Althouse: "I spoke to the commissioners yesterday — almost I guess of every sport — and many of them are going to be starting without the fans."

April 17, 2020

"I spoke to the commissioners yesterday — almost I guess of every sport — and many of them are going to be starting without the fans."

"So, it will be made for television — the good old days, made for television, and it’ll go that way. And then, fans will start coming in, maybe they’ll be separated by two seats and then ultimately we want to have packed arenas when the virus is gone. We’re going to have packed arenas and we’re going to be back to enjoying sports the way they’re supposed to be."

Said Donald Trump at yesterday's press briefing — full transcript here.

48 comments:

BUMBLE BEE said...: Watched a bit of pro wrestling the other day. IT SUCKED BIGLY! Golf could work, curling, polo
too. But Baseball would be reduced to batting practice IMHO.; 4/17/20, 8:39 AM
Sebastian said...: Sports should never have been shut down.

It symbolized The Panic more than anything.; 4/17/20, 8:43 AM
Lance said...: we’re going to be back to enjoying sports the way they’re supposed to be.

At $50 or even $100+/ticket, depending on the sport. What's Trump going to do about that?; 4/17/20, 8:45 AM
rhhardin said...: One of the good things about sheltering is that there are no sports reports in the news.

Presumably it would also improve the quality of conversation at the office lunch table, if there were any office lunch tables.; 4/17/20, 8:50 AM
RMc said...: As far as I can tell, the last time America went a whole month without big-time team sports (pro and major college) was 1917: between the Rose Bowl New Year's Day and the start of the baseball season in mid-April. There was no NFL, NBA or NHL in those days.

But there was a pandemic.; 4/17/20, 8:52 AM
Ryan said...: Just when I was getting good at crossword puzzles... gee thanks a lot.; 4/17/20, 9:00 AM
WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...: lemme guess - the hack-D press are ignoring and reading the Biden plan, written by George Clintonopolis?; 4/17/20, 9:03 AM
mccullough said...: The NBA can play in China. It’s safe there.; 4/17/20, 9:04 AM
Levi Starks said...: There’s a much more practical solution,
Once we start issuing virus passports to those who’ve conquered covid19 it will be easy. You make admission to baseball games free for them, and tell them they can sit anywhere they want, once we make having had the virus a valuable commodity you’ll be surprise at how quickly the free market will step up to meet the demand.
Bidding wars with other sports will likely ensue.
Those certified to be virus immune will likely be branded price gougers when they demand to be payed exorbitant sums in return for agreeing to attend sporting events.; 4/17/20, 9:05 AM
I Callahan said...: rhhardin was the kid that always got picked last for dodgeball...; 4/17/20, 9:06 AM
Limited blogger said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 4/17/20, 9:07 AM
Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...: BB@H, what's the Biden plan? Puree of Peas for lunch followed by a nap?; 4/17/20, 9:13 AM
Static Ping said...: BUMBLE BEE: Pro wrestling does take a serious hit without the crowd as much of the spectacle is designed around getting crowd reactions. When the WWE had their first show in an empty arena, one of the announcers was making fun of the wrestlers who instinctively were still playing up to the non-existent crowd. They have gotten better at it the longer this has gone on - announcers talk more to fill in dead air, the wrestler actions are more designed to advance the story than get a crowd reaction so there is more dialogue in the ring, the comedy characters are being used more - but it is still a struggle. That said, in some cases it actually improves things. One of the plot lines involved this big oaf named Otis who finally gets a date with the girl of his dreams, only for everything to go wrong and none of it being his fault. When he finally snapped, without the crowd it was terrifying. And there was this touching moment at the end when his tag team partner has to calm him down and you can hear the entire conversation, including some very touching "I love you, man" stuff that you would never hear otherwise. It felt very natural.; 4/17/20, 9:14 AM
Cameron said...: I watch a lot of european soccer, and one of the sanctions they occasionally impose on teams, usually for racism by the fans, but also for violence, etc, is to make them play matches "behind closed doors", ie, no fans in the stadium. It's amazing how strange it is to watch those matches. It almost feels like you're watching a training session, and of course without the crowd, you can hear the players shouting at each other very clearly.; 4/17/20, 9:14 AM
Sebastian said...: "Once we start issuing virus passports to those who’ve conquered covid19 it will be easy. You make admission to baseball games free for them"

And let in the young: the way for sports to do its part for public health by promoting herd immunity.; 4/17/20, 9:19 AM
hawkeyedjb said...: Sports Illustrated has an interesting article on why the restart of sports probably won't happen this year. Some assumptions you could argue with, but food for thought.; 4/17/20, 9:19 AM
Browndog said...: food for thought.

