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| The Eerie Sound of Sports Without Fans | The Eerie Sound of Sports Without Fans |
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| On Sunday, May 17, soccer fans who tuned in to the match between Bayern Munich and F.C. Union Berlin were greeted by a surprising sound: the thump of a ball being kicked. Most of the time, that noise is inaudible to television viewers, swallowed up by the ambient roar of cheers and chants raining down from the stands or the commentators bellowing over the din. But the Bayern-Union game was among the first played in Germany’s top division, the Bundesliga, after a two-month layoff because of the coronavirus pandemic, and the season had resumed with a drastic set of new restrictions in place, including a ban on paying spectators. | On Sunday, May 17, soccer fans who tuned in to the match between Bayern Munich and F.C. Union Berlin were greeted by a surprising sound: the thump of a ball being kicked. Most of the time, that noise is inaudible to television viewers, swallowed up by the ambient roar of cheers and chants raining down from the stands or the commentators bellowing over the din. But the Bayern-Union game was among the first played in Germany’s top division, the Bundesliga, after a two-month layoff because of the coronavirus pandemic, and the season had resumed with a drastic set of new restrictions in place, including a ban on paying spectators. |
| So the 22,000-capacity stadium was nearly empty, apart from players, staff, security and a smattering of others. “Under normal circumstances,” one of Fox Sports’ play-by-play announcers said, “this stadium would be rocking, packed to the rafters with some of the most passionate fans.” Instead, the place was enveloped in a silence that amplified the ubiquitous thwap-thwap-thwap of feet striking a ball. You could hear birds chirping, the peal of the referee’s whistle, the occasional shouts of players — a pastoral soundscape reminiscent of a youth-soccer match on a village green. | So the 22,000-capacity stadium was nearly empty, apart from players, staff, security and a smattering of others. “Under normal circumstances,” one of Fox Sports’ play-by-play announcers said, “this stadium would be rocking, packed to the rafters with some of the most passionate fans.” Instead, the place was enveloped in a silence that amplified the ubiquitous thwap-thwap-thwap of feet striking a ball. You could hear birds chirping, the peal of the referee’s whistle, the occasional shouts of players — a pastoral soundscape reminiscent of a youth-soccer match on a village green. |
| The level of play was of course world-class, but the atmospherics made the game feel absurd. On the bench, players were spaced several seats apart to preserve social distance; coaches yelled instructions through surgical masks. It was a kind of zombie game, a grim parody of a typical Sunday in the Bundesliga, when the action on the pitch is egged on by a seething carnival in the stands. | The level of play was of course world-class, but the atmospherics made the game feel absurd. On the bench, players were spaced several seats apart to preserve social distance; coaches yelled instructions through surgical masks. It was a kind of zombie game, a grim parody of a typical Sunday in the Bundesliga, when the action on the pitch is egged on by a seething carnival in the stands. |
| The game’s key plays accentuated the weirdness. When Bayern took a 1-0 lead on a penalty kick, the ball rolled into a net that framed an expanse of desolate bleachers. The shot that sealed Bayern’s victory, a header by Benjamin Pavard late in the second half, made a sound that echoed eerily around the building: a resonant thud, like a judge slamming down a gavel, case closed. Both goals were followed by oddly muted celebrations — a couple of halfhearted fist pumps and scattered applause from the Bayern sideline. No handshakes, of course, and no big hugs. | The game’s key plays accentuated the weirdness. When Bayern took a 1-0 lead on a penalty kick, the ball rolled into a net that framed an expanse of desolate bleachers. The shot that sealed Bayern’s victory, a header by Benjamin Pavard late in the second half, made a sound that echoed eerily around the building: a resonant thud, like a judge slamming down a gavel, case closed. Both goals were followed by oddly muted celebrations — a couple of halfhearted fist pumps and scattered applause from the Bayern sideline. No handshakes, of course, and no big hugs. |
