North America’s sports leagues might be itching to return to action, but 72 percent of respondents to a Seton Hall University poll said that they would not feel safe attending games until a COVID-19 vaccine is developed.
Asked what they would do if leagues resumed play before there was a vaccine, 12 percent of respondents to a poll that was released on Thursday said they would attend, but only if social distancing could be maintained, while only 13 percent said they would feel safe.
The poll, run by the Sharkey Institute within Seton Hall’s Stillman School of Business, was conducted from Monday to Wednesday with 762 respondents.
Over the past month, the pandemic has shut down world sports on an unprecedented scale.
“This virus has the attention and respect of the nation,” Seton Hall sports poll director Rick Gentile said. “Those who identify as sports fans, at all levels of interest, line up closely with the general population in regard to their own safety and that of the players.”
The NBA suspended its season on March 11 after a Utah Jazz player tested positive. This was quickly followed by the NHL, MLB and other sports postponing or canceling events.
While respondents said that they were in no rush to fill stadiums and arenas, they clearly miss sports, with 76 percent saying that they would watch broadcasts of the games with the same interest as before, while only 16 percent said that they would be less interested.
In what could be a worrying sign for the leagues, only 29 percent said that they very much missed having the opportunity to watch live sporting events.
Many of North America’s major leagues have been brainstorming scenarios that would help them to return to action as soon as possible — even considering playing games in empty stadiums before the coronavirus is completely under control.
US President Donald Trump on Saturday last week during a conference call told sports commissioners that he hoped leagues and competitions, suspended by the pandemic, would soon be back in action.
“I want fans back in the arenas,” Trump said later at a news briefing. “Whenever we are ready — as soon as we can, obviously.”
Trump also said he believes that the NFL season, which is due to begin in September, should start on time.
However, most Americans, according to the poll are not as enthusiastic, with only 6 percent of respondents saying that the NFL should start up as planned, while 70 percent said that the league should not begin play if social distancing still needs to be maintained.
As for the Tokyo Olympic Games, the year’s biggest sporting event, 84 percent of respondents said that the International Olympic Committee acted appropriately in postponing the Games until 2021, while only 14 percent said that it acted too quickly.
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