NFL needs fans, but not at stadiums this season
While the nation and world struggles to come to terms with our new reality caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important that the arena we turn to for relief, a distraction from these trying times, sets a good example for society.
That’s why the NFL needs to come out and announce that fans won’t be in the stands at all during the 2020 season or the foreseeable future.
As long as the medical community is working on a vaccine and formulating an efficient course of treatment for those who become infected by the novel coronavirus, sports teams have no business putting thousands of onlookers into their stands, even if masks are mandated and social distancing is required.
Until those two critical survival tools are perfected, hosting fans at 500-plus NFL games in 2020 — and sporting events in general — would be irresponsible because it could fuel the further spread of the virus, which has contributed to the death of 163,407 Americans since March and 736,647 worldwide according to the Center For Disease Control’s Tuesday report.
We still don’t know the long-terms effects of COVID-19. The medical community also hasn’t pinpointed how it’s spreading so effectively. Nor has it narrowed down why some people are asymptomatic, so there’s no way of determining who has it and who doesn’t without testing regularly like our sports leagues are doing.
So what’s the NFL’s plan? To have fans produce COVID-19 test results before entering a limitedseating venue?
That just sounds ridiculous. Maybe they’ll have those brave souls sign a waiver?
It’s not worth it. “Obviously the fans are a big
part of the game and we’re not out there without their support, so from that standpoint it is important to me,” Dolphins coach Brian Flores said this week. “But look, there’s a pandemic.
“We need to obviously use caution, which we’re doing here in our building; and as a country. I think we’re all trying to proceed with caution in all of our daily activities. If we can have fans and have them at the games in a safe way, then I’m all for it. If the people who make those decisions don’t think that’s the right thing to do, then we’ll play without fans.”
The NFL’s decisionmakers need to ask themselves if possibly contributing to the nation’s COVID-19 death total is worth the sound of applause, and the money?
College football’s smartening up as some conferences began postponing fall sports.
Tuesday afternoon the Big Ten became the first Power Five conference to postpone its fall season because of concerns about competing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dolphins rookie Malcolm Perry donated plasma after recovering from coronavirus.
And the Pac-12 soon followed.
This comes after the Mid-American Conference announced its postponement of fall sports last week. The Mountain West as well as Massachusetts and Connecticut, both FBS independents, canceled their falls seasons in the past week, and others could follow their lead.
Better to be safe than sorry, especially with amateurs, individuals who aren’t being compensated for their contributions on the field.
The NFL, an $11 billion business where the players are viewed as partners and paid millions to play, is in a different situation. And while pulling off a 16-game regular season without putting the players in a bubble will come with its challenges, contributing to the local communities’ infection rate should not be among them.
Having fans attend games isn’t necessary because sports look just the same — and are just as entertaining — with no one in the stands.
Adjustments can be
made to create a more television-friendly atmosphere, and that’s what should be done this season for the sake of making it happen without contributing to a second outbreak.
The last time the world experienced a pandemic like this was in 1918, when the Spanish flu infected an estimated 500 million people and claimed nearly 50 million victims during its two-year run.
That virus featured a second and third wave, which led to worldwide shutdowns and more quarantining. The number of deaths was estimated at 675,000 in the U.S.
The last thing the world of sports needs to do is contribute to America’s, and the world’s, continued struggles with COVID-19 by putting people in the stands.
The NFL and its television partners can get creative with the broadcast of these 16 games by putting microphones in the coaching booths and closer to the field to let fans eavesdrop on team’s communications. This could give fans an inside peak into what’s going on behind the scenes and a glimpse into the backand-forth communication that happens between teams and with opponents.
Just imagine hearing Miami receiver DeVante Parker talking smack to New England’s Stephone Gilmore, one of the NFL’s elite cornerbacks, whom Parker owned last season.
Getting creative could enhance the game’s broadcast, paving the way for an even more lucrative television deal.
In times such as these the ability to adapt is key to survival. It’s time NFL teams take that approach and acknowledge they will be playing in empty stadiums.