Sports don’t need fake noise, virtual fans in the COVID-19 era

I am here to praise the games, not bury them.

During these unprecedented times, those who wield power over our sports are pulling out all the stops to return the games we love to a place they were prior to Covid-19. First of all, it is an impossible task and secondly, there is no need.

While watching the Celtics, I found myself enjoying the squeaking of the sneakers, the trash talking that bled over into the microphones usually reserved for crowd noise, and the cool banners that surrounded the court. My son said it reminded him of an AAU tournament. While there is a negative connotation associated with AAU basketball, I will tell you it's some of the best hoop you will see south of the NBA.

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The Red Sox games have reminded me of baseball games of my youth at the Harry M. Virgin Athletic Field in my hometown of Mexico, Maine. Take a left off Roxbury Road at the town garage, drive through the sand pit, up over a small knoll and you can’t miss it. Like at Fenway, you could hear the chatter of the players, the coaches telling us to hug the line or to hit the cut-off man and the umpire chatting it up with the catcher.

I appreciate the fans, who pay my salary, and all of the extra-curricular entertainment that have enveloped stadiums, ball parks and arenas — but the games are enough.

Any efforts to raise money for charity like the Red Sox did with cutouts in the Monster seats are applauded, but we do not need fake crowd noise (did Bill Polian consult?) or CGI-created jammed packed stands.