There’s been a term used in the media and business advertisements over the last several weeks—“The New Normal.” I didn’t think much of it, but after hearing the phrase said in several different advertisements and media reports, it started weighing on me...
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There’s been a term used in the media and business advertisements over the last several weeks—“The New Normal.”
I didn’t think much of it, but after hearing the phrase said in several different advertisements and media reports, it started weighing on me.
“The New Normal.”
To me, that feels like a defeatist perspective in analyzing the ongoing pandemic.
Nothing about this is normal for our way of life.
Having virtually the entire sports world grind to a halt seemingly overnight isn’t normal.
Closing schools for months on end and forcing students to finish their high school careers while on a two month lockdown isn’t normal.
Nothing about how we are as a society is normal right now.
Instead of accepting this is how life will be for the human race moving forward, I’ve started to notice over the last few weeks, society is beginning to return to normal.
Our normal.
The actual way of life.
On Monday morning, high school teams were allowed to hold voluntary workouts, marking the first time high school athletes can rejoin their teammates in an actual team environment since early March.
That’s three months of abnormal life.
This isn’t an argument about opening society too soon.
On Monday, we saw signs of life returning to the actual normal.
Later this summer, college athletes are being allowed to return to campus and begin workouts.
Currently, the NFL has plans to play football this fall in front of fans.
Even at the college level, while it may not be packed stadiums, there are current plans to have fans attend actual sporting events.
We’ve already seen the return of NASCAR and there is a target return date for the NBA to finish and conclude the 2019-2020 season.
The NHL has also adopted a playoff format to conclude its season as well.
Sure, we’ve been through unprecedented times over the last three months.
But there are signs cropping up that we’re returning to normal.
Eventually, we’ll get there and Monday was a huge step for local athletes to resume the normal they’ve known.
How scholastic programs are able to navigate these uncharted waters will be a huge indicator of what sports will look like at the high school and local level this fall.
Is it a “new normal?”
Absolutely not.
But we’re starting to see glimpses of what our normal is.
•Chris Siers is sports editor of the Times-Gazette. Email him at sports@t-g.com
