NFL
Biggest Takeaways of Fans Not Being in the Stands
As COVID-19 shocked the world and paused sports, it's once again time to resume but this time without the fans in the stands.
Jeff Roberson/AP Images
Fans have a massive impact on the game whether it affects home field advantage, the players mentality, or the amount of revenue organizations make. As more teams and cities continue to claim that fans won’t be allowed in the stands, this will cause the 2020 season to be like no other. Here are the biggest takeaways to consider with the continuous announcements throughout the country of fans not being allowed in the stands.
UPDATE: All New York Giants and New York Jets home games will be played in front of 0 fans at MetLife Stadium until further notice pic.twitter.com/am6RXtI4i6
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) July 21, 2020
Teams like the Cincinnati Reds and Bengals are small market teams that don’t have overly passionate fan bases, so the lack of fans wouldn’t be as detrimental compared to larger market teams. On the basketball side, no team will be able to have fans this year, so the home court advantage that was going to help the Lakers and Bucks coast through the Conference Playoffs is an advantage they no longer hold.
When it comes to NFL teams, stadiums in New Orleans, Seattle, and Kansas City are known for causing havoc and helping their teams gain an advantage over others. None of those teams or cities have announced any attendance decline intended for the upcoming season, but it seems like an inevitable move at this point. Others like the Los Angeles Chargers and Washington DC have witnessed more fans of the away team buy tickets to their game than their own fans, so the lack of fans could actually help them from on-field standpoint.
One of the prominent advantages is some teams are expecting to have fans at their games while others have already ruled out the possibility. It’s very unfair for the Eagles and Giants to have zero fans but the Cowboys and Steelers are currently eligible to have a full stadium. There has to be some type of common ground or the records and stats are going to be skewed towards the active fan based teams.
The Blue Jays can’t even play games in Canada right now because of the government’s intrusion regarding the global pandemic. NBA Players aren’t used to a Bubble style playing situation which restricts them from their families, homes, and their typical daily routines. At least in the NBA, every team and player is facing similar circumstances, and no team or player gains an advantage over anyone else. However, in a normal Playoff setting, the teams that earned home court advantage would’ve owned an advantage that they no longer have (See Lakers, Bucks)
The Biggest factor of these abbreviated seasons is the ability of the Head Coaches to regain the team’s focus and using their ability to adapt as a way to guide their players. Because of this whole situation, regardless of whether fans are in attendance or not, the biggest disadvantage goes to teams that have brand new coaches or are undergoing schematic changes when it comes to chemistry and execution, especially if there’s not any preseason football.
The reality is setting in that there won’t be any Native American chants at Indians, Braves, and Chiefs games anymore, no J-E-T-S from MetLife Stadium, and there won’t be any brotherly love in the city of Philadelphia. Players say over and over the affect that fans have on the outlook of the game. For the first time in American sports history there will be no fans at a majority of professional sporting events this year. To combat the lack of fans, stadiums are using artificial noise to convey a real sports atmosphere. All 30 MLB stadiums are in line to use the tactic while the NBA’s plan has yet to be determined.
The NFL has always banned artificial crowd noise in the past, even punishing the Atlanta Falcons a couple of years ago for trying to gain an unfair advantage at the time. However, with more and more stadiums declaring their future outlook of little to no attendance, it could be better than hearing players unfiltered for the purpose of a family-friendly environment for the league’s sake.
Like this article about fans not being in the stands? Share with friends!
