Fans Back in the Stands
Dodger Stadium sits empty on Monday, March 15, 2021, in Los Angeles Calif. With less than a month to go before Opening Day, Los Angeles County has moved into the state’s red tier of coronavirus risk level, meaning that up to 11,200 fans will be in attendance for the defending World Series Champions’ home opener on April 9 against the Washington Nationals. (Michael Goldsmith l The Corsair)
Southern California has yet to free itself from the grips of the coronavirus. Social distancing policies and restrictions continue to play a major role in how people live their lives.
Professional sports are not exempt from this reality. Sports fans nationwide have mostly been prohibited from stadiums. This left fans desperate to return and watch their favorite teams.
However, on Friday, March 5, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that California was dropping down from the purple to red tier. Beginning on April 1, outdoor sports in California can sell tickets and admit fans at a reduced capacity, determined by California’s four-color coded tier system.
This is great news for California baseball fans, as this policy change will allow the Los Angeles Dodgers to sell 20% of the seats in their ball park. Additionally, the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Angels, and Oakland A’s all announced plans for having spectators on their Opening Day.
It should be noted that fan attendance is conditional. As long as California counties can stay within these tiers, Major League Baseball (MLB) can have fans in their stands. Additionally, MLB teams in California must follow and enforce strict social distancing guidelines.
“On behalf of Dodger organization and its fans, we want to express our sincere appreciation and gratitude to Governor Newsom, his staff and the many others who have worked tirelessly on these revised guidelines which provide a blueprint for California outdoor sports venues to re-open to fans…Safety is paramount, and the Dodgers continue to work with local officials and Major League Baseball to finalize protocols to protect players, fans and staff.” said Stan Kasten, CEO of the Dodgers, on March 5.
The National Basketball Association (NBA) also announced plans for allowing fans to return. According to a press release by the NBA on March 11, fan attendance will depend “on a variety of factors, including coronavirus guidelines that vary from state to state.” None of the California NBA teams have released new plans for stadium attendance, leaving their seats empty until further notice.
The announcement of reopening outdoor stadiums is a sign of relief for many. Dillion Gjeloshaj, a Whole Foods employee in Santa Monica, had interest in the reopenings.
“I’m so down for baseball to come back...I’m all for going to a baseball game. As long as people can be respectful of each other and the Stadium can enforce social distancing.”
Not everyone shares the same sentiment. Sheryl Luna, a lifetime resident of Hollywood said, “Honestly, I’m okay with people going to Dodger games, but transmission is still a big concern for me…I know people are getting vaccinated and cases are going down, but that doesn’t mean people can’t get the virus,” said Luna, “I think I would’ve liked California to have waited until after May 1, when [President] Biden said all Americans can get a vaccine. But either way, I don’t think opening up is necessarily bad.”
While California took a big step forward by easing some restrictions on outdoor sports venues, it’s clear that the state will need more time to make decisions for indoor stadiums. But allowing people the opportunity to return to sporting events is a step in the right direction.
