BUFFALO, N.Y. — Right now one of the few events that hasn't been cancelled is the NFL draft. It has been considerably altered but the final details of those alterations haven't either been determined or released to the public.
There's not much else in the sports world that hasn't been dramatically impacted by the coronavirus. So far the NBA, NHL and MLB remain shut down. Basketball and hockey shut down their seasons before the playoffs. Baseball was shut down in spring training.
College basketball's marquee event, the NCAA tournament was cancelled. The NCAA cancelled spring sports at all levels. While there is hope that sports return at some point, that may not happen.
The Indianapolis 500 held Memorial Day weekend annually has been moved to August. The summer Olympics have been postponed until 2021.
The NFL year started on time and continues as teams have signed numerous free agents. Commissioner Roger Goodell did order team facilities closed for at least two weeks.
College football analyst Kirk Herbstreit is trending on Twitter this morning because he said on ESPN Thursday night that he'd be surprised if there was a football season this year, college or the NFL.
"I'll be shocked if we have NFL football this fall, if we have college football. I'll be so surprised if that happens," Herbstreet said.
"Just because from what I understand, people that I listen to, you're 12 to 18 months from a [coronavirus] vaccine. I don't know how you let these guys go into locker rooms and let stadiums be filled up and how you can play ball. I just don't know how you can do it with the optics of it."
Kirk said if he was the NFL commissioner or in charge of the NCAA, he would shut it down ASAP -- "Next thing you know you got a locker room full of guys that are sick. And that's on your watch? I wouldn't want to have that."
"As much as I hate to say it, I think we're scratching the surface of where this thing's gonna go."
The NFL draft is scheduled to be held April 23-25.
The United States now has the most cases of the coronavirus in the world.
