So…how’s everyone doing out there?

It’s been awhile since I’ve written anything here. Part of that is just a dearth of legal news that I haven’t covered elsewhere (coughTwittercough). Or, just a lack of legal news generally. Basically, the only drama that we’ve seen is related to the US Women’s National Team lawsuit against the US Soccer Federation. To be clear: There was A LOT of drama regarding the dueling summary judgement filings. It cost (now-former) president Carlos Cordeiro his job after all, and turned the Federation upside down. But aside from the somewhat under-the-radar lawsuit between the US Soccer Federation and the US Soccer Foundation (which in some ways is probably the nastiest of all the lawsuits), everyone has been mostly behaving themselves. I wonder why…

Oh yeah, the worldwide pandemic.

I’m not going to get much into the coronavirus itself. I’m not qualified by any remote stretch of the imagination (the C+ I got in college chemistry can attest to that). I figured I’d just let everyone know how I’m doing as I write this at 5:00 on a Friday morning.

In short: I’m hanging in there.

Like everyone else, I’m having my ups-and-downs throughout this entire ordeal. I’m hardly the worst off; my parents are reasonably healthy, my daughter is doing well (thriving even, under the circumstances), my brothers are in good spirits.

Work for me has been slow as you can imagine. Between the lack of lawsuit news out there (which some would consider a good thing) and complete lack of sports, there hasn’t been too much for me to cover here. I miss heading out to practice and covering the Sounders, and annoying sources about the behind-the-scenes intrigue. There’s only so many ways you can talk about remote work and when you think the teams will return to training, after all (spoiler: probably not soon).

Personally, the best thing for my mental health has been working on my fitness. At least, dealing with the changes in a constructive manner. I’d turned into a bit of a gym rat before the gyms, you know, closed forever. I wasn’t worried about gaining the Covid-19/Quarantine15 or what have you. But I didn’t want to sit on my backside either. At least, not more than necessary (I do love a nice Netflix session. Go check out The Good Place, or Sunderland Till I die, if you need a soccer fix). So I did throw some cash at some resistance bands, an exercise mat and a workout program. Honestly it was worth every penny of the $40. I get up early and put in an hour or so exercising, and I feel great afterwards.

I’ve enjoyed getting in some walks and bike rides too. Nothing too extravagant, just enjoying some exploration of my little suburban jungle. I’ve tried to avoid the crowded bike paths, which everyone and their mother seems to have “discovered” over the last six weeks. Just riding through the neighborhoods provides me with a bit of solitude and reflection. It actually takes me back to my childhood, riding through my neighborhood with my friends.

Granted these days, being too close to my friends isn’t encouraged. Fortunately, I’ve got a roommate who I can commiserate with, and a backyard to enjoy the unseasonably nice weather. Zoom parties are all the rage, and it’s definitely nice to catch up with friends while watching classic Sounders matches. Lots of grilling, the occasional cigar and some bocce ball makes for a decent way to pass the time.

Beyond that, it’s a lot of hurry-up and wait, as I like everyone else hope for things to get back to normal. Or, for a new normal to finally take hold. It looks like things are starting to open up again, if prematurely. I wonder if we’re just going to be back where we started in the fall if people ignore the protocols that appear to have worked in part over the summer. If you think things are bad now, just wait and see what happens if people have to shelter in place this winter. Especially if we don’t have any sports to attend…or even watch.

And I’m not so sure we’re going to have much to watch on TV. Sure, the NFL and college sports (especially football) are enormous, powerful entities. But even they don’t have much sway if the pandemic returns in full force this fall. If you thought protests were getting out of hand now, just wait until the “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” is cancelled.

As it pertains to our little soccer family here in the US, I’d describe things as sanguine, at least right now. MLS is doing the darnedest to put on a positive front, even as it appears nigh impossible that fans will be in the stands before the year is out. Given the disparate policies in each state across the country, it seems unlikely there will be anything approaching a uniform plan that could be put into place. Sure, Georgia and Florida are going to open up soon, but California and New York are likely two of the last places that will. Talking to MLS, I suppose they could move their operations to the south, but is there really any point to playing a truncated season at Disney’s Wild World of Sports with no fans in the stands? Especially given the relative pittance their TV ratings generate? But hey, maybe fans are that desperate for live sports. Any port in a storm.

Anyway, I figured I’d check in with a bit of an update and let everyone know I’m doing okay. I’m still writing and podcasting for Sounder at Heart, and if any legal news breaks, you can be sure I’ll be chiming in. Stay safe everyone, and don’t be afraid to reach out to someone if you’re having trouble.