I respect NBC's Tim Layden, who used to write for Sports Illustrated. I think he's a very good journalist, and I generally enjoy his content. However, I completely disagree with most of the points he made in his latest article. I don't dispute his main argument that when sports come back, they won't look the same. Unlike Layden, I don't think those changes will be permanent.
In the article, Layden contends that many of the beloved rituals that bring athletes closer to the fans will become things of the past. It's "too dangerous" to have that close contact, so it "can't" happen. Well, seeing as there won't be fans at games until the governmental all-clear is given, it's pretty obvious that there won't be any interaction right away. But to think that'll still be the case five years from now when this whole pandemic is in our rear-view mirror is just silly.
Fans are an integral part of the athletic experience. Just ask players in the Bundesliga or Korean Baseball Organization what it's like to play in front of nobody. LeBron is vehemently against it, even though he knows that it'll be a necessity for a little while. The athletes know they're entertainers and they get a thrill out of BEING the entertainment. Having the fans there is the difference between practice and actual games that count. Yes, the fans can still watch on TV, but it's not the same. Every winner of a NASCAR race over the past three weeks has said as much.
Among his other outrageous claims were that the high-fives and selfies with fans will no longer be a thing moving forward. Again, the players enjoy those as much as the fans. And, if public health officials deem it safe enough for thousands of people to get together in the same place at the same time, why would those suddenly be any more dangerous than they were previously?
Likewise, the autograph line's future isn't endangered, either. That's a time-honored ritual of Spring Training or NFL training camps or postgame on Kid's Day. That's how you give a kid the thrill of a lifetime and make a fan for life. That's also where athletes can actually go out and interact with the people who cheer for them. It makes them real.
Then there's the idea that people will sit in those $1,000 courtside seats at NBA games wearing masks. Now, I personally wouldn't mind seeing those courtside seats disappear entirely (at least the ones between the bench and scorer's table that make absolutely no sense). But that doesn't seem likely, considering the massive amount of revenue they generate!
More than that, though, do you really think people are going to keep wearing masks one second longer than they're required? It's not exactly as if Americans suddenly decided they were fashionable and all wanted to make a statement. And when we get to the point where it's no longer necessary to wear them in everyday life, why would they still be required to attend an NBA game?
Perhaps the most outrageous claim was that the handshake, and by extension the Stanley Cup Playoff handshake line, will go away. I can't blame this one entirely on Layden. Dr. Fauci's been saying it from the beginning, and I think it's ridiculous when he says it, too. Because, as soon as society allows it, the handshake will return almost immediately.
Just think about how often the handshake is used in everyday life. It's the most common form of greeting we have. It's used to say "hello, goodbye, nice to meet you, good game, thank you, congratulations, I'm sorry," and so many other reasons. At the start of a baseball game, the umpires and managers get together at home plate, and the meeting begins and ends with handshakes all around. Ditto at the coin toss for a football game. And every trophy presentation in any sporting event anywhere. As you can see, it goes way beyond its most famous usage--the Stanley Cup Playoff postgame handshake line.
Of course, the main reason this is even a topic of discussion is because of fear. Epidemiologists aren't exactly helping here, either. Because they're the ones spreading a lot of that fear. They want you to think that you can catch coronavirus simply by having physical contact with anyone--or even touching the same surface as someone who's infected. I understand that they have to be cautious and want people to be cautious, too. But the mixed messaging about how you can even get it has caused nothing but panic.
And they're forgetting one key aspect of human society. People are a physical species. We need human contact. How many people are desperate not just to see loved ones, but to give them a hug? That's what has made social distancing so hard. As a society, we want to be together. It's a case of you don't know what you've got til it's gone. We crave basic human interaction. You don't think a good number of us will immediately jump at the opportunity to have it again as soon as we're able?
Likewise, sports are a communal experience. That's always been a part of their appeal. They bring people together. Total strangers are bonded their common love of a team. The electricity of a full stadium or arena is something that can't be replicated. Where else can you be so overcome by excitement that you're giving high-fives and hugs to everyone and anyone simply because they're sitting near you?
It also seems a little too obvious, but the economics of sports are kinda dependent on people being in close proximity to each other, too. They buy tickets. And food. And merchandise. And park. That's an experience millions of fans greatly miss right now. Teams and venues will adapt to whatever social distancing measures they have to because some fans are better than no fans, but there's no way those changes will be permanent. Because those random conversations and moments of exhilaration are part of the joy of it.
Will things be different in the short term? Yes. Because they'll have to be. But to think that whatever they look like when they do come back will still be the same in the future is just silly. A year from now? Maybe. But five years from now, when this is all a distant memory? Highly unlikely. There may be some changes. But I don't think the fan experience will actually end up looking too much different in the "new normal."
What is the "new normal" anyway? Everyone keeps talking about it, but nobody has been able to define what the "new normal" will be. The panic and uncertainty of the past few months has led people to act like things will be this way forever, though. And that certainly will NOT be the case!
We may not get back to "normal" as we used to know it. But people will eventually be allowed to travel and go near each other again. And when that happens, sports will find its way back to a place where fans and athletes can be a part of each other's experience. Which is what we all want.
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