The Rush: On anniversary of COVID halting NBA, Rangers and Cowboys vow packed crowds
One year ago today, the world turned upside down when the NBA closed its doors after Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19...and the sports world is still coping. In Texas, the Rangers vow a capacity crowd on Opening Day and Jerry Jones is pledging the same for the Cowboys home opener in the fall. Meanwhile, the Mets are busy simulating a World Series win while Paris St. Germain fans logged an assist in their team’s draw against Barcelona.
Video Transcript
- You see the teams heading back to the locker room.
- [INAUDIBLE] due to unforeseen circumstances, the game tonight has been postponed. You are all safe.
[CROWD ROAR]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
JARED QUAY: One year ago today, the NBA shut down because of COVID, creating a nationwide domino effect. Man, I always knew sports are powerful, but I sure as hell didn't think this moment would impact my life.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Whoever had Rudy Gobert acting a fool and saving lives on their 2020 bingo card better be playing the lottery every single week.
The state of Texas, on the other hand, is playing the lotto with people's lives. The Rangers say they'll have a maximum capacity crowd at Globe Life Stadium for the team's final two exhibition games, and opening day on April 5. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. 40,000 people are going to be right next to each other in four weeks, for baseball? Oh, no. You would think it'd be a Coachella or something!
- It's just about-- [INAUDIBLE]
JARED QUAY: Not to be outdone, Jerry Jones said--
- (SINGING) Hold my beer!
JARED QUAY: The Cowboys owner says he expects to have full attendance when the NFL season starts. Look, I just hope vaccine season wraps before football season starts, otherwise we're going to have complete chaos. And I'm just as excited as anybody to watch Dak Prescott play for bags of money, but I'm going to watching from my couch, safe.
The Mets will probably be watching the 2021 World Series from their couch. But in their spring training, they decided to simulate a World Series Game 7 final out scenario--
[CHEERING]
--just so they know what it feels like for one time, because it will never come true. Do you think they had a pizza party at Chuck E. Cheese after the big win? Hey, we won the simulation, y'all! Turns out they were just running a 27-outs drill and decided to raise the stakes by making it a World Series.
All right, that's dope. I get it. Even though they loaded up with firepower in the off-season, it's going to take a lot to make that [? sally ?] a reality this year.
- You don't say!
- Paris Saint-Germain has plenty to celebrate, though. The team is moving on to the Champions League quarterfinals after a draw against Barcelona. The team did get a solid assist from fans, who lit up the Paris sky with fireworks right in front of the Barcelona Hotel at 4:00 AM on game day.
[FIREWORKS BURSTING]
That's a hell of an alarm clock. It's not quite as subtle as delivering poisonous pizza to the [? GOAT, ?] but I do respect the effort. There's not a lot of things I get up at 4:00 AM for. Hell, I wouldn't even pick my mom up from the airport at 4:00 AM, and I love that woman more than anything else!
[MUSIC PLAYING]