COVID-19 One Year Anniversary

     The Covid-19 pandemic reached the one-year mark on Thursday. The pandemic had a impact on the local South Florida sports scene on March 11, 2020 as all local sporting events were suspended. 

     The Miami Heat played a home game against the Charlotte Hornets that night at American Airlines Arena and lost. NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced the stoppage of the regular season. The Heat would not play another game during the regular season until August 1 at Walt Disney World in Orlando versus the Denver Nuggets. 

     The Florida Panthers had played at St. Louis versus the Blues two days earlier. The National Hockey League halted their regular season on March 12 when Florida was to play in Dallas. The Panthers restarted their campaign in the Stanley Cup Qualifier Series at Toronto against the New York Islanders on August 1. 

     Inter Miami CF was ready to host their first home game in franchise history at Inter Miami CF Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on March 14 and take on LA Galaxy. The club had played their first two games on the road visiting LAFC and D.C. United. They later competed in the MLS Tournament in Orlando versus Orlando City SC on July 8. 

     Local spring training baseball games in Jupiter and West Palm Beach were not played as of March 12. The Major League Baseball regular season would not begin for the Miami Marlins until July 24 at the Philadelphia Phillies.

     Other sporting events locally were also eliminated. The Miami Open tennis tournament stopped on March 12 and was never completed. NASCAR races at Homestead- Miami Speedway for late March were suspended and were relaunched on June 13 and June 14. Contests for high school athletics during the spring session was also scrapped.