| Professional sports is among the industries hit hardest by the coronavirus crisis. Some other forms of mass entertainment managed to stagger along: Musicians record songs and livestream concerts from home, and talk shows have set up shop in their hosts’ living rooms. But sports ceased almost entirely, a loss that has rippled through the global economy and altered the lives of countless fans. There’s no doubt that soccer lovers worldwide are suffering withdrawal and are ravenous for new action. On the weekend the Bundesliga returned, broadcasts of the games reportedly set ratings records in Germany, and Fox Sports’ American telecast of one match on FS1 drew the largest market share for a Bundesliga game in the channel’s history. | Professional sports is among the industries hit hardest by the coronavirus crisis. Some other forms of mass entertainment managed to stagger along: Musicians record songs and livestream concerts from home, and talk shows have set up shop in their hosts’ living rooms. But sports ceased almost entirely, a loss that has rippled through the global economy and altered the lives of countless fans. There’s no doubt that soccer lovers worldwide are suffering withdrawal and are ravenous for new action. On the weekend the Bundesliga returned, broadcasts of the games reportedly set ratings records in Germany, and Fox Sports’ American telecast of one match on FS1 drew the largest market share for a Bundesliga game in the channel’s history. |
| Critics have questioned the decision to resume Bundesliga play, arguing that the move puts the health of players and others at risk and was compelled mostly by financial pressures. But more leagues may soon follow suit. Europe’s other elite soccer divisions — in England, Spain and Italy — seem poised to return within weeks. The N.B.A. is reportedly planning to restart, possibly heading straight into a 16-team playoff tournament. The fate of the Major League Baseball season has become entangled in disputes between team owners and the players’ union, but the sides are negotiating in hopes that a shortened schedule can begin in July. At the moment, it seems unlikely that fans will be present at any of these games, in any of these sports. | Critics have questioned the decision to resume Bundesliga play, arguing that the move puts the health of players and others at risk and was compelled mostly by financial pressures. But more leagues may soon follow suit. Europe’s other elite soccer divisions — in England, Spain and Italy — seem poised to return within weeks. The N.B.A. is reportedly planning to restart, possibly heading straight into a 16-team playoff tournament. The fate of the Major League Baseball season has become entangled in disputes between team owners and the players’ union, but the sides are negotiating in hopes that a shortened schedule can begin in July. At the moment, it seems unlikely that fans will be present at any of these games, in any of these sports. |
| You would think that the sports world would be well positioned to adapt to this reality. Millions of ardent sports fans never attend games in person; for most people, a soccer or football or basketball game is a thing you watch on TV. For decades, television has been at the heart of sports culture, with leagues rejiggering game rules to create more gripping TV spectacles. At the stadiums themselves, there are jumbo scoreboards, hi-def screens on which fans follow the action and instant-replay reviews of referees’ calls. In soccer, there is already a history of matches played with no fans: For years, the sport’s governing bodies have occasionally imposed them as a penalty for team rule violations or supporters’ acts of hooliganism or racism. | You would think that the sports world would be well positioned to adapt to this reality. Millions of ardent sports fans never attend games in person; for most people, a soccer or football or basketball game is a thing you watch on TV. For decades, television has been at the heart of sports culture, with leagues rejiggering game rules to create more gripping TV spectacles. At the stadiums themselves, there are jumbo scoreboards, hi-def screens on which fans follow the action and instant-replay reviews of referees’ calls. In soccer, there is already a history of matches played with no fans: For years, the sport’s governing bodies have occasionally imposed them as a penalty for team rule violations or supporters’ acts of hooliganism or racism. |
| All this would seem to bode well for what may become a protracted empty-stadium era. It might at first be a shock to watch a blood-and-thunder sporting event — a UEFA Champions League final or a World Series seventh game — unfolding amid the genteel hush we associate with tournament golf. But fans will adjust, as they have adjusted to the many overhauls, aesthetic and otherwise, that our pastimes have undergone across the decades. What matters, most would say, is that the show goes on, that the games are played. | All this would seem to bode well for what may become a protracted empty-stadium era. It might at first be a shock to watch a blood-and-thunder sporting event — a UEFA Champions League final or a World Series seventh game — unfolding amid the genteel hush we associate with tournament golf. But fans will adjust, as they have adjusted to the many overhauls, aesthetic and otherwise, that our pastimes have undergone across the decades. What matters, most would say, is that the show goes on, that the games are played. |
