As we move forward with 2020 baseball, it’s important to think critically about how sports should be covered this year. The way we talk about 2020 sports will have to be fundamentally different from how we’ve talked about it in the past, because sports are fundamentally different
Uncritical analysis of this entire environment of baseball won’t cut it anymore. Treating it like a normal season won’t cut it. At a certain point, if it’s clear that things are risking health or, God forbid, lives, I’m going to have to reflect on my own complicity or enabling.
Some traps: framing positive tests as somehow competitively advantageous for anyone, seeing the number of positive tests and thinking, “don’t worry, we knew this would happen.” Please let people sharing clubhouses/homes with them decide what’s a worrying number of positive tests.
Reading or writing any article on, “how these positive tests impact your fantasy team!” Don’t be gross. Don’t be cavalier with other people’s health. Please remember that it’s not just the athletes getting these positive tests. It’s also the unseen staff w/ far less job security.
I want to avoid the trap of trying to pin total blame on individuals if there’s an outbreak. Given how we’ve handled the virus nationally, the liability has largely been placed on the individual worker instead of on the structure that put them in that position to begin with.
For this to work (and I think it can), it requires 100% adherence from 100% of the participants 100% of the time for 100% of the season. Everyone has to do everything they can, but that’s a tougher ask of the unseen workers bc they may not have a choice on certain life decisions:
They may have to be a dual income household, a multi-generational household, having to send kids to daycare or possibly even school. Do those people move out of their home to avoid being the one to bring a virus in? Can they? Sean and I can do that, but it’s because we are lucky.
Yes, athletes are young/healthy. But there are thousands who work in and around this baseball workforce, and not all of them are young, healthy, or millionaires. The ones who stand to suffer most and bear the brunt of responsibility most are the ones paid least and seen least.
I make fun of @whatwouldDOOdo’s threads and here I am. Sorry. I’m excited to watch baseball, but I want to stay mindful about the fact that this is baseball like it’s never been played before. It is risky. Let’s please keep that context in mind when we talk about this season ❤️❤️
To be clear, this isn’t just the task of the sports writers/broadcasters. It’s on all of us to remember the full context and stakes: athletes, families, media, fans, the league. We can’t pretend this is normal baseball because it’s not normal baseball, as much as I want it to be.
Apropos of nothing... 🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️ 
