A New Game Within The 'In-Game' Experience: Post Covid-19 Sports

The4 hopes all of its readers are doing well throughout a very...interesting time both in the United States and throughout the global atmosphere. We hope you are all safe, relatively sane and keeping your eyes on your respective prize. Regardless of political or social affiliations, ideologies or distinctions, it is very critical that we all take some time away from being the passive listener and engage in some active thinking. In order to do so, we all must take a deep breath and ask some challenging questions and discuss answers or solutions within ourselves and/or our peer groups as the world is seemingly transforming beneath our very feet. I've had an opportunity to do so and thought a little outside of the box in reference to the intersection of sports, politics, culture and the social atmosphere within which all of these critical elements coalesce. Within the public sphere, different segments of our population interact; it happens on the job, when shopping for goods or services, seeking medical care, in schools, churches and yes, even sporting events. Many of us have witnessed the conclusion of one of the most unique National Basketball Association and National Hockey League playoffs and are currently in the midst of a unique National Football Season while Major League Baseball's playoffs is moving rapidly towards it's conclusion (which challenges anyone to ask whether is it possible for Tampa Bay to have THREE world titles in one season). One of the questions I had to ask myself, in the context of professional and amateur sports was: "when societal culture, in consideration of the effects of Covid-19, somewhat 'normalizes', what will the fan and athlete experience be like during sporting events?"

Those who follow sports have more than likely been to a sporting event. Within these environments, there is a collection of fans of the opposing teams who express their cheering interests. These individuals generally come from differing segments of society which feature philosophical differences whether it be political, economic or social interests, that conflict with their fellow fans. Fans of a team tend to come together to cheer a common interest on the basis of the color of the jersey, the emotional/financial equity that they have invested and the spatial/cultural framework in which the team exists. Sports tends to fulfill the tribal instincts that Americans have been acculturated to not wholly adhere to; yes, race and ethnicity draw people into secularized social groups, but generally the influence of the dollar and personal interest tend to draw people toward some level of a compromise of their tribal affiliations. Conversely, the lack of dollars or the presence of uncertainty as it pertains to the access to the dollar in many cases (such as a worldwide pandemic), draws them closer to tribalistic nature. Nonetheless, in a stadium or arena, you will often find people with distinct biases towards one another seated next to each other, high fiving and talking shop as it concerns their common interest, which is the success of 'their team'. I believe that the worm has turned in regards to this relationship; and not for the better.

Prior to Covid-19, we have witnessed infamous fights between fans of opposing teams; for example, Chargers and Raiders fans have squared up often over the years. Yankees and Red Sox fans often get into it as well. However, the dynamics may have changed due to the fans' personal opinions as it concerns the National Anthem and players who may silently protest societal inefficiencies on the field or the court. For example, what happens if a Black Lives Matter supporter is sitting within earshot of a person who believes all players should respect the flag? If either party decides to take advantage of their respective right to voice their approval or displeasure of a player's action, what is the result even if they are wearing the same colors and rooting for the same team? Is the success of the team and a common bond of interest in it, enough to overcome philosophical differences? Does that previous state of tribal allegiance to the team revert to the societal tribal nature that is prevalent outside of sports and away from the stadium? Within this context, what is the role of team owners and commissioners of leagues in preventing such an issue from escalating into violent encounters which has the potential of exposing them to lawsuits, negative press and lost revenue?

The relationship between 'black' players and 'white' fans has been a contentious one for quite some time. Bill Russell, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer and arguably the most accomplished basketball player in NBA history, had a notoriously difficult time coexisting with the fans of the Boston Celtics. He experienced extreme forms of racism while playing for the Celtics where he endured racial slurs and saw his home vandalized and his championship rings stolen. In 1995, Allen Iverson, as a teenaged college basketball player at Georgetown University experienced instances in which fans called him a 'jailbird' in reference to him being charged in crime in which he was acquitted. We witnessed other glimpses of this negative relationship when the so-called 'Malice at the Palace' occurred between players of the Indiana Pacers and fans of the Detroit Pistons in 2004. In 2019, a Utah Jazz Fan was permanently banned from attending future games due to what was termed "excessive derogatory verbal abuse directed at a player" as he was witnessed berating Russell Westbrook. Players such as Adam Jones, a former player of the Baltimore Orioles spoke of discriminatory remarks directed at him by fans of the Boston Red Sox as he patrolled the outfield at Fenway Park in Boston. Givani Smith, a 'black' hockey player who was an NHL draft pick of the Detroit Red Wings in 2016, required a police escort to a junior hockey playoff game after he received racist threats from fans...in Toronto, Ontario.

In 2020, Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker received a message on his Instagram page from a fan who believed he took liberties against an opposing player (pardon their use of the English language): "Wasup monkey ass n-----r. You gon get a bounty on yo f-----n' monkey ass head you f-----n' dirty n-----r." In other messages he received, he was also called "slave". During the latter stages of the 2020 season, where NBA games were played in a bubble, players who exercised their opinions and free expression about the current state of society were not exposed to fans in person; therefore a lion share of anger directed toward them was done via social media, news networks and declining levels of viewership. What happens when fans are permitted to attend the games and the players still wish to express themselves? Does the vitriol become even more overt or frequent? Does it escalate to physical engagement or violent assaults? When the Kansas City Chiefs had 'Moment of Unity' during their home opener against the Houston Texans, the boos from the sparse amount of fans in attendance was noticeable. What happens if the fans that jeer these gestures are seated near fans who appreciate such a gesture? In essence, what I am trying to convey is that getting fans back into the arenas and stadiums carry public safety concerns that require logistics beyond social distancing or other health related protocols. It is conceivable that a 'white' fan can be involved in a violent encounter with a 'black' fan....while both are wearing a jersey with the name and number of the same player on its back?

I have no answers to what or how things should be done once fans are permitted back into sports venues in pre-Covid-19 numbers. However, due to the racial, philosophical and political issues that have been acerbated during America's foray into an 'undiscovered country', where contact tracing, social distancing, quarantines, rapid testing, telework, in-home schooling and the changing relationship between the individual and public space are the norm, the athlete and fan experiences are not immune to 'game changing' challenges. Is it possible that some team or league will suggest segregating the viewing public based upon classification in certain venues and throw us back to a woebegone era in the interest of securing profits through television deals, ticket and merchandise sales while preventing contentious interactions between fans of the same team? Do sports such as basketball, in the interest of protecting players and fans eliminate floor seats and push the fans further away from the action? How does that affect seat pricing and does that adversely affect the team's bottom line by driving more fans away? How much more stringent are security measures going to be? Does that increase ticket prices?

In today's America, I am afraid that these forms of a 'solution' are on the table if the the leagues are intent on bringing fans back, which in a derivative nature also plays into the conundrum of how amateur and professional sports play a major role in stabilizing local economies which heavily rely on the infusion of tax dollars.

Get ya popcorn ready.