I'd call it "poison for your mind".; 4/17/20, 9:26 AM
Sebastian said...: "food for thought.

I'd call it "poison for your mind"."

Indeed. Poison that fuels the insanity epidemic, with an assist from epidemiologists, of course.; 4/17/20, 9:36 AM
Original Mike said...: Couldn't they add fans using CGI? You could add different fan bases for different TV markets.; 4/17/20, 9:37 AM
tcrosse said...: There's a German history of the Geisterspiel, or ghost game, i.e. one played without fans.; 4/17/20, 9:39 AM
BUMBLE BEE said...: Levi... are you saying we need something along the lines of "The Gaudy Yellow"?; 4/17/20, 9:43 AM
Browndog said...: Indeed. Poison that fuels the insanity epidemic, with an assist from epidemiologists, of course.

From the article:

Conversations with experts painted a picture of what exactly it would take to make these sports vacuums a reality. Before any of this can begin, every person who would have access to the facilities will need to be isolated separately for two weeks to ensure that no infection could enter. That’s players and coaches, athletic trainers and interpreters, reporters and broadcasters, plus housekeeping and security personnel. No one can come in or out.

Food will have to be delivered. Hotel and stadium employees will have to be paid enough to compensate for their time away from their families. Everyone onsite will have to be tested multiple times during this initial period.; 4/17/20, 9:45 AM
Temujin said...: NFL Football will happen this fall at some point. It may start late. And it may start by playing in empty stadiums. And some teams will have to move to a different city to play their 'home' games. Teams like LA.(both teams) Seattle. New York (both team). Washington. New England. Hell...just figure all of the West Coast and Northeastern teams will need to move to a new home for this season. Or play at home with no fans.

Detroit can still play at home because no one is going to want to watch them anyway. And honestly, no one cares about their score except for the team beating them.; 4/17/20, 9:45 AM
BUMBLE BEE said...: Static Ping... I am from the era of Leapin Larry Shane, Dick the Bruiser, Gorgeous George, Argentino Rocca and The Sheik. I love you man was never considered.; 4/17/20, 9:47 AM
Browndog said...: Original Mike said...

Couldn't they add fans using CGI? You could add different fan bases for different TV markets.

When the NBA was going to start playing in empty arenas, I was thinking they'd have to manufacture background crowd noise.

The microphones would pick up all the trash talk, and the world world get a glimpse into how often the players refer to each other as "niggas".; 4/17/20, 9:51 AM
Calypso Facto said...: temujin said ... "Detroit can still play at home because no one is going to want to watch them anyway"

Snark headline I saw yesterday: NFL Seeks Advice from Bengals on Playing in Empty Stadium; 4/17/20, 9:51 AM
Browndog said...: No NFL would be a disaster in terms of player contracts alone. Are you going to add two draft classes to rosters?

Will Brady ever play again?; 4/17/20, 9:56 AM
Not Sure said...: College football is an interesting case, because many seniors would be playing in the hope of pro careers. The NCAA should establish a deadline for colleges to commit to playing or not, and any seniors on teams that don't commit by that date (some time before NFL training camps start) should be eligible for a supplemental draft.

That SI article is based on the premise that the games can't go on until there's a zero probability of infection. That seems extreme. Baseball just needs to ban spitting, and prevent pitchers from rubbing up the balls with anything other than Lysol wipes.

Until spectators are allowed, each team's broadcast should not only use recorded cheers for good plays, but a laugh track for bad plays by the opponents.; 4/17/20, 10:04 AM
hawkeyedjb said...: The basic premise of spectator sports is sitting closely with many other people and cheering. Without the crowd, the spectators are sitting, invisible, in front of their TV screen. I don't see the appeal. How many people watch sports with the sound turned off?; 4/17/20, 10:12 AM
richlb said...: So every game would be like that Orioles game in Baltimore a few years ago that was played without fans during the Freddie Gray riots.; 4/17/20, 10:24 AM
Bay Area Guy said...: Maybe the WNBA can restart his season, without any fans in the arena.

