Just more than a year ago, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Days later, life changed as we knew it. A chain reaction of live events — from March Madness to the NBA season — were abruptly canceled.
Months later, professional sports finally began returning, but not in the way we knew them pre-pandemic. Most teams played their home games in front of few, if no fans, based on local restrictions and data.
Fast forward to March 2021. COVID-19 vaccinations are exponentially rising across the country. There is a light at the end of the tunnel as we slowly return to what many of us considered “normal” just a year ago. Furthermore, nearly every MLB team will have fans in some capacity come Opening Day April 1.
I love baseball. Fewer things in life are better than spending a summer day at the ballpark and rooting on your favorite team. However, the Texas Rangers’ decision to open up Globe Life Field at full capacity could easily create more harm than good.
As we continue making progress against the coronavirus, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott joined many other states March 10, removing the state’s mask mandate and opening businesses at full capacity. The Texas Rangers took full advantage of this decision and will jam 40,000+ together in a little more than two weeks — not knowing how many fans will potentially be carrying a contagious disease that has took the lives of 500,000+ Americans.
Why is this necessary?
Given all the progress our country has made, this move is a slap in the face to all we have sacrificed during the pandemic, as well as our health care workers who have endlessly saved the lives of millions.
The Rangers will allow full capacity for their two exhibition home games March 29-30 and their home opener April 5. The team will then sell physically distant seating for the remainder of April, much like many other teams.
It is entirely possible these games won’t result in much spread of COVID-19. Many outdoor sporting events, such as this year’s Super Bowl, have resulted in low, if no, transmission. However, full capacity is a different story. The Texas Rangers are playing with fire.
Just because Abbott is allowing full capacity doesn’t mean the Rangers should. The argument of, “You can stay home,” is meaningless. A fan could unknowingly catch the disease, bring it home and pass it onto his or her family, friends, co-workers or classmates. This isn’t just about protecting yourself but protecting others.
While mask-wearing — which the Rangers are enforcing — can reduce the spread, it can only do so much. As Levi Weaver of The Athletic put it, “Masks are required, but enforcing that with 40,000 people will be as easy as it sounds.”
This is also a ballgame. All in close proximity, rowdy fans will inevitably be cheering and high-fiving one another.
Despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently giving vaccinated people the green light to gather together unmasked, just less than 17 percent of Texans have received even one dose. This is far below the country’s average, and another spike could push the end of the pandemic another day back. There are also the concerns of the disease’s contagious variants.
Instead of opening Globe Life Field at full capacity, the Texas Rangers should take a gradual approach to reopening. Artificial crowd noise and cardboard cutouts can only do so much. As long as vaccinations keep rising and positivity rates stay low, bringing fans back to stadiums — albeit gradually and safely — is a must.
I miss the ballpark just as much as anyone else. As someone who has visited 11 out of 30 MLB ballparks, the experience is like no other. If trends keep moving in the right direction, you bet I’ll be watching my Chicago White Sox this summer in a physically distant Comiskey Park.
Based on the current progress, it is possible we could have full stadiums later this summer or fall if we keep doing our part. We all want normalcy. But, there’s no reason to rush it. The Texas Rangers are endangering the health of their fans, whether they realize it or not.
At the end of the day, this move is purely based on money and making up for last year’s fanless season. The MLB lost nearly $2.8-3 million without fans in the stands last year. There are alternative ways to make up for these losses, though, such as advertising and virtual experiences.
Opening Day is one of the best days of the year. I don’t blame anyone for wanting to see their favorite team for the first time in months. However, if the Rangers cared about their fans, they would follow suit with just about every other team and slowly reopen their ballpark.
One reply on “The Texas Rangers made the wrong decision with ballpark capacity”
How much beer and how many hot dogs are masked fans going to consume?