Photo Credit: medium.com
Just a couple of weeks ago, HBO released a new documentary, The Day Sports Stood Still, which provided an in-depth look around March 11, 2020, the day when the COVID-19 pandemic caused a ripple effect in the sports world and led to all major sports leagues suspending their seasons.
The Chris Paul-narrated documentary not only looks at the day itself, but also examines the effects the pandemic has had on sports, not only then, but also today. It also explores the Black Lives Matter movement, and the effects that the protests had on sports.
After watching the documentary, I can say that it gave me the feelings that I had at the start of and during the shutdown; those of uncertainty, nerves, and sadness at losing what I thought would and could never be lost at the hands of a viral disease. It also helped me further understand why racism and protests had such a big effect on the sports world (particularly basketball), and caused those who play for these specific sports to reassess whether or not they should play.
On this account, the documentary raises critical questions and makes one really question whether or not the idea of supporting and watching sports is really right or ethical in the face of ongoing racial division. It’s not just a recap of a crazy day during which it seemed like the world turned on its head, but rather it’s one that causes you to question whether or not the need or desire for a distraction like sports in the midst of something like Black Lives Matter, is really right on a moral or ethical scale.
On top of that, the documentary also acknowledges by the end that the impact COVID-19 has had on sports is still ongoing today, and it is not too far off. Stadiums are still not at the capacity that they were before March 11th of last year, more players are using their platforms to call for racial equality than before, and, even as sports seasons are starting to look a little closer to normal, games are still being postponed due to positive COVID tests, and personnel still need to take the necessary precautions to ensure that they don’t get infected.
With all of these points, The Day Sports Stood Still is a smart documentary that not only captures the uncertainty surrounding the sports world, especially when it comes to the recap of the titular calendar day, but it also raises intriguing questions and is sure to cause viewers, especially the more hardcore sports fans, to reconsider their commitment to their favorite pastimes.
