The thrill of enjoying an NFL game in person is something we take for granted when we spend hundreds of dollars for the experience. But what happens when Century Link Field is empty? Or Lambeau Field? Or any stadium your fanbase calls home? The Coronavirus is aiming to do just that.
As of this writing, March 11, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has yet to make any formal statement on what the NFL plans to do if the Coronavirus has not been solved in the coming months.
How Will the NFL Handle the Coronavirus?
This is quite alarming due to the number of events the NFL has coming up. The NFL Draft is next month in April, followed by Organized Training Activities, and then, Training Camp once Summer rolls around.
All these events will feature a high volume of people interacting in various capacities — which, of course, is the No. 1 way to spread this virus.
The NFL will have a plan in place knowing that the virus is highly contagious, just what that looks like will remain to be seen. The billion-dollar industry will have contingency plans in place should any emergencies come up.
The NHL, NBA, and MLB have already taken measures to have their games played with an empty arena — and have disallowed media access to player interviews in the locker room and post-game interviews.
The NFL — which usually features a long wait time between season — does have the benefit of moving their events forward while the world waits for a solution to the Coronavirus. Game attendance hasn’t been affected yet, but what if it does?
What Happens When You Take the Crowd Away?
An interesting note would be if crowds affect home-field advantage or not? With the roar of the crowd gone, would that affect quarterbacks such as Russell Wilson, Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers?
Teams, that rely on crowd noise to put an opposing team away or to rally against a tying or go-ahead score — how would their game-plan be affected?
Conversely, how would players hype themselves up after a big play, if there’s no one to cheer them on?
Players can hype themselves up, but the adrenaline rush from the roar of a crowd after a sack or touchdown feeds all 53 players on all 32 teams.
Imagine Davante Adams doing a Lambeau Leap into no one. While the idea of fan interaction sounds silly because we’re so used to it, it remains a critical juncture of the game itself.
Empty Stadium = Ghost Town
The crowd is very much a part of the game as the players themselves — just minus the wins and losses. But you hear them every time you watch a game on TV or attend in person. The cheers. The Boos. The back-and-forth between fan bases.
The noise matters as it can turn the tide of battle throughout 60 minutes every week.
The Coronavirus is a very serious thing that’s having major ramifications across the world and all of its avenues.
Whether it’s an overreaction or not to limit people from attending games, it’s something the higher-ups will determine if the sport is still being played in a safe environment.
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
