Los Angeles Times - 13.03.2020

D2 FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2020 S LATIMES.COM/SPORTS

LAS VEGAS
— An organi-
zation’s
stated mis-
sion isn’t
necessarily its
actual pur-
pose. Capi-
talism might
as well be this
country’s official religion.
These were the lessons of
the week.
So there was some teach-
ing taking place here, even if
it was unintentional. The
student-athletes who gath-
ered in this city over the last
couple of days observed how
their world really functions.
Of course, this shouldn’t
be the instruction universi-
ties offer the leaders of to-
morrow, not unless the
schools intend on molding
them into the kinds of reac-
tionaries who run the bodies
that govern collegiate ath-
letics.
There was nothing ad-
mirable in how Pac-12 Com-
missioner Larry Scott
reached the point of cancel-
ing his conference’s basket-
ball tournament Thursday
morning. Nor was there
anything honorable in the
way NCAA president Mark
Emmert scrapped March
Madness later in the day.
Though the coronavirus
outbreak required quick
action, Scott and Emmert
operated at a sloth-like
pace. When the student-
athletes they governed
needed their leadership,
they instead revealed their
misplaced priorities.
The Pac-12 didn’t make
its decision until the morn-
ing after four games were
played in front of live audi-
ences at T-Mobile Arena.
The NCAA delayed its deci-
sion until a day after it an-
nounced plans to stage the
national basketball tourna-
ment in empty arenas.
Don’t be misled by the
intermediate steps that
were taken. The cancella-
tions were always inevitable.
If the Pac-12 and NCAA
were what they claimed to
be, if the well-being of their
student-athletes was their
top priority, they should
have been the first organiza-
tions to bar fans or cancel
games. Many of their mem-
ber universities had already
canceled in-person instruc-
tion. If studying with others
was considered dangerous,
how could it not be to com-
pete in a physical sport in
packed arenas?
The truth is that it was. It

always was.

The decisions the Pac-12

and NCAA faced were no-

brainers. But they were a

step behind professional

sports leagues in acting,

requiring more time than

necessary to make obvious

choices.

In the case of the Pac-12,

at the very least it never

should have allowed fans

into T-Mobile Arena. The

conference exposed their

players to fans who traveled

from at least six states.

When explaining why the

conference tournament was

canceled, one of the factors

the Pac-12 mentioned was

the safety of “all those who

attend” its events. But it was

too late. If only for a day, the

Pac-12 allowed separate fan

bases to share rows and

sections of the stands.

These fans will now head

home, many by plane, pos-

sibly spreading anything

they might have caught

while cheering on their

teams.

Not to mention the fans

spent time and money trav-

eling to a tournament they

never had a chance of seeing

to the end.

The fact the Pac-12 and

NCAA waited to see what

professional sports leagues

would do was extremely

telling.

This wasn’t as much

about the people in charge

as much as it was about

what organizations such as

the Pac-12 and the NCAA

have become: money-mak-

ing machines beholden to

commercial interests.

By Wednesday, Scott and

Emmert had to know what

they had to do.

But the widespread

economic ramifications

made them reluctant to

cancel their signature

basketball tournaments.

And this is where they failed

as leaders. Then again, they

hold their respective posi-

tions specifically because

they have judgment-cloud-

ing allegiances to their

bottom lines.

The NCAA is a nonprofit

organization that operates

like a for-profit company. It

doesn’t want Gandhi as its

leader.

What was particularly

frightening about this was

how Scott and Emmert held

off canceling their tourna-

ments until Rudy Gobert of

the Utah Jazz tested pos-

itive for the coronavirus and

prompted the NBA to sus-

pend its season. If Gobert’s

positive test wouldn’t have

been discovered, the Pac-12

and NCAA very well could

have continued hosting

basketball games until one

of their own players was

infected.

