New Haven Register (Sunday) (New Haven, CT)
When fans finally return, sports venues will be different
Matt Herpich is in full-on preparation mode, constantly deliberating with his peers about the safest and most practical ways to reopen Webster Bank Arena’s doors to the public. At some point in the future — perhaps in months, if not longer — spectators will be allowed to return, but under what conditions? Only last week did Connecticut take its first steps to restart the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic. Phase 2 is expected to begin June 20, with two more phases after that.
There’s no doubt the fan experience will be different once sports are back in session. But Herpich, the building’s general manager, is keeping an open mind, hoping that most fans will return anyways.
“I think people want to get out. They want to enjoy that goal at the end of the game, in the last 30 seconds, or they want to watch that artist string that last note,” Herpich said. “Being part of the live experience is part of what we do.
“Fans are the lifeblood of what we do. We want fans in those venues. I’m forever the optimist, and I think people will get bored sitting at home.”
Webster Bank Arena hasn’t hosted a sporting event in more than two months. For the New York Islanders’ top affiliate, the Sound Tigers, who have called Bridgeport home since their inaugural season in 2001-02, the wait has been excruciatingly painful, both financially and emotionally. The AHL doesn’t reap the benefits of a major TV deal, meaning they live off ticket sales. Fans are their lifeblood, and Herpich and his staff insist their health is the top priority. “We’re not going to do anything to put them in jeopardy,” Sound Tigers president Brent Rossi said. “We hope that we can have a regular season next year, and I think everybody’s hoping for that. But, I don’t think we can guarantee anything at this point. The only thing we can guarantee is that we’re going to put our fans first.”
That could mean scattered seating, revised bag policies, hand sanitizing stations, as well as temperature checks for employees.
Ben Weiss, who manages the XL Center in Hartford and Rentschler Field in East Hartford, has discussed enacting similar measures. Both venues serve as off-campus homes for UConn’s revenue sports.
“We’ve basically looked at both ends, anything from A to Z, anything from the patron drives into the parking lot, what potential changes could that look like?” he said. “Would we work with UConn, for example, on a football game and maybe limit lot time opening to mitigate tailgating and promote distancing?”
Checking fans’ temperatures at the door is unlikely but not out of the question, Weiss said. Another possibility is restricting pedestrian traffic to one direction in the concourse, which Weiss knows could be complicated.
“That’s a challenge in the XL Center, to be honest with you,” he said. “The concourse is tight, so we’re going to have limitations there. But there’s certainly things that we can do to help start lines and make folks aware, remind them that they need to maintain distance.
“It’s a lot of work right now and not a lot of definitive answers.”
Mohegan Sun Arena, where the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun play, will begin to reopen to the public on June 1. But the WNBA remains on hold, with the league continuing to brainstorm ways to get its 2020 campaign off the ground. There’s been optimism within league circles, with commissioner Cathy Engelbert telling the Associated Press that about a half dozen scenarios to get games underway have been discussed, including playing at one site, or possibly a few sites, rather than in home arenas.
Team president Amber Cox said the building’s already implemented more than $1 million worth of safety measures, including temperature checks at each entrance, Air Handler UV lighting and air duct disinfectants, as well as numerous hand sanitizing stations.
“Obviously we are not at the point of bringing fans back to the arena for games, and we won’t until we believe we can provide adequate safety measures in that environment to protect everyone involved. We have the very best health professionals leading the charge on this — not only internally, but at the league offices,” Cox added.
At the moment, there seems to be even more uncertainty surrounding the Hartford Yard Goats, a AA affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. Jeff Dooley, the team’s director of broadcasting and media relations, said they’re in a holding pattern as Major League Baseball and its players’ union continue talks about potentially launching their season in July. The minor league season may be canceled altogether, however.