Reese Kaplan -- Are Fans Ready to Fill Stadiums Yet?

While the New York Mets have been more up than down thus far this season, fellow Mets fans got into an interesting conversation about the pros and cons of attending games.  Obviously there are seating restrictions at Citi Field in light of the protections taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 based upon social distancing policies.  

The thrust of the talk came to a head regarding individual attitudes about the desire to be live at a game vs. the risks associated with doing so.  The general feeling was that people who have been fully vaccinated and abide by the usual accouterments of a facial covering and frequent hand washing, then the consensus was that it was time to play ball in the stadium as a paying fan.  

The examples of overcrowding taking place on mass transit, in retail stores and other environments where close proximity to other people are accepted, so how would it be any different at Citi Field?

Of course, not all ballparks are observing the same restrictions as are the Mets.  Thus far no one has been able to prove that crowded stadiums like the Rangers have in Arlington are responsible for the spread of the disease, while at the same time no one can quantify metrics to demonstrate that more restrictive crowd sizes have not.  

The talk among the group then meandered into the subject of attending minor league games which are about to start shortly.  One extended bit concerned the gathering of 3-4 of the group together to witness the Lakewood (NJ) BlueClaws, the combined A level affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies.  The Mets have their Brooklyn Cyclones playing in the same league and will appear at Lakewood’s FirstEnergy Park.   

It was interesting to hear questions about the seating as the tickets being sold were on the grass for long distance viewing of the game.  Obvious topics like the acceptance of carrying in folding lawn chairs and other logistical issues took up some time, yet later the conversation included people from the New York City area carpooling to get to Lakewood.  

I smiled to myself because while people were concerned about social distancing in the stadium, they were fine sharing an automobile where everyone would be less than the original 6 feet part recommended by the CDC (before compromising the gap to 3 feet).  

Then people talked about the group making a trip to Citi Field for June or July for a Saturday night game which would be most accessible to members of this particular fan collective as it would likely not interfere with work or commutes.  I even mentioned the prospect of using up my long neglected frequent flyer mile balance to join them, heading into the metro area early Saturday morning and flying back home on Sunday.  

Again, there was time spent debating the relative merits of social distancing and whether or not everyone was comfortable gathering together.  (The answer was yes.)

Right now no one is sure how long the current vaccines are designed to last, whether or not there will be relief from the mask requirements and how soon life will return to what we used to know as “normal.”  

It’s interesting to see that as vaccines become more readily available that people’s anxiety levels seem to have dropped quite a bit from what they once were, yet at the same time part of that attitude is frankly boredom with the confinement at home.  

How do you all feel?