High school sports fans deserve to be heard
Almost every time I watch a non- bubble sporting event in an empty building, I wonder: Why no fans? Packed houses are a bad idea, obviously, during a pandemic. Even 50% capacity is way too much. But if you’re going to play, there’s room for socially distanced fans.
I watch a Pirates game, for example, and think — regulations permitting — why couldn’t you have a few people at the end of the first row, a few others at the other end of the second row, and so on? You could even alternate sections using that approach and leave some empty.
It’s a cavernous outdoor ballpark we’re talking about, not a college bar.
There has to be a happy medium. There certainly is with high school sports, which have become a highly contentious issue in this state.
A huge part of the problem is Gov. Tom Wolf’s seeming indifference to addressing issues promptly and fairly. That, combined with his apparent unwillingness to communicate directly with the PIAA in a timely manner ( or at all), has made for needless mayhem and hostility.
In early August, Wolf’s
recommendation to postpone school and recreational sports until Jan. 1 came only when prompted by a question — the last question of a news conference that wasn’t sports- related — regarding spectator limits at high school sporting events.
If his mindset was to postpone fall sports, that’s a big deal. When was he going to let us know? That topic should have had its own news conference.
Wolf does not seem to grasp that sports, while not the most important thing in the world, is a hugely important topic to hundreds of thousands of state residents.
There is a case to be made to postpone sports until the new year. Other states have done so. We’re in a pandemic. But there is also a case to play. The point here is that Wolf has seemed aloof, almost arrogant, in addressing the issue.
His postponement proclamation sparked all kinds of commotion and a letter from the PIAA, which Wolf still hadn’t read several days later when he made things worse. Regarding his recommendation on sports, he said, “Maybe I’m governor, but I’m one person that has an opinion.”
Sure, he’s just Tom from Harrisburg. He’ll hang up and listen.
The good news for sports backers is that Wolf did not put up a red light. He left it up to the individual districts and schools — and they mostly made it clear they want to play. Fall sports are a go. A full slate of WPIAL football games is set for Friday night, save for a few postponements.
Question is, who’s permitted to attend?
Back in July, Wolf and the Pennsylvania Department of Health issued an order banning spectators from high school games. Last week, he altered the ban to allow some fans, but the state gathering limits of 250 people outdoors and 25 indoors remain in place. Those limits are reached before we even talk about fans.
So how about we hash this out and come to a reasonable agreement? Or at least try.
Crazy, I know.
As my colleague Mike White wrote: “On Tuesday, Wolf said restaurants will be allowed to operate at 50% capacity starting Sept. 21 as long as they ‘ self- certify’ that they are following COVID- 19 safety orders and guidelines. PIAA executive director Bob Lombardi said last week the league would be happy if the governor’s office would even permit 25% capacity of a facility ( stadium or gym).”
Said Lombardi: “That’s a consistent number for other formats that the state uses, like restaurant capacity.”
That just seems reasonable. It wouldn’t solve all the issues, obviously, especially when parents are involved.
I’d rather be a Porta Potty cleaner than an athletic director fielding parent calls these days.
But a logical starting point would be to increase the maximum indoor and outdoor capacities and have each athlete, cheerleader and band member submit a list of one or two people who could attend the game. No gym or stadium could be more than a quarter filled. And if people cannot abide by simple rules such as wearing a mask and/ or keeping reasonable distance, end the experiment. Those people will have ruined it for everyone.
The issue will come to a head soon. As White wrote, “The state Senate passed a bill Wednesday that gives individual schools the power to decide how many fans can attend sports contests. The House already passed the bill, and it could go to Wolf as early as Thursday. He will have 10 days to act on it.”
It’s likely Wolf vetoes the bill, but the House and Senate can override the veto. So maybe the governor could find the right people, start a conversation and try to reach an amicable solution.
There is one, you know.