In 1918, Stokes’ mother Kristine Berg Mueller was a 14-year-old hospital volunteer in Norway during the Spanish Flu pandemic, putting her in regular contact with the deadly disease. The pandemic sickened players and coaches, shortened seasons and even forced some universities to scrap their seasons. Your support is essential to maintaining this coverage. Several major and minor league players, as well as one umpire, died of the flu, serving as a reminder that no one — not even the powerhouse that is U.S. baseball — leaves unscathed. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage the world, sports leagues everywhere have been grappling with the impossible question of when they should return to live play. 2 nurses: Her mom battled 1918 pandemic, she fights this one While the late Kristine Berg Mueller tended to those stricken by 1918 flu pandemic, Stokes is … It came in three waves and spread easily through the global movement of troops fighting World War I. Sports can be exciting, uplifting and entertaining, but only if they’re safe. Copyright © 2021 The Daily Californian, The Independent Berkeley Student Publishing Co., Inc. Pandemic could spell financial trouble for college sports. But the war, not to mention the flu pandemic, would have an effect on the American sports world in 1918. However, the sport persevered and returned. That pandemic lasted 15 months and killed an estimated 50 to 100 million people worldwide, including approximately 675,000 Americans, according to HISTORY. An attempt at a triumphant return to sports had resulted in tragedy. Rachel Alper writes for Bear Bytes. All rights reserved. He went swimming with his wife, drank some beer and had a picnic. Nos partenaires et nous-mêmes stockerons et/ou utiliserons des informations concernant votre appareil, par l’intermédiaire de cookies et de technologies similaires, afin d’afficher des annonces et des contenus personnalisés, de mesurer les audiences et les contenus, d’obtenir des informations sur les audiences et à des fins de développement de produit. Lessons from 1918: Old pandemic is a murky guide for sports A century ago, college sports in the United States was hit hard by the Spanish flu pandemic This undated photo provided by … As an independent student newspaper and the paper of record for the city of Berkeley, the Daily Cal has been communicating important updates during this pandemic. Not only was there a deadly pandemic in 1918, but World War I was still winding down. Vous pouvez modifier vos choix à tout moment dans vos paramètres de vie privée. The list of sports events ceasing competition is growing, and as of March 12, 2020, several college football programs and NFL teams have even paused offseason activities as the mass hysteria takes over. This would be the Red Sox’s last World Series victory for 86 years. Informations sur votre appareil et sur votre connexion Internet, y compris votre adresse IP, Navigation et recherche lors de l’utilisation des sites Web et applications Verizon Media. We have been learning about the regional impact of the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic. As sports leagues start to plan their returns amid the coronavirus pandemic, if only one thing can be taken away from the 1918 flu pandemic, it should be this: Don’t rush it. Those events altered the sporting landscape during that time. The Cal football team had a fairly strong season in 1918, going 6-2, a highlight being a win against rival Stanford. 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