Per the Phase 4 state guidelines, stadiums are allowed to have 50 spectators. Not sure if that will change before March 19th, hopefully it will and they allow more fans in attendance since football is played outdoors and much more space for fans to watch. However, as it stands right now, I am hearing that the strong majority of the conferences are leaning towards having absolutely no fans at any of the football games. Simple reason is that they don't want to have a "lottery" system on who can attend and who can't and do not feel that is would be fair to have some parents in the stands and not others. A smaller team with a roster of 25-30 may be able to have parents only at games, and that will be up to their conference AD's. But most teams roster 50+ kids and there is no way to appease all the parents, boosters, etc. so at this point many are saying no fans at games, period! Most larger schools will plan to live stream every game if they have the capability. Unfortunately there will definitely not be a student section and long time community fans who would come to every home game. I expect a ton of parents and fans to be lined outside the stadium fences on the sidewalk near the street trying to watch the game. I know there will be a lot of angry parents, fans, etc. but again lets just focus on the fact that we now have games and the kids will be playing. We all would have been happy if we were offered this scenario in the fall or even a few weeks ago. The Boys are playing football and that is all that really matters! If anything changes (and hopefully it will for the better) on this I will update the board, thank you
What I'm hearing as it relates to fans at football games......
- Thread starter YDFan_2000
- Start date
Probably an unpopular opinion, but I strongly disagree with the fan issue.
Yes, the main goal is for kids to play. However, let's not forget that the experience also comes from spectators. Parents. Students. In many places a public tax funded field that the community supported and should have a right to still support by being there.
This comes down to common sense with the outside stuff and spacing. It is going to take one school to change. Just one school to say you know what...this is still GUIDANCE. We cannot legally get into anything if we don't adhere to the guidance. There's nothing legal on the books that says something will happen (fines, litigation, funding, etc) if a school goes against the IDPH sports guidance. There was a threat by ISBE before, but nothing actual legal on it.
I hope someone stands up and shows it can be done. Just like businesses who opted to go against the guidance with zero repercussions. We all know you can't prove transmission occurred anywhere down to the exact place and time. It's time we use common sense when it comes to spacing, fans, outdoor use.
Disappointed to hear schools would rather just say nothing allowed so that they don't have to deal with headaches. How about we use common sense, understand what "guidance" really means, and give the full experience these players, fans, parents, community members, and media personnel deserve.
Yes, the main goal is for kids to play. However, let's not forget that the experience also comes from spectators. Parents. Students. In many places a public tax funded field that the community supported and should have a right to still support by being there.
This comes down to common sense with the outside stuff and spacing. It is going to take one school to change. Just one school to say you know what...this is still GUIDANCE. We cannot legally get into anything if we don't adhere to the guidance. There's nothing legal on the books that says something will happen (fines, litigation, funding, etc) if a school goes against the IDPH sports guidance. There was a threat by ISBE before, but nothing actual legal on it.
I hope someone stands up and shows it can be done. Just like businesses who opted to go against the guidance with zero repercussions. We all know you can't prove transmission occurred anywhere down to the exact place and time. It's time we use common sense when it comes to spacing, fans, outdoor use.
Disappointed to hear schools would rather just say nothing allowed so that they don't have to deal with headaches. How about we use common sense, understand what "guidance" really means, and give the full experience these players, fans, parents, community members, and media personnel deserve.
This provides a good opportunity for schools to stream games on Youtube. Both St. Charles East and North were able to stream swim meets. Was it the greatest vantage point, did it provide the same level of excitement as being there, definately not the same. But much appreciated and there is a lot that can be done by schools to support their sports teams this way. Agreed they ahould open up outdoor spaces to a much greater extent than indoor venues to families. Stands can be divided into family pods and it could be done with relative ease. Its early, hoping for the best come March.
We’ve all watched games on tv this past fall w fans in the stands. There have been no outbreaks from these events.
Let’s stop overthinking these things and leave it up to the people. We all know the risks and protocols. Let people take their precautions and own perceived risks.
Let’s stop overthinking these things and leave it up to the people. We all know the risks and protocols. Let people take their precautions and own perceived risks.
If you poke the Pooh bear (JB), he may change his mind. Maybe we should take his offering with a phony smile and tackle the fan thing later. One thing at a time.
Thats a valid point if the perceived risks were limited to the individual. Its just not smart to let people sort of "proceed at your own risk" when you're dealing with a communicable disease
Does anyone think there is a legal issue with not letting parents at a game. Football players are at a higher risk for injury than some other sports, especially head injuries. Say your child gets hurt and you aren’t there. We all have seen parents go down to the field when there child gets hurt especially when kids have to be transported to the hospital. What if the parent wants to make the decision about medical treatment. Four years ago I witnessed a player get hit and fall down. He then starting getting convulsions. His parents walked down to the field to comfort him and rode with him to the hospital. He ended up getting a bad concussion and didn’t play the rest of the year. This is an extreme example but it can happen
Being outdoors I think parents need to be let in. Let’s say 75 players on the large end, that’s 150 parents if both show on a home stand that’s holds thousands or an away stands that holds anywhere from 500-1000. Easily can be done safely.
Nope. They are not allowed at practice where there is hitting multiple days a week.
