And so here we stand, at the doorstep of the new normal. As COVID-19 cases plummet and vaccination numbers rise, the country is slowly trodding back to where it was before the coronavirus kneecapped our way of life. The games assure us so. The Philippine Basketball Association, which led the way in sports’ return and provided a valuable blueprint for other leagues to follow, has been returning fans to their seats by the thousands now—a sign that the fear and paranoia that contaminated the country over the past two years has been replaced with a strengthened trust in health protocols. Get jabbe…