Ever since COVID-19 has taken control of our everyday lives, it seems everything has been put on hold. Schools were closed, people were quarantined in their homes, and all forms of sports were forced to stop. While COVID is still a national threat worldwide, the CDC has recently allowed professional sports to restart. This new action has many Americans excited about being provided with some normalcy in this time of fear and unknown.

While it’s delighting to many that professional sports are restarting, new safety measures and laws have been established. These measures have been put in place to ensure that players, fans, coaches, and all who are involved are safe from the virus while playing or spectating games. The risk of infection posed by large crowds has caused many stadiums to close off stands, while also limiting the number of spectators allowed in a stadium. The NFL requires temperature checks before every game and the testing of players for any symptoms. Like the MLB, they required athletes to take COVID tests before the season started. If tested positive, the player would not be allowed to participate in games or practices during the current season. Games that were set to take place in other countries were either canceled or relocated to the US. The CDC states that these safety measures will be enforced in all professional sports leagues in the United States.

“Fans should be allowed in every stadium. I agree there shouldn’t be as many in order to stay safe, but at least a few should be allowed to spectate,” Ripon High parent, Candace Espinola, states

Candace believes that all of the new safety measures are necessary, but Carlos Espinola, a fan of football, thinks a few of these regulations are a little over the top. Although he felt very strongly about this, no one else who was interviewed agreed. The majority of crowds believe there should be stricter regulations to help stop the spread of the virus.

 “Fans should be allowed in every stadium. I agree there shouldn’t be as many in order to stay safe, but at least a few should be allowed to spectate, “ Espinola stated. 

 The reboot of sports has been long overdue for many. Sports are something that brings our country together, especially through these recent rough times. Although many changes have been made to keep everyone safe, the games we love remain the same as they’ve been for centuries. At this point, it seems to be the hope of many that sports will eventually go back to the way they were before COVID arrived in our country.