Many game-day changes likely to occur. Bring on the plexiglass-type materials to physically distance inside some of the smaller press boxes. Maybe no public address announcer either if fans are excluded? Although becoming obsolete, will in-person scouting/video recording persons be eliminated? Probably nothing to watch during halftime either. Finally, I hope the national anthem can remain even with empty stadiums and is not to be "cancelled" along with the American Flag.
They are risks every morning you leave your front door. You are at more danger, as well as those around you driving to get your morning coffee today w the snow on the ground.
If you are hesitant to drive in the snow - then don’t.
If you are hesitant to go to a football game - then don’t.
At this point, there is enough data to know you can watch a football game in person and be fine. If the state won’t let kids at the games - it’s not data driven.
First most other states had very little problems with spectators in attendance. Just proof Gov. just really not looking at the data or science. Second if the current trends continue and vaccine rollouts continues to move forward why are we not asking why most areas have not progressed to Phase V. Especially by March 19 for outdoor spectator sports.
Fifty visitors at Brother Rice is capacity
Basketball I think can be scored via GameChanger? They just came out with free live streaming. No need to have certain subscribers like youtube, just free to stream and watch.
Yeah. I think just above everyone has a TV production class. It is a matter of using it and if stadiums have a strong enough wifi signal to make it work.
Progress to Phase V seems problematic since the vaccine roll-out is merely a trickle in reality and doomsday predictions about upcoming surges due to virus variants are rolling out instead.
I was just going to mention what you did till I read your post. Not out of the woods yet. That's for sure.
At first I would have fully agreed with you. But it's not that simple. There are many, many people who have had to go into work throughout all of this. So, driving or not driving is not an option when it comes to work. I know what you are saying, but it only applies when you have the choice to drive or not. Being entertained is always a choice. The only people who "have" to be at a football game are the players, coaches, refs and those needed to make it happen. No one else "has" to be there.
The thing about this last snowstorm is that we saw it coming and had time to prepare for it. Wifey and I were outside with shovels and the snow blower at 7:00 A.M. yesterday, getting after it.
I do agree totally that we run risks the minute we get out of bed in the morning. Some risks are necessary, some are not. Fighting this thing is like fighting a ghost. And the worst thing is, people are relying on the government to for help, information and the truth surrounding all of this. Sadly, the government has failed horribly in all phases.
There is no doubt in my mind, if private companies had been in total control of developing and distributing the vaccine, without any input or government slow downs for political reasons, we would be very far ahead of where we find ourselves.
I enjoyed your post and thanks for sharing your thoughts here. However, everything you mentioned you can plan and prepare for w very low risk of danger.
Same way you plan to go to the grocery store after a snow (wipe car down, heat it up, drive slower, etc) is the same w going out and about w covid (wear a mask, social distance, etc). You know the risks and choose to act on what you feel comfortable with.
All these other states have been playing and have had fans (yes, limited fans) and so
Should Illinois. As we all Watch the super bowl w 20k fans Sunday; I will again be dumbfounded as to why there can be fans in the state of Florida but U of I, NW and the Bears didn’t have one spectator this season. Just makes zero sense and there’s been zero logical answer.
-ND beats Clemson and the student stormed the field and the media cried bloody murder
-Bama wins the natty and they party in the streets shoulder to shoulder all night. Media again cries bloody murder.
In both instances, there were no outbreaks. Time to get back to a little more normalcy.
Same way you plan to go to the grocery store after a snow (wipe car down, heat it up, drive slower, etc) is the same w going out and about w covid (wear a mask, social distance, etc). You know the risks and choose to act on what you feel comfortable with.
All these other states have been playing and have had fans (yes, limited fans) and so
Should Illinois. As we all Watch the super bowl w 20k fans Sunday; I will again be dumbfounded as to why there can be fans in the state of Florida but U of I, NW and the Bears didn’t have one spectator this season. Just makes zero sense and there’s been zero logical answer.
-ND beats Clemson and the student stormed the field and the media cried bloody murder
-Bama wins the natty and they party in the streets shoulder to shoulder all night. Media again cries bloody murder.
In both instances, there were no outbreaks. Time to get back to a little more normalcy.
Well I sat and waited on this and I think the proof is in the Data. More and more stories about acquired immunity in addition to the vaccines. Fauci flip flopping everyday based on whatever side of the bed he gets up on. An unbelievable lack of new cases in Tampa Bay “two weeks later” really show where we are at. If capacity limits for football are not increased beyond 50 after another 4 weeks assuming the current trend continues than it has nothing to do with a pandemic in Illinois. In fact if you are under 50 it is statistically more likely for you to die from influenza than COVID-19 have we ever done this for a bad flu season?
Let's not forget JB literally changed the phase 5 language just recently. Changed some words so that it's not an either/or situation now...vaccine available AND low to zero cases for an extended time. Goalposts shifted big time...will make it hard for this capacity limit to change. UNLESS leaders step up and use it as guidance, not absolute gospel.
I think at most you will see home team players get two passes per game.
I know that this is what is happening with some schools regarding basketball, which I get to some extent mostly because it is indoors. For outdoor sports it makes no sense and there is absolutely no data or evidence that outdoor events present even a mild risk. Just look at Tampa Bay two weeks ago and numbers are still crashing as well today. If they don't at a minimum allow two passes for players on each team it is a travesty.
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