John Oliver took a deep dive into the coronavirus pandemic’s effect on the world of sports last night, and the frustration it has caused for many fans. More specifically, Oliver noted the complaints coming from Donald Trump, who is tired of watching baseball games that are 15 years old.
“Okay, but here’s the thing,” said Oliver. “We actually asked some experts about that, and it turns out that when the country is in the middle of a pandemic that’s killing many thousands of Americans every single week, the correct number of batters from 2006 for the president to be watching is actually f**king zero.”
Oliver then went on to note how the disappearance of sports is hurting people financially, what a path back for sports might look like, and what sports have become in the age of coronavirus, which included a Russian slapping competition that has gone viral on social media.
Said Oliver: “If we are all reaching the point of desperation, where we’re honestly willing to watch large men slap each other in a windowless room, there is clearly a desire to restart sporting events. The question, though, isn’t why sports should come back but how that can safely happen. Because to do it responsibly would be a mammoth undertaking. To do it irresponsibly, however, turns out to be pretty easy.”
Oliver denounced WWE, AEW and UFC for deciding, irresponsibly, to operate during the pandemic.
Admitted Oliver: “Look, I will own the fact that I really want sports to come back. There is no doubt that they have the ability to inspire. One of the things sport does best brings people together in times of crisis like when the Yankees resumed playing after 9/11. Unfortunately, though, bringing people together is the exact thing we should not be doing right now. If it comes back too soon and irresponsibly, it won’t be an inspiration, it’ll be a cautionary tale.”
Oliver also announced a solution in the meantime: marble racing.
