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| At work in the home office on Saturday night. |
The first thing that comes up is an emergency services
warning stating that due to the COVID-19 pandemic anyone who has returned to Saskatchewan
from outside the country must mandatorily self-isolate for 14 days and failure
to do so will result in a $2,000 fine.
A short time ago back on Friday, March 6, I was covering a
WHL regular season game that saw the host Saskatoon Blades down the Regina Pats
2-1 in overtime at the SaskTel Centre. Sophomore left-winger Kyle Crnkovic
scored the winner 74 seconds into the extra session to allow the Blades to lock
up a berth in the WHL playoffs.
At that time, life was proceeding as normal.
Tuesday, March 10 seemed like the last normal day. From that
day until now, you will likely be able to find a number of posts on social
media lines that didn’t age well due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Because of the scare it has created, most people in Saskatoon are virtually living in lockdown and self-isolating at the time I am making this post go live.
Because of the scare it has created, most people in Saskatoon are virtually living in lockdown and self-isolating at the time I am making this post go live.
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| The Huskies sign autographs for little fan on March 11. |
During that press conference, it was said the party was on
for the Juno Awards, which are Canada’s national music awards, slated for this
past Sunday in Saskatoon. Words of reassurance were offered noting there was
low risk in Saskatchewan with regards to COVID-19.
The conference occurred before COVID-19 was declared a
pandemic by the World Health Organization and the NBA suspended play that same
day.
The Junos were cancelled the next day as cancellations and
postponements poured in across the sports world.
On March 11, there were a total of 110 COVID-19 cases in Canada and one death. At the time of making this post go live, there were 1,328 COVID-19 cases in Canada and 19 deaths.
On March 11, there were a total of 110 COVID-19 cases in Canada and one death. At the time of making this post go live, there were 1,328 COVID-19 cases in Canada and 19 deaths.
On March 12, the Saskatchewan government confirmed its first
presumptive case of COVID-19. As of today, Saskatchewan has 25 confirmed cases
of COVID-19 and 19 presumptive cases.
The Saskatchewan government declared a state of emergency this past Wednesday. Since that time, more and more measures have been taken to shut down society in the province, which has been mirrored in the rest of the country.
The Saskatchewan government declared a state of emergency this past Wednesday. Since that time, more and more measures have been taken to shut down society in the province, which has been mirrored in the rest of the country.
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| The Huskies pose for a picture at the March 11 rally. |
At the time this post went live, Italy leads the world in COVID-19
deaths at 4,825. In a 24-hour period on Saturday, Italy had 793 deaths due to
COVID-19.
The drastic measures in Canada and Saskatchewan have been taken to try and prevent the health system from being overrun like Italy’s has.
The drastic measures in Canada and Saskatchewan have been taken to try and prevent the health system from being overrun like Italy’s has.
In my view, we are faced with the options of bad and less bad.
The decision makers in Canada have decided to go the less bad route and try and
not let COVID-19 run wild through the country.
When this scare does ultimately pass, it will likely leave
behind a devastating economic toll. At the moment, we are all in this together,
so we will all face that reality when it comes.
Knowing how it seems a lot of people have short memories, I
can already see people being upset when we are in economic shambles when the COVID-19
pandemic passes. The fact death was escaped all of sudden gets forgotten.
If you search hard enough, you will likely find a person or
two that prefers to die now than face life after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The reality is the world will be a much different place
after the COVID-19 pandemic passes. Still, it is unhealthy to dwell on what the
future can be even a month or two down the road.
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| I made Thursday a hockey jersey day. |
Strange as it sounds, this past Monday and Tuesday were
basically normal work days for me. I had been tracking the developments of
closures and cancellations and new restrictions brought in by governments
during those normal work days too.
As of Thursday night after I was all caught up, I began to
wonder what Friday would be like, when I had more time to think about what all
has happened.
My mind began to worry for old friends I made over my life who have gone into the nursing profession.
My mind began to worry for old friends I made over my life who have gone into the nursing profession.
I remembered how fun it was to attend the celebration rally
for the U Sports national champion University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s
basketball team at the Physical Activity Complex during the lunch hour on March
11. The gold medal winners from the Huskies track and field and wrestling teams
were also honoured.
All that occurred before the NBA suspended play.
I do wonder what different things I would have done had the
COVID-19 pandemic not happened. For a short time when cancellations or
postponements happened, there were other things on the go that filled the time
that was committed to what I was originally going to go to.
On Saturday, March 14, I was to have been in Medicine Hat, Alta., to celebrate Bob Ridley calling his 4,000th game as the play-by-play voice of the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers.
On Saturday, March 14, I was to have been in Medicine Hat, Alta., to celebrate Bob Ridley calling his 4,000th game as the play-by-play voice of the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers.
