March 12, 2020 will be a day of infamy for sports fans, for decades to come.

With the spread of COVID-19, the sports world has essentially shut down for the foreseeable future.

College conference basketball tournaments, the NCAA March Madness tournament and all NCAA spring sports have canceled their 2020 competitions.

In addition, the NBA and NHL have suspended their seasons until further notice.

For the first time in my lifetime, sports seem like an afterthought.

At first, I was angry the media was blowing this headline out of proportion.

We had a saying in journalism school, “If it bleeds, it leads.”

Right now, Coronavirus is causing a lot of bleeding.

I’ve been angry for my own selfish reasons, relating to both sports and personal plans I had made.

A year ago, I booked a cruise as a retirement gift for my parents, which has now been put on hold.

I’ve had concert plans for this year that look to be put on hold.

Like I said, I was angry my life had been put on hold.

But as various institutions continue to postpone events, and as businesses and schools continue to close their doors, the frustrations will only continue to mount.

On Thursday afternoon, I began to think about everything that had changed because of this virus and the lasting impact it will have on society.

With all the sporting events being canceled, I began to think about the college seniors who have played their last game, without knowing it was the final time they would step on a court.

I began to think about coaches who may have coached their last game.

And then I realized there are even those of us who will catch this virus who have seen their last live sporting event as not everyone will survive this outbreak.

It kind of puts everything in perspective.

Sports used to be an arena people could escape to, put all troubles of the world aside and unite behind a single banner.

And for now, that’s been put on hold.

For now, there’s a lot to dissect and a lot to process.

While the current landscape of sports looks pretty barren, we as sports fans have to accept this, too, shall pass.

Eventually, stadiums will fill and fans will be treated with live games once again.

When that happens, I predict a united sense of humanity among fans, similar to the renewed patriotism following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

Until then, we’re all in this together.

It’s time to lend a helping hand to our neighbors. Be the support for someone in need. And keep a calm, steady demeanor until this passes.

With live games coming to a halt, the staff of the Times-Gazette will still continue to seek out and find the sports stories that are important to those in and around Bedford County.

Stay safe out there.

— Chris Siers is sports editor of the Times-Gazette. Email him at sports@t-g.com.