Walsh: Professional Sports Will Be 'Very Different' Upon Return From Coronavirus Hiatus
BOSTON (CBS) – Mayor Marty Walsh said professional sports will be "very different" when they are able to safely return to venues in Boston following the coronavirus pandemic.
Walsh was asked at his Tuesday press briefing about the possibility that the Bruins, Celtics and Red Sox could return to facilities soon after New York, New Jersey, and California recently announced their professional teams could.
"As much as I would love to watch our pro teams play right now, we really have to put the health and safety of Boston residents first," Walsh said. "As I said before, if pro team sports come back, they'll be very different than what we're used to."
Walsh added that when teams do return, there likely will not be fans in attendance at games.
"I don't think, right now, we're in a place where we'll have fans watching and cheering from the stands. We also have to think about the health of the players and the players traveling from other places," said Walsh.
The Boston mayor added that precautions will need to be in place for teams to get back to work.
"Teams could look into things like temperature checks and testing to limit the spread amongst players and staff. Any proposals from teams will have to be matched with the proper health and safety protocol to make both staff and players feel comfortable with their plans. We'll keep fans should be posted as soon as decisions are made."
The NHL and NBA have been inching closer to potential returns, while Major League Baseball continues negotiations while hoping to return by early July.
"I know that some of these leagues where I'm seeing this, there's some very strict guidelines and regulations. So we will see as we move forward," said Walsh.
