It's officially been one month since the NBA made the groundbreaking, trendsetting and most importantly, correct, call of suspending games due to the Covid-19 Pandemic that has gripped the globe and the world of sports alike. Not even WWI, The Great Depression or WWII halted the sports universe the way the Covid-19 Strain of the Coronavirus has.
For the first time ever all major sporting events like the Olympics are postponed, while others like the NCAA Tournament have been canceled completely. This has caused the world of sports enthusiasts to collapse faster than tower made of cards on an outdoor table on a windy Spring day. Thrust into uncharted waters, the four letter network, Fox Sports and the other major sport networks have run around like chickens with their heads cut off. Sports writers and shows everywhere have resorted to the time tested and true resort of debating "Greatest of All Time" players and teams endlessly playing hypotheticals in their minds and regurgitating it to the public.
All over social media we are finding the internet taking over as athletes streaming their games have become a source of entertainment. I have tried my best to stay away from the desert oasis of "Classic Games" and "Virtual Horse" as I fall deeper and deeper into lava like the Terminator, a single defiant fist in the air clinging onto the hope of some better option coming up. I got it this weekend.
My case of "Sports Deprivation" was given a placebo as the talk of the Las Vegas Raiders possibly playing a game or two in my hometown of El Paso, TX, came to the forefront of the public as an article by Forbes was regurgitated into the hungry and awaiting beaks of local sports fans by those in the media like the mother birds they are feeding our insatiable need for sports. Thank you "Sports Gods" for allowing me the perfect time to unleash the thought burning in my head for years.
As I've said time and time again on various social media and on "The Tipping Point", The Vegas Raiders or the Los Angeles Chargers should move to the Sun City and be the "Star on the Mountain" in this true Desert Oasis. El Paso sports fans are given a bad rep because of the way the College Football team in the city has consistently lost... support. However, the same cannot be said about the support for professional sports teams in El Paso.
The El Paso Chihuahuas and Locomotive have great support throughout the city and have set the foundation for other sports franchises to succeed. However the true test of ones "Fan-hood" is when the team loses... and boy oh boy, do we support some losers!
The Dallas Cowboys are arguably, THE sports team in El Paso, any given Sunday... or any day for that matter, the Sun City is full of Silver and Blue Dallas Cowboys gear. Showing support for a team that has been the model of mediocrity for the better part of three decades. Yet somehow, someway the Dallas Cowboys fan support has never wavered in this city.
The Las Vegas Raiders could put up an argument against the Dallas Cowboys as El Paso's favorite team. The Raiders' fans can be found throughout the city on any given day as well, showing support for a team that has a championship draught longer than that of the Dallas Cowboys and have held onto the single appearance in the Super Bowl, where they were blown out by the Tampa Bay Bucs in 2003 (not the type of memory I would hold onto, but I'm just some guy).
Moving from America's Favorite today to the Nation's Past-time, El Paso is undoubtedly a Dodgers Town. The LA Dodgers hold the unenviable distinction as being THE team that lost to the cheating Houston Astros, a fact that cannot be overshadowed by the current events. However for the better part of 32 years the Dodgers have been perennial underachievers. Boasting one of the MLB's highest payrolls yet not having the success of the Yankees or Red Sox high risk, high reward thought process.
The City of El Paso has proven time and time again that it not only has loyal sports fans, but fans who are willing to endure the toughest times when it comes to their professional sports teams. Normally here is where I'd crack a joke about UTEP's supporters, but if there's one thing I know about Die Hard Miner Fans, it's that they are probably the most dedicated fanbase in the city... they're just not numerous.
The Chargers, in my opinion, would be the best team to bring to the Sun City... since my plea to Steve Ballmer of the LA Clippers went ignored. The Chargers are always going to be the "Second Team" in LA, they will NEVER be welcomed back in San Diego and have been looking for a "do-over" since they left their former host city. The color scheme of the Chargers matches the El Paso Locomotive and to embrace the Sun City the team can also rock those awesome military uniforms!
Only time will tell if the Las Vegas Raiders will be able to play a game or two in El Paso, but until then we can dream... or watch a game of horse on TV where NBA & WNBA players and legends connect to the average sports fan, as they too have terrible internet connections.