Apr 15, 2020
Dr. Fauci: Sports could return without fans
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the United States’ top infectious diseases expert, said on Wednesday there is a way of resuming sports in the summer, as long as no fans are in the stadiums.
TSN.ca Staff
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the United States’ top infectious diseases expert, said on Wednesday there is a way of resuming sports in the summer, as long as no fans are in the stadiums.
"There’s a way of doing that," Fauci told Peter Hamby on Snapchat when asked about an abbreviated baseball season and the start of a football season. "Nobody comes to the stadium. Put [the players] in big hotels, wherever you want to play, keep them 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."
Fauci's comments are not all that far from a report from ESPN's Jeff Passan earlier this month that said Major League Baseball was exploring the idea of playing regular season games in Arizona without fans in the stands and players stationed in nearby hotels when not at the ballpark. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and USA Today's Bob Nightengale, among others, have reported similar scenarios, all involving the absence of fans in stadiums if and when play does resume.
Despite the reports, MLB said they are evaluating a number of options and did not publicly reveal any concrete plans to begin play.
Multiple reports indicate the PGA Tour will soon announce tentative plans to resume play in June without spectators.