Where We’re Going: Sports – National Viewpoint

The second installment of Where We’re Going: Sports included an impressive panel of individuals who were on the front lines of the sports industry during the pandemic. Raul Fernandez began by highlighting that one notable benefit of the pandemic was the cooperation between companies and within communities. He partly attributed the creation of the NBA “bubble” – which allowed the teams to continue to compete – to the data that was learned from and shared by other leagues. Despite the success achieved by the NBA, Fernandez did make sure to highlight that in keeping a balance between safety and playing sports, there was no uniform solution.

To that point, Allison Barber described the challenges of deciding what actions the WNBA should take. She was upfront in expressing that their worry in postponing or cancelling the women’s season was that the league itself might be lost; they questioned the league’s ability to stay relevant for the length of the pandemic. Eventually, the NBA bubble was mimicked for the WNBA, although this effort carried its own burdens for the players who were now isolated from friends and family. Speaking for the NCAA, Stan Wilcox recognized the pros and cons of putting in the effort to continue sports through the pandemic. He noted that each college was able to choose whether to participate in fall sports or not, and that the NCAA would provide a roadmap for schools who decided to go forward with their seasons. The most challenging part of this proved to be that the problems were not isolated to Division I, but spread throughout the other two divisions as well. 

On the topic of hidden insights revealed by the pandemic, Fernandez explained how the ticket booths in the Capital One Arena became remarkably successful pop-up betting stations, giving hope for new ventures in sports betting following the ease of Covid-19 restrictions. Similarly exciting was a significant growth in viewers of the Indiana Fever games after the streaming became free. Barber credited the season’s momentum and engagement to both the Mystics’ impressive last season, as well as the strong incoming draft class. Sashi Brown joined the discussion at this point, agreeing that technology has contributed significantly to the creative solutions which companies are finding.

Next, moderator Chris Stevens introduced injustice into the conversation, asking the panelists how they thought change could be brought about through sports. Wilcox commended how student athletes are contributing to the social justice dialogue effectively and emphasized the importance of one’s college years in choosing to change society. Barber commented further on leadership roles, explaining how leaders who surround themselves with different people tend to reach much farther than those who do not. In reference to a previous career in the White House, Barber affirmed that change cannot happen without common civility.

Leadership through difficult times builds character, and both Brown and Barber spoke passionately about how important character is to them – both on and off the court – when recruiting into the professional leagues. Wilcox strongly agreed, and added that he especially hoped the culture of sports for kids would begin to revert back to where it started decades ago, with more athletes who were well-rounded and played multiple sports than those who excelled by focusing on just one. 

This hope segued into the closing comments of the discussion, which asked each panelist to describe their hopes and concerns in regards to where athletics might be headed in the future. Brown was hopeful in regards to the responses received which indicated that fans are ready to come back for the next season. However, the unpredictability of the pandemic’s length left him questioning the sustainability of the sports industry at its current size. Specific to college athletes, Wilcox expressed hope that rules and regulations will improve to more directly benefit and respect the student athletes. On that same note, however, he acknowledged that the process and politics of creating further legislation slow down the pursuit for change. Barber’s closing thoughts focused on her desire to keep the momentum of the social change she has witnessed; she is striving to champion the good and be a steward for making an impact. Moreover, she hopes that the WNBA might continue to use the strategies from the pandemic to spread interest in the league through all fifty states. Summarily, the pandemic’s stripping the sports industry of some inherent aspects revealed weaknesses and introduced strengths; there was enough growth to encourage hope that the industry will continue to survive Covid-19. 

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