Games will be played without fans, or with significantly fewer fans, and the stadium experience will certainly not be the same as sports return.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Dayton Moore remembers so clearly the vast sections of empty seats inside Kauffman Stadium when he took over as general manager of the Kansas City Royals, and he remembers just as vividly – nearly a decade later – how those seats filled and fans roared as the long-suffering club won the World Series.
Those dueling memories make the thought of playing games in empty stadiums hard for Moore to fathom.
“I know how much strength all players draw from the fans and environment,” he said, when asked about plans to play a shortened season without crowds, “and you need that support to get through an entire Major League Baseball schedule.”
As lockdowns are lifted and restrictions eased, sports are finally starting to emerge in the coronavirus pandemic. But in virtually every situation, fans are not yet being allowed to attend and the only consensus for now is that there could be a long period of empty or nearly empty seating. Some U. S. universities are modeling for 25% capacity for the upcoming football season or maybe half-full arenas for the ensuing basketball season.
“I think for most sports, a reduced crowd wouldn’t negatively impact the overall experience, especially in a situation like baseball or even the NFL,” said Katy Lucy, a digital marketing agent from Atlanta whose fandom is split between all things Georgia Bulldogs and the Washington Capitals. “But it would be different for sure for those who attend in person.”
Count her family among those who would pause before heading to the ballpark.
“For me personally, I’m not sure I would feel comfortable attending a live sporting event until there is a known treatment or widely available vaccine,” Lucy said. “I trust the institutions to put the proper measures in place; however, making sure that they are enforced is another matter.”
Many college and pro sports teams already were dealing with declining ticket sales.
