Sports Leagues Are Showing How Bad Omicron Could Get

Just a few minutes before tip-off on Wednesday, March 11, 2020, the PA announcer for the Oklahoma City Thunder broke the news to the gathered fans: That night’s NBA game between the Thunder and the visiting Utah Jazz was canceled “due to unforeseen circumstances.” A Jazz player, it would soon come out, had tested positive for the novel coronavirus. “You are all safe,” the announcer assured the apprehensive crowd. “Take your time leaving the arena tonight and do so in an orderly fashion.” Twenty minutes later, the NBA suspended its season, and a classic form of American escapism became an unwitting emissary of a reality Americans could no longer escape. By the weekend, the president had declared a national state of emergency. Read Full Article »