When the Coronavirus hit, the immediate lock down was tough. In addition to all the uncertainty and changes in daily life, the loss of live sports proved a major challenge for fans.
The Bundesliga was the first of the major European soccer leagues to return and I decided to check it out. I’m not a big fan of the German league but it was great just to be able to see a live match. However, it was really odd to watch a game without fans, muted celebrations and an overall sterile environment. Even creepier are the cardboard cutouts of fans’ faces.
I’m an Arsenal fan so when the Premier League began anew in mid June I was thrilled. In fact, with all the leagues trying to finish their respective seasons quickly, it’s been a virtual football fest for the past month. There are games on almost every day. It’s been great.
The broadcast networks decided to incorporate taped recordings of crowd noise to give the games a bit of validity. I wasn’t sure about it in the beginning, but when I did have the chance to watch a match with no sound, except for the players and coaches, it was almost eerie. That’s when I decided that I’d rather have the taped crowd noise when watching these closed door matches. Noting has been normal since March so a bit of forced reality is welcome.
Having attended many matches over the years, it’s sad to know that the usual atmosphere will be missing from stadiums until the world gets this virus under control.
What are your thoughts on the restart and the safety protocols the leagues have set up?