Live sports may return this summer under new health restrictions

Photo courtesy of Matt Boulton, Flickr

It is uncertain during this unusual time when many entertainment industries will return to normal. Sports are not an exception, but possible solutions are starting to rise after President Trump complained about the absence of live sports.

The president announced on Tuesday, April 14 that he plans to create an advisory group made up of multiple sports commissioners and team owners in order to revive the American sports world. 

According to Trump, some of the sports owners that will take part in this mission are Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and Robert Kraft, the CEO of the New England Patriots.

"We have to get our sports back," Trump said during Tuesday’s announcement. "I'm tired of watching baseball games that are 14 years old."

As of Wednesday, April 15, the amount of COVID-19 cases in the United States alone has reached a total of 600,000. There are currently over 24,000 deaths counted for as well as 43,000 recoveries.

While the total death toll from the coronavirus in the United States continues to rise, Trump claims that the country’s weakened economy is struggling due to all of the closures, and because of this, parts of the United States should be planning to reopen businesses as soon as possible.

In response to Trump’s statement, American immunologist Dr. Anthony Fauci noted that sports could return this summer with two conditions: there must be no fans in the venues, and players must stay in hotels in order to enforce safety precautions.

“There’s a way of doing that,” Fauci said in an interview with journalist Peter Hamby on Tuesday. "Nobody comes to the stadium. Put [the players] in big hotels, wherever you want to play, keep them very well-surveilled... Have them tested every single week and make sure they don't wind up infecting each other or their family, and just let them play the season out."

Seton Hall University recently conducted a poll on expected fan attendance at sporting events during this pandemic. The results proved that 72 percent of people would not be comfortable enough to attend games before a coronavirus vaccine was accessible.

While it is hard to determine what the future of sports will contain, this week has proven that developments are being made. If live sports broadcasts come back with safety precautions considered, this will be a positive light for sports fans across the nation.

ddeange1@ramapo.edu