No fans, no fun: Athletes uneasy over empty-arena solutions

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — As U.S. sports leagues weigh whether to bar fans from ballparks and stadiums to help stall the coronavirus outbreak, San Francisco Giants pitcher Jeff Samardzija is one of the few players who can tell them exactly what that feels like.

“It’s not very fun,” he said.

Samardzija pitched for the Chicago White Sox in a 2015 game played without fans in Baltimore due to civil unrest in the city. It was a bizarre scene at Camden Yards — a sun-drenched stadium, empty except for the teams — but something that has already become common internationally and could happen in the U.S. if there’s no slowdown to the spread of the COVID-19 strain that has infected more than 100,000 people worldwide.

The global virus outbreak has caused concern about cramming tens of thousands of fans in for games that technically can go on without them.

Sports leagues in Europa, Asia and the Middle East have already locked supporters out of venues, and the NBA sent a memo to its franchises Friday warning them to prepare for the possibility that it may have to host games without fans.

While U.S. sports leagues have been in regular contact with each other regarding the outbreak, MLB and the NHL have not yet issued similar notices.

Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred plans to discuss the coronavirus with team owners in a conference call Monday — the first league-wide call between clubs and the commissioner about the outbreak. But at this stage, the league plans to open the season in 2 1/2 weeks as planned.

With the situation evolving quickly, athletes in the U.S. are becoming aware — and concerned — about the possibility of playing behind closed doors.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James said Friday he “ain’t playing if I ain’t got the fans in the...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/college/article/No-fans-no-fun-Athletes-uneasy-over-empty-arena-15115246.php