What will the sports fan’s experience look like after coronavirus?

April 20, 2020

Interesting analysis of the sports world, specifically the in-stadium experience, in a post Covid-19 world by Alex Speier in the Boston Globe:

To maintain 6 feet on all sides, you'd likely need multiple empty seats and multiple rows between fans — some of which could potentially be offset by having, say, a family of four from one household sitting together in a block. Crowd composition could be altered further by profiling. Might teams discourage those at greater risk of serious complications from COVID-19 — those over 60, or those with preexisting conditions — from going to games? Would teams restrict tickets to — or feature different seating plans for — those who could document they had developed antibodies to the coronavirus?

Decontamination of stands will have to become a staple of stadium operations. Hand sanitizer will become omnipresent in concourses. Cleaning staffs would have to be vigilant about the "high-touch" areas of facilities — including railings (both in stands and on escalators) and elevator buttons. Might there be a requirement for spectators to wear masks? If so, masks with team logos might replace caps or jerseys as the most frequently seen form of team apparel.

It's a quintessential part of the stadium experience: A hot dog passed from vendor to fan to fan to fan, with cash flowing back in the other direction. In all likelihood, that familiar ritual will be gone. "They'll have to have no stadium vendors," said Zimbalist. "They're not going to have people passing hot dogs down or passing anything down. That has to stop."

via Peter King's Football Morning in America