency. Protecting athletes, fans, game-day staff and others is the only way to prevent the spread.

Two world-class, healthy athletes from the Utah Jazz, neither of whom had traveled out of the country, have tested positive for coronavirus. Why put others, including yourself, at risk?

“It is no longer appropriate to try to continue to play games at this time,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in announcing the league’s suspension of play.

Some will say that leagues suspending or canceling their seasons, or college basketball conferences electing to not play their league tournaments, is an overreaction to the coronavirus panic. They insist these actions add to the hysteria.

That is silly — says science. Sport will always exist and there will be other seasons. Winning games and championships is important, don’t get me wrong, but it pales in comparison to human life.

Three new presumptive cases of the coronavirus in Clark County were announced Thursday, bringing the total to eight in the Las Vegas area and 10 statewide. Imagine if an undiagnosed carrier of the coronavirus planned to attend a Golden Knights home game next week, inadvertently putting the health of thousands of fans at risk. Potentially, those thousands could take the virus back to their homes, work, schools and places of worship. This is exactly how a virus spreads out of control.

The NHL and NBA often share locker rooms in some arenas. Imagine if the Golden Knights were in the same road locker room used by the Utah Jazz, which now has two players with confirmed cases of the coronavirus. That, too, could spread the illness.

“The health and safety of our members, fans and community as a whole is a top priority,” the Golden Knights said in a statement.

Again, don’t get me wrong, this loss of games is devastating.

It sucks for the college basketball players who have waited their entire life to have that one shining moment in March Madness and are now trying to comprehend not getting the chance to participate. Think of all of the sweat equity and investment they put into their careers for nothing.

It’s a massive blow financially to Las Vegas, which annually sees March as its busiest month, in no small part because of the city’s popularity as the place to watch and bet on the NCAA Tournament games. The money those hundreds of thousands of visitors spend trickles down to those in the service industry, meaning many families in Las Vegas will see a decrease in income this year. And for an area where some are still healing from the scars of the Great Recession, that decrease of income could reopen old wounds. We’re still awaiting word on the status of the NFL Draft in late-April, which is expected to bring upwards of 350,000 daily visitors and an economic impact of at least $200 million to Las Vegas.

In the past two days, the Golden Knights season has been put on hold, with the NHL saying “our goal is to resume play as soon as it is appropriate and prudent, so that we will be able to complete the season and award the Stanley Cup.” All games in the springs sports season for UNLV have also been put on hold. Same for the United Soccer League, which canceled the Las Vegas Lights’ home opener on Saturday and will put the season on hiatus for at least 30 days.

The Golden Knights eventually will be competing in the playoffs — hopefully this season — and we’ll be watching and cheering as fanatically as ever. We need to take that same approach to containing the coronavirus in our community. Remember, sports are just a game. And, eventually, there will be another game to be part of. Let’s make sure we are all healthy to take part in the festivities.

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21