Tonight was to have been a special night in Saskatoon, as
the Blades were to honour their long time former head coach and general manager
Lorne Molleken, who always treated my family unbelievably well. I had been
looking forward to tonight at the SaskTel Centre.
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| I have been working out in my basement dungeon. |
I have spent more down time with my mom. We took a drive to
downtown Saskatoon, and it was unsettling to see that part of the city be
basically abandoned.
As downtown Saskatoon neared, there seemed to be less and
less life out in the street.
I’ve had moments where I was thankful I was no longer
working in the mainstream media, because I know reporters would be working
18-hour days when something like the COVID-19 pandemic breaks out. The sports
staffers all of sudden end up helping the news staffers.
I’ve had moments where I’ve gone emotionally in the tank. I’ve
had other moments where I have felt good thinking about all the special moments
I have covered in my career covering sports.
In a lot of ways, I have had way more good experiences than
most will ever have in their lives.
I am glad there are things that have run their normal
course. The NFL has been business as usual with that league’s free agency
period underway.
I will note it feels uncomfortable to hear all-time great
quarterback Tom Brady signed a two-year $50-million US guaranteed contact with
the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at age 42. You could divide that figure and give out
$50,000 US to 1,000 persons in these challenging times and it would be more of
a benefit to society than giving all that cash to one person to throw a
football.
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| Some of my mementos that have been collected over the years. |
At the moment, the only certainty is uncertainty.
As I said before, all anyone can do is take things one day
at a time and remember we are all going through this difficult time right now together.
Hopefully by following self-isolation and other directions
by the governments in Canada, we will get to the other end of this sooner than
later.
Watson goes Rocky IV training in self-isolation, other notes
One of the most inspiring videos I saw this week came from
the Instagram account of elite Canadian track and field athlete Sage Watson.
The 25-year-old, who holds the Canadian record for the women’s
400-metre hurdles, returned home to her family ranch near Seven Persons, which
his just southwest of Medicine Hat in Alberta. Watson came back home after
training in Arizona and has put herself in self-isolation for 14 days due to
the COVID-19 pandemic.
She competed at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil.
Watson is currently training to go to the upcoming Summer
Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, which are slated to start on July 24 and run
through to August 9.
At her family ranch, Watson has been running on gravel roads
and working out in a gym she created.
She posted one of her gym workouts, which included doing box
jumps on hay bales. That scene was reminiscent of the fictional character in
boxer Rocky Balboa training in the snowy countryside of Russia in the movie
Rocky IV.
Watson does a great job of creating a lot of inspiring posts
on her Instagram account, and I would encourage you to give her a follow
@sagewatson like more than 55,300 others already have.
- When the SFMAAAHL handed out its league awards on March 13, Regina Rebels forward Neena Brick was named the winner of the league’s Hayley Wickenheiser Most Valuable Player award, the Kelly Bechard Top Scorer award and a first-team all-star. Brick piled up 30 goals and 28 assists for 58 points to help the Rebels top the SFMAAAHL regular season with a 27-2-1 record. The female midget AAA playoffs across Canada were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Saskatoon Stars graduating goaltender Arden Kliewer was named a second team SFMAAAHL all-star. On a young rebuilding Stars team, Kliewer posted a 6-10-1 record, a 2.78 goals against average, a .921 save percentage and one shutout. Over her four seasons with the Stars, Kliewer posted a 44-13-2 record, a 1.91 goals against average, .923 save percentage and 11 shutouts. She sits second in the history of the SFMAAAHL for career regular season wins. Kliewer helped the Stars win the SFMAAAHL title and appear in the Esso Cup national female midget AAA hockey championship tournament in 2018 and 2019. The 18-year-old will join the University of Regina Cougars women’s hockey team next season.
- With the WHL having cancelled the rest of its regular season game due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 18-year-old Spokane Chiefs left-winger Adam Beckman won the regular season scoring title. The Saskatoon product appeared in 63 games with the Chiefs piling up 48 goals and 59 assists for 107 points. He posted a plus-44 rating in the plus-minus department.
- The Dog’s Breakfast fundraiser for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team originally scheduled for April 30 has been postponed until Thursday, September 3 at Prairieland Park. The Huskies made the postponement announcement on Friday. Jim McMahon, who was the quarterback of the NFL’s famed 1985 Chicago Bears that won the Super Bowl, will be the guest speaker. Glen Suitor, who was a safety with the CFL’s 1989 Grey Cup champion Saskatchewan Roughriders, will be the master of ceremonies. Tickets for the Dog’s Breakfast can be found by clicking right here.
- Now graduated Saskatoon Hilltops left guard Ryder Klisowsky has elected to continue his post-secondary football career in the U Sports ranks joining the University of Manitba Bisons, Klisowsky, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 310 pounds, played with the Hilltops for the past five seasons helping the storied club win the CJFL national title in each of those campaigns. The Hilltops have won the last six straight CJFL titles overall.
If you have any
comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them
to stankssports@gmail.com.
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