In full disclosure, I am recording this in Los Angeles, where I’ll be through this weekend for our University’s semester in LA program, which as you can imagine, has been a bit complicated. I’ll spare you any analysis of conditions, as my perspective is no better than anyone else. And to state the obvious, greater Los Angeles is a really big place both geographically and conceptually, something occasionally overlooked.
Regardless and not to minimize the incredible loss of property and human life, but a question that had to be address beyond those of public safety, is the question of what to with sports – most notably the professional and elite college sporting events scheduled across the region. While it might seem odd or even grotesque, there’s a fairly extensive list of games to be played, so one way or another, decisions had to be made. Perhaps the most notable was Monday night’s NFL playoff game between the Rams and Minnesota, a game scheduled for LA’s SoFi Stadium that was inevitably played in Arizona. That decision was less because of imminent fire risk and more because of the drain on public resources playing host would have taken from more pressing matters. The Rams did win this home away from home game, and players have suggested they were inspired to play for way more than themselves. And that they hopefully gave people in LA a chance for some temporary relief.
Across town, the LA Lakers did play a home game Monday against San Antonio after a six-day layoff. They dedicated Monday’s game to the community and first responders and have worked with other LA professional teams to pledge over $8 million to disaster relief. Their first-year head coach JJ Redick also mentioned the importance of providing joy and escape to the city. Not for nothing, Redick should know, as his house is one of the thousands that was lost in the fire. So it’s not some hollow platitude. In Inglewood, the Clippers also played basketball Monday and handed out towels saying “LA Strong.” And college teams, including USC and UCLA, will be hosting games later this week, even as UCLA remains on a remote class schedule.
Any analysis of teams playing in our outside LA at a moment like this is more like multivariate calculus than simple algebra. Meaning it’s not about one thing, but about everything and how they interact. The easiest calculation simply deals with human safety – is it safe for players and fans. That inevitably leads to questions of safe but at what cost. Meaning if it can be made safe, what aren’t you protecting instead. Then, after you’ve considered the physical and pragmatic, you start to think about the sociological and psychological, where sport transcends the body to the mind. The argument that sport can be an essential part of community, whether that’s a university, a city, or a nation. These are all questions teams in and around Los Angeles are asking and trying to answer, understanding these conjectures have intersection with fiscal realities and the inherently capitalistic nature of big time American sports. So while sport can be a point of great civic power and healing, it’s still a business. Just like LA’s Disney and Universal theme parks that also opened their doors for more than just stress release.
I do tend to believe in the distracting and even healing power of sport, even if it’s sometimes a bit Pollyannish. But in general, I believe that sport offers communities an opportunity for collective in a time of duress, especially when it steers clear of politics – which doesn’t always happen. And perhaps of equal importance, watching a game is a signifier that life does go on, even when that feels implausible. That in itself is worth something.
See, life isn’t always an either/or. It’s not mourning and recovery or normal life and recreation. A lot of times – most of the time, even – it’s both. It’s just a matter the balance, which right now in LA leans far more towards the former. But as conditions evolve, so should the scale. I might even try to catch a basketball game while I’m out here, hopefully a release from the past week of emergency planning and risk assessment. For a lot of us, sport isn’t simply an appendage. It’s an essential organ, even if you can technically live without it. And why a lot of LA sports teams are now heading home.
Keith Strudler is the Dean of the School of Communication and Media at Montclair State University. You can follow him at @KeithStrudler
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