NASHVILLE, Tenn. — March Madness became March Sadness on Friday as the NCAA canceled its basketball tournament.
There will be no Cinderellas to love or Duke to hate.
As disappointing as that is, it was the right thing to do.
It is all about containment.
It’s about keeping the coronavirus from spreading all over the country.
That’s why pro leagues are shutting down, college tournaments are canceled, and most spring sports are canceled or suspended.
My friend Jerry Webster and his wife had flown to Los Angeles for a long weekend of watching NBA games, but those plans are shot.
It is why President Trump limited travel to and from the USA.
It is an attempt to get this thing under control.
Take the SEC Tournament for example. What if a group of people stopped at a casino and played cards or slots and didn’t wash their hands before walking into Bridgestone Arena?
Or they went into a restaurant or sports bar where someone with the virus had touched chairs, stools or the bar?
Not saying they would have been infected, but every time you touch something and you don’t know who touched it previously, you are at risk of getting and spreading the coronavirus. Especially without proper hand washing.
Instead of playing games — and that’s what they are — the professional leagues and colleges are taking no chances.
It was believed that canceling the conference tournaments might give the 2020 NCAA Basketball Tournament a chance.
The first big step was to say no fans, which meant thousands upon thousands of people would not travel all over the country.
It also would have given the schools and NCAA a window, for lack of a better word, to quarantine the players and coaches before resuming play next week. But those hopes were scratched.
A lot will be learned about who is and isn’t sick in days to come.
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock was declared the Sun Belt’s NCAA Tournament representative after the conference tournament was canceled because the Trojans won the regular season.
If the NCAA Tournament had been played, the Trojans likely would have received a No. 15 seed. Obviously, Darrell Walker, his staff and players are disappointed about the outcome.
They were good enough to upset a team or two, and playing in the Big Dance would have paid off in recruiting.
Some signs pointed to the tournament progressing.
Then Kansas jumped up and said it wasn’t playing, then said it was misquoted, but Athletic Director Jeff Long likes to draw attention to himself.
Later Duke was reported as saying it wasn’t playing, and shortly after that came the announcement the tournament was officially off.
The whole situation was fluid, complicated and at times confusing, but the big picture is to get a grip on this virus and slow the spread.
Just how critical the situation is will be known in the next few days, but the key date seems to be April 30.
That’s when some leagues have said they will consider resuming spring sports.
That’s the key date with American Airlines, which said if you bought a ticket before March 1 for an international flight that left before April 30, you can get a refund.
On a high note, the Razorbacks officially got to the 20-win mark, finishing 20-12. Depending on how you look at it, they are co-champions with Georgia of the SEC Basketball Tournament.
Sorry about that. Although everyone needs to be concerned, it seemed a little levity might be nice, too.