Trying to solve the conundrum of what to do with professional sports in the age of coronavirus AKA SARS CoV-2 or Covid-19, National Institutes of Health Infectious Disease Chief Dr. Anthony Fauci is above his pay grade talking about the subject. On the surface, no professional sports franchise that aggregates large groups of people can do that as long as the virus remains contagious. When you consider Major League Baseball [MLB] brings $10.3 billion, National Football League [NFL] $8.1 billion, National Basketball Association [NBA] $ 8 billion and National Hockey Association [NHL] $5.09 billion and Ultimate Fighting Championships [UFC] $1.1 billion, that’s a major hit to the economy or, more importantly, the U.S. treasury. “There’s a way of doing that,” Fauci said, giving his prescription to reopen professional sports. “Nobody comes to the stadium . . “ Fauci said, essentially saying it’s over.
When Proximo [Gladiator trainer] spoke to Maximus [Gladiator] in the 2000 Academy Award Winning Best Picture “Gladiator,” he gave him some sound advice before facing the lions in the Roman Arena. “The beating heart of Rome is not the marble of the Senate, it’s the sands of the Colosseum,” telling the sad truth about professional sports: The fans are integral part of the game. Between major U.S. sports franchises, there’s a loss of $32.59 billion in revenue. All professional sports franchises want to be back in business soon but it’s difficult with all the worry about coronavirus to get fans back in the stands. “Put them [athletes] in big hotels, wherever you want to play. Keep them very well surveilled . . . and have them tested like every week and make sure they don’t wind up infecting each other or their family and just let them play the season out,” Fauci said.
Fauci knows that his prescription is impossible to fill, telling sports franchises in a nice way they can’t continue to play. Whether it could be pulled off or not, professional sports don’t exist independent of the cheering-or-booing fans, clapping, applauding, screaming and carrying on in response to the game. Without that you don’t have professional sports, only individuals performances that can’t be separated from the fans’ response. Fauci’s conditions make it impossible for any franchise to resume play until the coast is clear, a vaccine is ready or the virus spread has been brought so much under control that it’s no longer a threat. Fauci’s the last one ESPN should consult on how to restart professional sports. “People say, ‘well you can’t play without spectators,’” Fauci said. “Well you probably get enough buy in from people who are dying to see a baseball game,” giving his opinion.
When fans buy tickets or when networks buy TV rights, there are certain expectations about Nielson Ratings or market share, how many are actually tuned into the televised games? Without fans, there’s no way to judge whether TV watchers are desperate enough to watch or pay for supports without spectators. Fauci’s over his head speculating about what people are willing to watch or pay for in the SARS CoV-2 era. Trump’s “Open up the economy” Task Force is busy consulting with a wide variety of experts in various kinds of businesses, including professional sports, medical experts and economists. Some athletes like Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins thinks playing without fans would be “refreshing.” But, all kidding aside, professional sports without fans are not professional sports but an boring exhibition that could not guarantee fan interest or participation.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said he’s in no rush to start the season. “The only real decision that we have made, the only real plan that we have is that baseball is not going to return until the public health situation has improved to the point that we’re comfortable . . .” Manfred said, showing no interest in returning to play games without spectators. Manfred gets that unless things can return to business-as-usual, there’s no point in playing the game, just for TV revenue. “Our employees, our fans and in a way that will not impact the public health situation adversely,” Manfred said, showing no interest in spectator-missing exhibitions. So far, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell thinks the season will be on track for Opening Day Sept. 10. Whether fans will be comfortable sitting in packed stadiums is anyone’s guess. If coronavirus cases continue in various states, it’s doubtful fans will go.
Trump’s “Open the economy” Task Force expects to solicit the advice to Dallas Cowboy’s owner Jerry Jones, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and New England Patriots’ owner Robert Kraft, in addition to leaders of the Professional Golfers Assn. [PGA] Tour, [Ladies] LPGA, NASCAR, United States Tennis Assn. [USTA] and other sports franchises. Trump finds himself caught between a rock-and-a-hard-place, wanting to open the country, but, at the same time, knowing it’s going to take sports fans time to work their way back into crowded stadiums and arenas. Even if Trump starts to reopen the country May 1, it could take months for fans to be comfortable going out in crowds, knowing warnings from Fauci and other infectious disease experts. Playing professional sports without fans is unrealistic, knowing that the games are not only controlled by TV contracts.
