THE FRONT ROW WITH JASON ELLIOTT: Missing more than just a few live games

Today is the Fourth of July.

A day for area baseball, fireworks and spending time with friends and family.

Well, maybe not this year.

THE EFFORT was — and still is — there to get a season in for many of the area Legion baseball programs for players in the Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls, Rathdrum and Spirit Lake area, whether that’s an abbreviated season or a full-fledged schedule.

Members of the Coeur d’Alene Lumbermen AA program were just hitting their stride after getting some games in, then had to be shut down due to a positive COVID-19 test within the program.

OK, then.

Both Prairie, comprised mostly of Post Falls High players, and Northern Lakes, which draws from Lakeland and Timberlake high schools, pressed on with their schedules as well.

Due to the positive tests, the annual Spokane/Coeur d’Alene Wood Bat Classic, a fixture of the holiday at so many ballparks around the area, had to be canceled this year.

And that’s understandable.

For the first few years of the tournament — starting back in the mid-2000s when I worked at the newspaper in Kellogg — there was no better tournament to cover than the Fourth of July one.

Usually, the weather was good, so whatever photos that were taken were almost assured to come out a lot better than normal due to the sunlight. Also, who’s going to turn down the chance to go spend a few hours out in the sun instead of inside an office somewhere?

Not this year though, as some teams didn’t even get on the field this spring, then the summer due to the virus.

It’s also a shame that many area Little League programs didn’t get the chance to get back on the field this year. For Coeur d’Alene, it hasn’t just been contending for state championship, but also regional titles to continue on to the Little League World Series. Something those kids won’t get back again.

We’ll soon see if other professional sports are able to get back on the field. Will it be nice? Sure — in all the right settings of course.

If not, then at least they tried.

SPORTS CAN serve as a distraction for people, whether that’s a way to relieve stress, stay entertained and forget about problems for a few short hours.

Right now, some of us could use a few.

While Jack — my trusted four-legged assistant in our Gridiron Guesses — wasn’t yelling at the television during key Seahawk third downs, or clapping at a late-inning Mariner home run, he’d often sit nearby watching games. Never complained as long as the Milk Bones didn’t run out.

To be honest, Jack never napped while watching professional wrestling. Maybe it was the pizza?

Sadly, Jack and I haven’t had much to say to each other this last month or so, but he’s still close by, near the television so he doesn’t miss a play again.

Yeah, I could use a few more live sports distractions again.

Maybe this year, but maybe not.

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He can be reached by email at jelliott@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter @JECdAPress.