Lessons Learned from the First Major Sporting Event Since the Pandemic
Sporting events may never be the same. We now have an idea of what they will look like.
One of the industries most impacted by the current pandemic has been the sports industry. Something we could have never imagined is a life without sports. Back in March, the Jazz-Thunder game made news around the globe as officials realized our world was about to change. It was the last NBA game for the season as the league announced, “The NBA will use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic.” Soon after, other sporting leagues followed suit. Baseball, football, soccer, hockey, tennis, and Formula 1 events have all been cancelled or postponed since. Even the Olympics scheduled to take place in Japan were postponed to August 2021. Ultimately, this has left sports enthusiasts watching replays of old games to cope with the void. There have been minimal hopes for sports moving forward this year with nominal information coming from these organizations.
“We have to get our sports back” — President Donald J. Trump
Now the Ultimate Fighting Championship has given us hope. The mixed martial arts organization has been working religiously to be the first major sporting event back from quarantine, and they have succeeded. Their president, Dana White, hoped to hold a fight card on April 18th headlined by a fight between the consensus best two fighters in their lightweight division. The first major hit to the card came when Russia closed their borders. The champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov, was stuck in the country and unable to fight against the former champion Tony Ferguson. Soon after the UFC found a new opponent for Ferguson. They also secured a location to hold the fights in California. As attention on the event kept rising, and fans around the country were eager to watch this Pay-per-View event, the California governor put a stop to the event. Governor Gavin Newsom contacted Disney officials, the promotion’s broadcast partner, and prompted them to cancel the card.
Hope seemed lost for fans. The media supported Governor Newsom’s actions over concerns of unsafe conditions. Simultaneously, Dana White kept working to find a solution. He assured the public that the UFC will be back soon. His efforts led the organization to secure a remote private island to hold international fights, but they would still need to build the infrastructure required to hold fights. The UFC continued to work closely with other states and the President of the United States to finalize planning for their event. After weeks of controversy, they announced the anticipated UFC 249 PPV event will be held in Jacksonville Florida on May 9th. This time, they were successful in executing the event. Fans around the world tuned in to watch one of the best cards ever put together by an MMA organization. Four days later, they held a second event with 11 fights scheduled to take place. Whether or not we agree with the organization holding these events, we can use these two events as a case study to learn what sporting will look like in a world infested by coronavirus.
Testing is key
The UFC was able to hold multiple sporting events thanks to organized testing practices. Athletes and staff alike are all tested from the moment they arrive to the venue. There is a series of stations that will need to be cleared prior to proceeding. First their temperature is taken to monitor for symptoms. Directly after, they receive a blood test which checks for anti-bodies. It confirms if the individual has been exposed to COVID in the past regardless of symptoms. Finally, they receive a swab test, which collects material from the nostril to detect if the virus is present in the person during the test. Once cleared, every person who passes all tests as negative receives a wrist band. Testing everyone working the event allows for more flexibility among the staff. Especially when you consider that they are all tested daily. It enables them to have fighters compete without concerns of spreading the virus.
While the UFC was successful testing everyone in the events, they have a clear advantage for testing. The amount of people present at an entire event is about the same as one football team. When you add the people in the opposing team, media, NFL staff, and production, it becomes tougher to conduct consistent testing for everyone. Unfortunately, they would need to wait until testing becomes more accurate and available to the masses. Other sports trying to return to holding events will need some testing to ensure the safety of everyone. They will have to find creative solutions to limit the number of people needed at the venues in order to improve their chances.
Quarantines within quarantine
Although everyone in the event was tested, organizing quarantines was still needed to ensure everyone’s safety. MMA events stretch over multiple days with media commitments, official weigh-ins, and the fights themselves. With the complexity of hundreds of people roaming around Jacksonville, it was imperative that the UFC quarantined everyone within the same facility. A hotel was booked to serve as the base for everyone involved. Keeping everyone under the same roof drastically reduces the probability for anyone to be infected; however, the company could not control everyone. Fighters in the UFC 249 card reported having rented houses for their lodging. By doing so, fighters and their teams created increased potential for exposure to the virus.
As previously discussed, sports with larger staffs will have a more difficult time returning because of the complexity inherent with more people to oversee. If organizations like the NBA, MLB, NFL or F1 cannot ensure that everyone involved in their events remain within a designated area, they will need to have even stricter protocols in place for testing, PPE, and sanitation. If organizations start contributing to the spread of coronavirus, it would lead to a whirlwind of issues. First, they will need to address the liability of causing a micro outbreak, which leads to hospital bills and even worse could lead to deaths. Then, they will need to deal with pressure from the media and angry fans. The pressure will then migrate to partners and advertisers. Ultimately, it could lead to a halt on sports all over again. As an example of how quickly the scrutiny can escalate, you can refer to the New York Time’s article, “U.F.C.’s Coronavirus Plan is Careful. Its Enforcement Has Been Spotty.” Although there were no issues created by the live event, they have started to receive criticism over how they had the potential for issues to arise. This is a relatively small organization, with a relatively small audience, and they got the attention of The New York Times. Imagine an organization as big as the NFL running into some of the same inconsistencies, or even worse contributing to the spread of COVID-19.
“If areas prematurely open up without having the capability of being able to respond effectively and efficiently, my concern is that we will start to see little spikes that might turn into outbreaks” — Anthony Fauci
Long road to recovery
Consensus among the MMA circle is that the Ultimate Fighting Championship has successfully executed two events under this pandemic. However, it is undeniable that we received a watered-down version of normal events. The lack of crowds made an adrenaline filled sporting event feel more like a meticulous golf game. Although their commentators are some of the best in any sport, there would inevitably be moments of silence where your mind naturally felt the disconnect. Even as the commentators reacted to the fights, it was apparent to anyone familiar with the UFC that the dynamic wasn’t the same. The dynamic took a hit, because commentators were staged 6+ feet away from each other. Conversations at times felt more like a Zoom meeting rather than an interactive experience between three talented and energetic men.
While some of the measures put in place for athlete’s safety were critical and necessary, other just seemed redundant or contradicting with others. Everyone had been tested and showed negative results for the virus, yet there were inconsistencies on how people could interact. Their reporter, Megan Olivi, had to conduct televised interviews maintaining her distance from fighters as a precaution. Concurrently, Joe Rogan conducted every fighter interview from inside the cage alongside the athletes. The commentators had to sit 6 feet apart from each other, while we watched a series of fighters trade their blood, sweat and tears in the same cage. There is an argument for whether these precautions were too lenient or too strict, but the inconsistency is clear.
Conclusion
As other sports begin to host live events, they will run into the same hurdles that the UFC faced. As Dana White admitted in one of their press conferences, they are all working in completely new circumstances and will learn from each event on how to do better. They are slated to have another major event on May 30th, which will shed more light on what we can expect for the near future of sports. As MLB hopes to kick off spring training on June 10 and opening day July 1, Formula 1 returns to action on July 3rd, and the NFL figures out how to start the season, we will continue to see an evolution on how different organizations hold their respective sporting events. Although there is still a lot of uncertainty, the public certainly has an appetite for the return of sports. Any form of these sporting events is sure to satisfy the void felt by millions.