As UCLA athletic direc-

tor Dan Guerrero departed

T-Mobile Arena after a

meeting with Scott and the

athletic directors of Pac-12

schools, he said there was

“no question” calling off

the conference tournament

was the right decision. He

wasn’t alone. If there’s a

dissenting voice, it hasn’t

been heard.

The unanimity further

underscores the point that

the choice was crystal clear.

As is the case with indi-

vidual people, the strengths

of institutions are often also

the sources of their weak-

nesses. In many aspects,

collegiate athletics has been

enhanced by its profitability.

There are more opportu-

nities for athletes, more

exposure, even better medi-

cal care. But in times like

this, these same economic

forces can be a ball and

chain that make its govern-

ing bodies slow to respond,

sometimes dangerously so.

Sadly, NCAA, Pac-12 show true colors

DYLAN HERNÁNDEZ

PAC-12 CONFERENCEofficials finally got around to canceling their men’s basketball tournament in Las

Vegas because of the coronavirus but not before four games were played in front of live crowds Wednesday.

John LocherAssociated Press

PAC-12Commissioner Larry Scott was too slow in

canceling the men’s games, Dylan Hernández writes.

D. Ross CameronAssociated Press

NCAA PRESIDENTMark Emmert waited until

later Thursday before canceling the tournaments.

Maxx WolfsonGetty Images

The CIF announced on

Thursday morning that it is

canceling the state basket-

ball championships sched-

uled for Friday and Saturday

at Golden 1 Center in Sacra-

mento.

The decision comes after

Gov. Gavin Newsom joined

state health officials in rec-

ommending the cancellation

of gatherings of 250 or more

people across the entire

state, escalating the effort by

his administration to slow

the spread of the co-

ronavirus.

The new policy from the

California Department of

Public Health, which will be

in effect at least through

March, marks the first time

the state has issued a re-

quest for all residents to

adopt social distancing mea-

sures and represents a new

sense of urgency in the ad-

ministration’s approach to

fighting the virus.

Games were scheduled to

take place beginning at 10

a.m. Friday. Teams and par-

ents from Southern Califor-

nia had been preparing to

travel via buses, planes and

vans. The growing concerns

caused the family of at least

one player from a Southern

California team to pull him

from the team trip, accord-

ing to a coach who asked for

anonymity to protect the

identity of the player.

La Cañada Flintridge St.

Francis coach Todd Wolfson,

who was on a conference call

with CIF officials, said the

CIF will not have co-champi-

ons based on regional cham-

pions. He said they will leave

the 2020 championships va-

cant. His team was set to

leave by bus at noon to play

in Saturday’s Division II fi-

nal.

“They said they’re sorry

and it was out of their

hands,” Wolfson said. “It

really sucks. I have to go talk

to my team now.”

After talking to his team,

Wolfson said in a text, “That

was the hardest thing I’ve

ever had to do as a coach.”

Standout guard Andre

Henry of St. Francis said,

“Everyone was heartbroken,

but it’s something we can’t

control. That’s what hurts

most. We’ve done everything

we could. Now it’s in God’s

hands, and he didn’t want us

to play. I guess we have to

deal with the grief and move

on.”

Ron Nocetti, executive di-

rector of the CIF, said his or-

ganization waited for as long

as possible to make a final

decision about the state

championships because “we

know how much this means

to the community.”

“[Canceling] was the

right thing to do,” he said.

Nocetti said this week,

the environment on holding

the championships was

changing “literally by the

hour.”

He said schools will try to

make sure they receive full

refunds for any lodging or

transportation costs from

canceling but the CIF will

provide support if needed.

Chatsworth Sierra Can-

yon coach Andre Chevalier,

whose team was the two-

time defending Open Divi-

sion champion and sched-

uled to play on Saturday

night, said, “We’re very dis-

appointed. I think the school

feels CIF acted responsibly.

At the end of the day, this is

about the safety of the

school, staff. Hopefully, we

can make sure this thing is

done as quickly as possible

and get back to life.”

Asked what he’ll tell his

players, Chevalier said, “To

hold their heads up and

know they had a great sea-

son. Sometimes life takes

priority over sports, and

that’s the time we’re in.”

