If Thursday, March 12, 2020, will be remembered as the day the sports world was shut down by coronavirus, this past weekend will be remembered as the one the sports world went silent.

No NBA. No NHL. No MLB. No PGA. No NASCAR. No NCAA. No PIAA. No WPIAL.

Essentially, every sport with an acronym was canceled, suspended or, as the NHL news release put it, paused. But life isn’t a television. You can’t just click the remote control to pause and then resume play where it left off.

It took a global pandemic to prove us wrong. We had no choice but to press pause, to clear everything from schools and stadiums to bars and restaurants for our own safety. We wondered where we would get our sports entertainment.

Have no fear, the NFL is here!

NFL: Say no more fam pic.twitter.com/g1uwXXvi1h

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 16, 2020

1. Back to business: When the NFL Players Association ratified the new collective bargaining agreement — by a slim 60-vote margin — the league was back in business.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the new CBA will “provide substantial benefits to all current and retired players, increase jobs, ensure continued progress on player safety, and give our fans more and better football.”

Sounds like the NFL got what it wanted, especially an expanded playoff field in 2020, a 17-game season as early as 2021 and labor peace through the 2030 season.

So while the rest of the country was on lockdown, NFL teams were busy Monday by designating players with the franchise tag, signing multimillion dollar deals, making major trades and cutting players for salary-cap purposes.

The league also announced the NFL Draft television spectacle will go on as scheduled from April 23-25, even though fan-oriented events in Las Vegas will be canceled.

It’s all a really bad look.

2. See no evil, hear no evil: The NFL appears tone deaf during a global health-care crisis and blind to the irony the only major sport still carrying on is the one whose regular season doesn’t begin until after Labor Day.

I understand sports have been our escape from the real world and a diversion from the doldrums of daily life, especially when we are being told to stay home.

Trust me, my job revolves around it. (And I spent six hours over Saturday and Sunday talking about the shutdown of the sports world on 93.7 FM).

NFL fans can argue the franchise tags, free-agent frenzy and trades is just the sports fix they needed.

How we survived three whole days without a live sporting event to watch or talk about, I’ll never know.

3. Slow your roll: The Steelers placing the franchise tag on outside linebacker Bud Dupree was a foregone conclusion, something we knew would happen months ago.

What was the rush?

Announcing the NFL Draft will go on as scheduled seems particularly short-sighted, as if the NFL knows better than healthcare experts when this will end.

Every other sport is on hiatus. NFL teams have taken scouts off the road. Colleges canceled pro days. The schedules of every sport have been affected, yet the NFL doesn’t have time for disruptions.

On Monday afternoon, Gov. Tom Wolf ordered nonessential businesses in the state to shut down to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

What about the NFL in March is essential?

4. Making moves: The start of the league year, which officially comes Wednesday, forced the Steelers to make moves in an attempt to get under the salary cap.

The Steelers were $5.5 million over the cap before they designated Dupree for a $15.9 million salary this season. That necessitated the release of linebackers Mark Barron and Anthony Chickillo and wide receiver Johnny Holton, which cleared about $11.1 million in cap space.

It also forced the retirement of left guard Ramon Foster, whose contract called for a $4 million salary in 2020. That saves the Steelers $15.1 million. They saved more by restructuring tight end Vance McDonald’s deal.

Even so, the Steelers must make more moves to get under the $198.2 million salary cap by 4 p.m. Wednesday.

Wonder if it will be anyone essential?

— Burt Lauten (@SteelersPRBurt) March 16, 2020

On Monday afternoon, the Steelers released this statement: “In order to help prevent the spread of the covid-19 pandemic, we will temporarily adjust our normal business operations effective as of the close of business today,” adding all business travel has been suspended, non-essential staff will work remotely and all public events at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex and Heinz Field have been canceled.

“Our primary focus,” the Steelers statement said, “is to ensure the safety and health of our employees and families, and the communities around the Pittsburgh area.”

A day late, but thanks for looking out.

MORE: https://t.co/q7h8vsynFH pic.twitter.com/2fO8svW6sZ

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) March 16, 2020

5. So long, Ramon: Foster was about as essential as they come in the Steelers locker room, which won’t be the same without his gregarious personality.

Foster was as respected for his rise from undrafted free agent to becoming a stalwart starter on the offensive line to being one of the few Steelers remaining from their Super Bowl XLV team.

As importantly, Foster was the team’s NFLPA representative and an outspoken advocate of player safety who wasn’t afraid to take an unpopular stance on issues.

It was evident his tenure with the team was coming to a close when Foster missed two games with a concussion last season. The Steelers started B.J. Finney in Foster’s place against the Indianapolis Colts and moved Matt Feiler from right tackle to left guard against the Los Angeles Rams.

When the Steelers lost at Baltimore in the season finale, Foster expressed a desire to continue playing though he sensed his tenure with the only team he played for in an 11-year NFL career was coming to an end.

If only we could have pressed pause on that.

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