During an interview on SiriusXM, Joe Buck said FOX is planning to pump in crowd noise and potentially project virtual fans into empty stadiums during their broadcasts. Sports Illustrated initially reported both were true, leading to a slew of outlets citing their report.
Buck later refuted their report via Twitter, saying that he had not confirmed anything regarding virtual fans. Sports Illustrated has received a string of negative press regarding the incident.
“It’s pretty much a done deal,” Buck said. “I think whoever is going to be at that control is going to have to be really good at their job and be realistic with how a crowd would react depending on what just happened on the field. So it’s really important.
They’re looking at ways to put virtual fans in the stands, so when you see a wide shot it looks like the stadium is jam-packed and in fact it’ll be empty, said Buck
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said it was plausible for the NFL to play a season of games with no fans in attendance for 2020.
You can read more about what he had to say on the potential season in our article regarding that. Fauci spoke to NBC Sports and the Associated Press at length regarding the issue.
Dr. Anthony Fauci: NFL season depends on testing, response to second wave of coronavirus in fall
#America #COVID #COVID19 #News #NFL #Sports #SportsBiz #USA https://t.co/XrIJs6r13J
— Midwest Sports Network (@MWSNsports) May 12, 2020
“I think it’s feasible that negative testing players could play to an empty stadium,” Fauci said. “If the virus is so low that even in the general community the risk is low, then I could see filling a third of the stadium or half the stadium so people could be six feet apart.”
He expanded upon his point, saying it was feasible depending on the level of infection. “I would hope that by the time you get to September it’s not gonna be the way it is right now.”
The NFL released its 2020 schedule on May 7th. The season is slated to start on September 10th, with the Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Houston Texans.
If there is #NFL football in 2020 without fans, expect fake crowd noise. @Buck said on SiriusXM Radio that “it’s pretty much a done deal” that #FOX and other networks will use fake crowd noise for games played without fans#NFLDraft #NFLTwitter #Sports #SportsNews #SportsBiz pic.twitter.com/fyn0eOaYAL
— Gabriel Schray (@schrayguy) May 14, 2020
This article was written citing information and media from FOX Sports, NBC Sports and the AP. For more college sports, follow us on Twitter @MWSNsports or like our page on Facebook.