Brandon Boston and Zi-

aire Williams of Sierra Can-

yon took a double blow. Be-

sides the state champi-

onship game being canceled,

so was the McDonald’s All-

American game that Boston

and Williams had been se-

lected to participate in. Te-

mecula Rancho Christian’s

Evan Mobley and Lakewood

Mayfair’s Josh Christopher

were also selected for the

game.

Sports seasons are being

suspended by schools and

districts around Southern

California. The Los Angeles

Unified School District an-

nounced Thursday night

that all athletic contests and

practices would be canceled

until further notice.

The Norwalk-La Mirada

Unified School District sus-

pended all athletic events

until April 19. The Saddle-

back Unified School District

canceled athletic contests

until further notice.

The Las Virgenes Unified

School District canceled all

athletic events and practices

through March 20. The Capi-

strano Unified School

District canceled athletic

activities until April 13.

The Mission League,

made up of private schools in

the San Fernando Valley and

downtown L.A., will suspend

all sports competitions until

March 28. Studio City Har-

vard-Westlake's baseball

team has canceled a trip to

North Carolina on April 1 to

play in the National Invita-

tional tournament.

Abrupt halt for high school teams

State championship

games this weekend

are called off. Titles

will be left vacant.

By Eric Sondheimer

THE PANDEMIC means Sierra Canyon’s Brandon

Boston will miss out on the basketball state champi-

onships and the McDonald’s All-American game.

Hannah FoslienGetty Images

TIME EVENT ON THE AIR

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BOXING

7 p.m. Super-lightweights, Brandun Lee vs. Camilo

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HORSE RACING

6 p.m. The Quarters, Los Alamitos TV:TVG

SOCCER

12:30 p.m. Germany, Dusseldorf vs. Paderborn TV:FS2, FOXD

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7:30 p.m. Mexico, Morelia vs. Queretaro TV:TUDN

8 p.m. Mexico, Tijuana vs. Pachuca TV:FS2, ESPND

TODAY ON THE AIR

The spread of the coronavirus shut down all professional
sports in Italy on Tuesday, and Spain’s top soccer league
closed Thursday for a minimum of two weeks.
La Liga had planned to conduct games in empty stadi-
ums but decided to suspend play when Real Madrid went
into a two-week quarantine after a basketball player at the
club contracted the virus. The basketball and soccer teams
share facilities in Madrid.
In France, games in the first and second division will go
forward behind closed doors through April 15.
In Germany, the Bundesliga was preparing to play in
empty stadiums but was being pressured by supporter
groups to suspend games.
In England, last Wednesday’s Premier League fixture be-
tween Manchester City and Arsenal was postponed. An hour
after the league announced Thursday that this weekend’s
games would be played as planned, Arsenal manager Mikel
Arteta tested positive for the virus. The league has called an
emergency meeting for Friday morning, when it is expected
to alter its schedule to play in empty stadiums or suspend
play.
Here are the best of the remaining games that may — or
may not — be played.

Bundesliga: Bayern Munich (17-4-4), unbeaten in its last 15 in
all competition, will be protecting a four-point lead atop the
standings if it plays Saturday at Union Berlin (9-13-3) in what
will be an empty stadium. Bayern’s Robert Lewandowski,
the league’s leading scorer, hasn’t had a goal since Feb. 21.

Ligue 1:Paris Saint-Germain has all but clinched its seventh
French title in eight years but there’s a surprise in second,
where Frank McCourt’s Marseille team (16-4-8) is closing in
on its best finish in nine seasons. A win over Montpellier (11-
10-7) on Saturday (BeIN Sports, 9:30 a.m. PDT) and losses by
third-place Rennes (15-8-5) and fourth-place Lille (15-9-4)
would leave Marseille with at least a nine-point lead on its
nearest challenger with nine games left.
— Kevin Baxter

WEEKEND SOCCER ON TV