You're listening to shortwave from NPR.

Professional sports are back and trying to adjust to the pandemic.

From the NBA Disney bubble with all teams quarantining together in Florida, to major league

baseball's more lax approach, you know, no spitting allowed anymore, but teams are still

traveling and there have been problems.

Eleven players, two coaches on the Miami Marlin Tested Positive for the virus.

More people from the Phillies organization have tested positive for the four of the

virus.

Even now it's the two partners players tested positive for COVID-19.

And then of course, there's the glaring absence of fans in the stands, which hasn't stopped

some leagues from trying to conjure up the sound and the feeling of a real-life crowd.

For instance, if you caught a major league baseball game in the last few weeks, it's a disorienting

experience.

As the camera pans across the stadium, there are rows and rows of empty seats.

Even though there's the sound of fans, fans cheering, fans being bored, fans clapping,

and listening to it, it just feels fake.

It's really obvious that the crowd noise is not instilling a sense of normalcy amongst

the athletes.

Catherine Sabustin is the Canada Research Chair in Physical Activity and Mental Health

at the University of Toronto.

And as a sports psychology researcher, she knows exactly how important those fans are

to the game.

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