Rutgers AD Pat Hobbs issues statement on coronavirus shutting down various sports
The Big Ten and NCAA announced Thursday that all remaining winter and spring sports are being canceled due to the coronavirus.
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This led to plenty of opinions and questions on the matter. No sports? No March Madness?
What happens to the seniors? Are their final seasons cut short because of this? It doesn’t seem fair.
And, while none of this is certainly fair — especially to those legitimately affected by the virus — it is a reality. On Thursday, Rutgers athletic director Pat Hobbs issued a statement about the virus and its affect on the sports world:
“This is an extraordinary moment in time. With each passing day, indeed, with each passing hour, we are reminded just how small our world is and how much we depend on each other in times of crisis. Sometimes we are called to make sacrifices, large and small. This is such a time. Nothing can be more important than the health of our fellow man.
“The announcement by the Big Ten Conference today to cancel athletic competition for the remainder of this academic year is in everyone’s best interest. The healthiest among us will sacrifice their athletic pursuits to aid our nation in its efforts to contain the spread of this virus. We are deeply disappointed for our student-athletes. Their success on the fields and courts thrill us. They swell our chests with pride. Their success in the classroom reminds us what a wonderful path to lifelong success athletics provides. I know you join me in saying thank you to these wonderful young men and women. This has been a tremendous season for the Scarlet Knights.
“This hiatus from competition will I’m sure remind us of just how much joy our teams bring to our daily lives. Hopefully their sacrifice along with all the other actions that are being undertaken will bring an end to this health crisis as quickly as possible. Then our student athletes and coaches can return to writing what I believe will be Rutgers athletics’ greatest chapter. In the meantime, guard your health Scarlet Nation. Go Knights!”
It was anticipated that Hobbs’ Scarlet Knights were going to make the NCAA Tournament in men’s basketball for the first time in 29 years this season. That, of course, won’t be happening anymore.
As Hobbs said, this time away from sports will inevitably make us appreciate athletics across the board even more so once everything is able to resume.