Wait...........; 4/17/20, 10:36 AM
stevew said...: I'm hoping that this will push MLB to install the designated hitter across the entire league, and shorten the regular season considerably.; 4/17/20, 10:59 AM
J. Farmer said...: Last sports conversation I had was someone asking me about Tom Brady. I had no clue what they were talking about. Apparently he’s “our” new quarterback.; 4/17/20, 11:03 AM
BarrySanders20 said...: Sports resumption is interesting as a gauge for normalcy, or getting back to normalcy. Both youth sports and the pros. This is the first spring for 15 years that I have not coached or watched one of my kids play a spring sport. Healthy kids are minimally susceptible and yet are treated like they are 80 and obese. We should be letting the kids play the outdoor sports. Maybe take precautions with shared equipment. Most of the close-constant contact sports are done (wrestling, football, basketball). There's little reason to prevent track, baseball/softball, soccer, tennis, and any other low-contact sport.

Round here it is also whether colleges will resume and allow kids to attend classes on campus, live in dorms, etc. starting in August. Some HS seniors are making enrollment decisions based in part on which colleges are more likely to open up.; 4/17/20, 11:07 AM
rcocean said...: Won't hurt the WNBA - they've been playing without fans for years.; 4/17/20, 11:12 AM
rcocean said...: PGA Golf might be better without fans. I'm getting tired of morons screaming "In the hole".; 4/17/20, 11:13 AM
rcocean said...: Here's a suggestion to help the athletes: Hook up some sound speakers and provide fake crowd noise. Like a TV show laugh track for sports.; 4/17/20, 11:14 AM
rcocean said...: athletes aren't really at risk, and can be easily tested. If you're young and in shape CV-19 is no more dangerous then flu. its the fans that have to worry. but that problem can be solved by Social distancing and plenty of beer.; 4/17/20, 11:23 AM
Lurker21 said...: In other words, business as usual for the Miami Marlins ...; 4/17/20, 11:36 AM
Yancey Ward said...: Yes, us Bengals fans have been practicing good social distancing since the mid 90s.; 4/17/20, 11:40 AM
Yancey Ward said...: ESPN's owners are happy to hear this. The last month they were reduced to broadcasting squirrel wrestling and on-line chess.; 4/17/20, 11:42 AM
Original Mike said...: "Yes, us Bengals fans have been practicing good social distancing since the mid 90s."

Who knew bags over your head would become utilitarian?; 4/17/20, 11:56 AM
Yancey Ward said...: They aren't call bags, Mike. They are called personal protection equipment, they protect us from viruses. The protection from shame is just a side benefit.; 4/17/20, 11:59 AM
Sebastian said...: "How many people watch sports with the sound turned off?"

Me. I often can't stand the ridiculous, artificial noise that goes with NBA and MLB games. MLS getting pretty irritating too, with the mechanical chanting.

"That SI article is based on the premise that the games can't go on until there's a zero probability of infection"

The hallmark of panic and insanity, abetted by epidemiologists, "experts."; 4/17/20, 12:26 PM
Greg Hlatky said...: Sports without Joe Buck would be better.; 4/17/20, 2:49 PM
traditionalguy said...: Maybe cigar smoke kills Covid-19. Then Baseball issues all the fans a couple of Cuban cigars and they play on. The absence of the women won’t hurt anything.; 4/17/20, 3:01 PM
Francisco D said...: The major league sports (NBA, NFL, MLB) that pay athletes tens of millions of dollars per year need to have some income to pay those contracts. TV rights paid by the major networks are probably a lot more lucrative than game admissions (that seemed to be declining anyway).

The NBA, NFL and MLB will open the 2020 season, even if they have no fans in the stadium. They need the TV money.

I wonder if there are contract clauses that owners out of huge contracts if the games are postponed another 6 months.; 4/17/20, 3:49 PM
Bunkypotatohead said...: The players will all just "take a knee" and piss off half the fans anyways.

"It's one, two, three strikes they're out...I don't care if they never come back"; 4/17/20, 10:06 PM