Many things in life have changed during the Covid-19 Pandemic including all sporting events which for the longest time had no fans. I had the very fortunate chance to attend some sporting events through the pandemic and wanted to give some of my thoughts on everything.
In October, when the Pandemic was hitting its second wave, I was able to attend the Talladega Superspeedway playoff race in Alabama. Many people were a lot more careful than to make sure they were not getting sick. There were so many protocols at the track such as social distancing, mask requirements, and temperature checks at the gates. Illinois was stricter on its Covid guidelines therefore I was unable to attend any baseball, basketball, football, or any other sporting events throughout the calendar year.
Before I could attend any Illinois sporting events, I jumped at the chance to head back to Talladega for the spring NASCAR race. It felt like a complete 180 compared to the fall where there were many protocols in place. The protocols were set but many people did not follow them for whatever reason. I mostly was in my own area but felt okay being almost fully vaccinated. I really enjoyed this race more than the fall because it felt like Covid wasn’t around anymore with things seeming normal.
Finally, Illinois restrictions starting to loosen up allowing me to attend multiple sporting events in a short amount of time. I was able to attend the University of Illinois Spring game which had all of the precautions for a small crowd. Overall it was really fun but could tell it was going to be a while before full crowds were allowed (especially in Illinois). The football game was a really fun time and next up was the Blackhawks and Bulls games after the state and city of Chicago allowed fans to the last handful of games.
Many protocols were in place for the Blackhawks and Bulls respectively but it was so much fun to see my favorite teams back in action. I initially thought it was foolish to have fans at games when both teams were effectively eliminated from playoff contention with the season over. I began to realize that it was much bigger than that, it was about returning to some normalcy. The games represented being able to forget about life and watch your favorite team play the game you love. I was interviewed by Fox 32’s Kaitlin Sharkey who did a great job explaining fans coming back. I attached the interview with one of my quotes that were used. It was a great weekend and both teams took home the victories.
Overall I would say progress is being made in the process of inviting fans back to sporting events across the country and world. It mainly depends on the sport, the state/city guidelines, and how many people are willing to attend. I am very excited to be able to attend sporting events again and can’t wait to make some more memories cheering on my favorite teams!
-CM
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