It’s not my job to lecture anyone about public health issues, but it’s pretty clear from where I stand as a sports journalist; some people just don’t seem to get it.

Getting this coronavirus thing under control isn’t going to come down to the release of a “magic” drug. It’s going to take empathy, responsibility and sensibility
from all of us.

As I have been fond of saying throughout the entire coronavirus pandemic, we—as a people—seem to be prone to fits, stops and starts, and wild swings when it
comes to getting this thing undercontrol.  We’ll see our numbers trending downward, lift some of the day-to-day restrictions and then find ourselves smack dab
in the middle of a second wave of infection; we’ll get optimistic news on the vaccine front, but that will be tempered by spikes in cases in hospitalizations.

We’ll see a high school sports season come “this close” to reaching a representative yearend tournament only to see a slew of teams disqualified from postseason play because they’d been exposed to the virus.

That really stinks, doesn’t it?

Imagine being a high school senior a week or less away from playing for a regional championship in this strange, scary year, and all of a sudden, your season
is done because—unbeknownst to you—someone on your team has come in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19?

I, for one, would be royally ticked off; at the situation, of course, but also at the fact that while I was following all the guidelines and staying safe in order
to continue playing, my season came to an end because not enough other people were taking this thing seriously.

I’m not casting blame here.  We don’t know where these spikes are coming from within our communities.  Data from other states—which have allowed
high school sports to be played with far fewer restrictions than New York—would suggest that viral spread through competition is minimal, so that would point to an off-field culprit.  And what that tells me is that not enough people in the area are taking enough steps to truly combat the virus.

Make no mistake, wearing masks is a bother. It’s been frustrating not being able to see my extended family over the last few months. There are a lot of things
in my life that I took for granted before the virus that seem like a distant memory to me now.

But we need to continue to do the right thing, not out of self-preservation, but because our actions have a drastic impact on our neighbors, as we are finding
out.   I’m not advocating a second wave of lockdowns or boarding up restaurants, I’m simply saying that taking a little bit of personal responsibility on a day-to-day will go a long way towards getting things back under control.

So before you do something that might be considered risky, think about your neighbors.  I think our winter athletes would all thank you for being a little more considerate.

Follow Mike on Twitter @LiveMike_Sports