| Updated June 24, 2020 | |
| Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles. | |
| A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. | |
| The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. | |
| The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. | |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | |
| But is that really what matters? Fans like to imagine that they are purists whose fever for sports derives from a devout Love of the Game. But fans don’t just love the games. They love all the corny stuff that comes with them. They love the pomp and circumstance. They love the communal vibe, the combination of party and riot and religious revival, that thrives in packed bars and teeming stadium stands. This is especially pronounced in club soccer, with its culture of “ultras,” superfans who attend every game, home and away, wearing team colors and waving flags and singing songs. These tribal rites won’t stand in 2020, when we measure our safety in distances of six feet and in the dispersal patterns of respiratory droplets. Even the humble, beery gathering to watch the game at home is deemed ill advised. | But is that really what matters? Fans like to imagine that they are purists whose fever for sports derives from a devout Love of the Game. But fans don’t just love the games. They love all the corny stuff that comes with them. They love the pomp and circumstance. They love the communal vibe, the combination of party and riot and religious revival, that thrives in packed bars and teeming stadium stands. This is especially pronounced in club soccer, with its culture of “ultras,” superfans who attend every game, home and away, wearing team colors and waving flags and singing songs. These tribal rites won’t stand in 2020, when we measure our safety in distances of six feet and in the dispersal patterns of respiratory droplets. Even the humble, beery gathering to watch the game at home is deemed ill advised. |
| Sports lore holds that the relationship between fan and team is symbiotic and reciprocal. The heroism of the players brings cheers from the faithful; the cheers inspire the heroism. That ecosystem has been disrupted by the coronavirus. One of the most-discussed moments of the Bundesliga’s first weekend back came at the conclusion of the Borussia Dortmund-F.C. Schalke match, when Dortmund’s players saluted their fans in absentia, standing and applauding in front of the so-called Yellow Wall, the 25,000-seat stand where the club’s famously zealous ultras gather. | Sports lore holds that the relationship between fan and team is symbiotic and reciprocal. The heroism of the players brings cheers from the faithful; the cheers inspire the heroism. That ecosystem has been disrupted by the coronavirus. One of the most-discussed moments of the Bundesliga’s first weekend back came at the conclusion of the Borussia Dortmund-F.C. Schalke match, when Dortmund’s players saluted their fans in absentia, standing and applauding in front of the so-called Yellow Wall, the 25,000-seat stand where the club’s famously zealous ultras gather. |
| It was a nice gesture, but did Dortmund really miss those fans? The team thumped Schalke 4-0, an electric performance that kept them within four points of Bayern in a tight Bundesliga title race. To watch both teams play in these unnervingly silent stadiums is to confirm the obvious: Elite athletes will do great things on a field regardless of whether supporters are there to cheer them on. Those spectators are superfluous to soccer as a sport — what they’re essential to is soccer as show business. Fans watching at home need the fans in the stands; without them, a crucial life force drains from the games. The roar of the crowd is not mere background noise. It’s the music of sports — the soundtrack that transforms a ballgame into a melodrama, must-see TV, the greatest show on earth. | It was a nice gesture, but did Dortmund really miss those fans? The team thumped Schalke 4-0, an electric performance that kept them within four points of Bayern in a tight Bundesliga title race. To watch both teams play in these unnervingly silent stadiums is to confirm the obvious: Elite athletes will do great things on a field regardless of whether supporters are there to cheer them on. Those spectators are superfluous to soccer as a sport — what they’re essential to is soccer as show business. Fans watching at home need the fans in the stands; without them, a crucial life force drains from the games. The roar of the crowd is not mere background noise. It’s the music of sports — the soundtrack that transforms a ballgame into a melodrama, must-see TV, the greatest show on earth. |