Many sports leagues and events have been canceled or postponed due to COVID-19, and it's looking as though the only hope for them to return relatively soon is to eliminate fans from attendance.
Dr. Fauci, the top infectious disease expert during the crisis, recently interview with Snapchat's Peter Hamby and said that major-league sports may be able to return this summer, however, fans attending these events would have to wait.
People have spent lots of money on season tickets or personal seat licenses, and yet, while it's certainly not ideal, if sports could resume in any capacity, it might be one of the few good things to happen in a while.
In the interview with Fauci, he was specifically referencing how the MLB and NFL could begin their season in a much different way. Fans wouldn't be permitted to attend games, and the players, coaches, and umpires/referees would have to be sequestered in hotels and regularly tested.
Without improved access to testing and/or vaccination to combat COVID-19, however, fans cramming into a 50-75k-seat stadium will have to wait.
College sports would take a hit with this plan, as many rely on ticket sales, parking fees, and concession money to stay afloat, but for leagues with big TV deals, like the NBA and NFL, they are more situated to handle a "fanless" experience. In the end, though, some money is better than no money at all. Sports, in general, might also do better as people are restless at home and eager to return to some semblance of normalcy,
While this isn't exactly the most thrilling way to get our beloved teams and athletes back on the fields and courts, it's something, and at this point, nearly all of us are looking for anything to keep us sane and entertained during this unusual time.