Dr. Anthony Fauci says sports can return if stadiums are empty

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci said he believes American sports can return and start being televised — but only if stadiums are empty and teams are quarantined in private hotels to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

According to Pro Football Talk, Fauci said in a Snapchat interview that sports can happen under strict protocols and with zero tolerance for players out and about in public where they might be exposed to the virus or spreading it to others.

“There’s a way of doing that,” Fauci said. “Nobody comes to the stadium. Put them in big hotels, wherever you want to play, have them tested every week and make sure they don’t wind up infecting each other or their family and just let them play the season out.”

It’ll be interesting to see how this line of thinking evolves when the leagues actually start to implement it. Can teams police themselves? Will it cause a second surge? Will it allow a smoother transition for leagues like the NFL and teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars who start later in the calendar year?

No one really knows at this point, but it’s encouraging that Dr. Fauci sounds so optimistic because we need to be safe but I think we all need sports.

And it doesn’t hurt he’s a baseball fan himself.