Harry Edwards on sports: ‘The normal will never be again’

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By Art Spander
For Maven Sports

He is the man to credit. Or blame. For Tommie Smith and John Carlos and their black-gloved salute. For Colin Kaepernick coming to his knees. For the willingness of African-American athletes over the past half century to let us know a system’s imperfections.

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Copyright 2020, The Maven

Tiger, Phil, Peyton, Tom: $20 million and a ton of rain

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By Art Spander

“Like throwing a little swing pass to the running back.” That was Phil Mickelson, coach Phil, giving advice to partner Tom Brady, before Brady had a little chip shot only a few people not named Phil Mickelson could hope to execute.

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Copyright 2020, The Maven

The draft: A few boos (taped), a lot of quarterbacks

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By Art Spander
For Maven Sports

Roger Goodell got his boos — recorded as they might have been. The 49ers got their replacement for DeForest Buckner. And the Raiders got their official acknowledgment they belong to Las Vegas, which as the virus-denying female mayor of the city said on CNN is not China.

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Copyright 2020, The Maven

No sports? Herm Edwards has a way to fill the void

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By Art Spander

So we’re back to Herm Edwards again. And in these uncomfortable times, when there are far too many questions and virtually no answers, why not?

It was Herm who famously told us when he coached the New York Jets that the idea is to win the game. Still true, although now rather than football or baseball it’s the game of life.

Two months ago, when the world was normal and people shot baskets or took batting practice or worked on their bunker shots, Edwards, coach at Arizona State, spoke to the San Francisco Giants during spring training on the values of common purpose.

“Individuals,” he told them, “but also part of a group with a shared goal.”

Thursday morning, Edwards said on ”Good Morning America” that he hoped his athletes — and thus in effect the rest of us — would use this period without workouts or games for reflection.

Which, since we’re sheltered and presumably bored — and perhaps somewhat claustrophobic and, because of the headlines, depressed — makes sense.

“All of a sudden this thing has come upon us,” said Edwards, “and how we are going to react going forward is very important. But you know what? We live in a noisy world. It’s very quiet now. We gotta reflect on our lives.”

Edwards, who grew up in Monterey, will be 66 in a week. He wants to get back to work, certainly, wants the sports world to be what it was, yet he’s a realist.

The PGA Tour has a plan to return. The NFL has announced contingencies for a schedule that would start in September. But what happens to the college game remains a mystery.

When will students be able to return to campus — if they’re able to return? And if the classrooms and dorms are empty, is it proper to have stadiums full? If authorities give clearance.

Already the mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti, said, depending on the spread of the coronavirus, large gatherings — as in crowds of spectators — may continue to be prohibited until 2021.

What does that mean for the Rams and Chargers and their $5 billion stadium, which is set to open? What does that mean for the Lakers and Clippers? For USC and UCLA? For the Anaheim Ducks and L.A. Kings?

For the Rose Bowl Game and parade, if the ruling still is in effect? For the Dodgers and Angels? And for the opponents, the Giants, A’s, 49ers, Warriors, Sharks, Cal and Stanford, when scheduled down there?

You’re aware of the schemes of major league baseball, to play all the games in Arizona or divide them between Arizona and Florida, each team staying only in one approved hotel and playing in ballparks without fans.

The PGA Tour has taken that last step. Tournaments are to resume in June. But without people other than the golfers, caddies and officials. Eerie but acceptable, one concedes, even if a $5 million event wouldn’t seem much different than four guys out on a Saturday morning at the club.

Yes, we’re anxious to have our sports return, but at what cost? Baseball without fans? Golf tournaments without galleries? If that is the situation, what sort of option do we have?

The word surreal has been used with frequency and, I suppose, with accuracy. Who would have imagined the havoc the virus would create, the medical emergencies, the deaths? Who would believe in the two months since Herm Edwards addressed the Giants how life and sports have changed for the worse?

We’re facing that most fearsome of enemies, the great unknown.

"That's what you think about as a coach — the unexpected, and what are you gonna do?" Edwards said. "Well, we got to find a way to be on the same page and listen to the game plan of the doctors. That's the game plan; it's not our personal game plan.

"We can't be a selfish player now, as citizens. We have to all be on the same team and respect each other. I think that's very important."

Even more important than scoring a touchdown, which one presumes will take place — before fans — in the not-too-distant future.