We spend enough time talking about the “new normal” but there is one thing that myself and many others in our great country just can’t get used to, the lack of live sports on television.

My calendar keeps serving as a constant reminder of what would normally be happening every day in the lives of my favorite baseball team, the Cincinnati Reds.  My entire family is originally from the Southern Ohio area.  My Dad was a Reds fan and his father before him.  The same is true on my Mother’s side of the family.  Baseball is a tradition that runs very deep in my family and just like so many other families out there, we miss the game tremendously.

I have loved this last decade of baseball fandom thanks to the addition of MLB TV.  You can watch any game and every game if you pay the $120 for an annual subscription.  As a kid, the only chance I got to see the Reds play was to hope they were going to play the Cubs or Braves.  Both of those teams had their own TV networks, WGN and TNT, and they had all of their games televised.  Now I have the advantage of seeing the Reds play almost every day, in a normal year.

But, let’s face it, this year so far has been anything but normal.  Our web design company in Phoenix has seen some real changes as well.  We are all fortunate to have careers that allow us to work from home.  We definitely saw some drastic changes in workflow back in March.  Since then, we have been on a steady path to recovery.  I do miss our office sometimes.  I miss having the Reds game on in the background while I’m working.  Baseball games have always been a huge part of my schedule.  Living in Goodyear, AZ has allowed me to stay close with the Reds.

I do feel fortunate to have gone to 5 MLB spring training games this year despite the madness that shut down the MLB season.

I grew up in Florida and my Dad would often take us to spring training games in Plant City Florida to see the Reds.  We also made an annual trip to Ohio every summer and we would go visit what was then Riverfront Stadium.  I used to love the sights, smells and feel of being there.  I can remember that vividly even though it was 30 years ago.  As a father, I am now able to share those same experiences with my kids.  Having Reds spring training in our current hometown of Goodyear, AZ allows us all to stay close.  Baseball is a sport that brings people together.  I know we can’t exactly do that anymore for the time being.  I do hope that the MLB figures out a way to salvage at least part of the 2020 season.

The MLB might have to implement some changes, especially as it relates to fans visiting the stadium.  Currently the sports viewing market is in a place where any game they could play or air would get maximum viewership.  I’m not saying we should rush back into anything, but it would be great to see our teams back on the field.  I think that would inspire a lot of hope to our country that things are trending in the right direction.  Our Phoenix Web Design Company has had to adapt and recover.  I would love to see the professional sports world do the same.   We all miss the games we all miss the “old normal”.  Here is to making the most of what is left of this so far crazy year!