One of the big sports stories today will be that fans do not want to attend sports events. That will be the headline that some will use in the media. Is it accurate? Well, some people are scared that sporting events will start the spread of the virus again. The data is flawed. I know we do this whenever there is a poll we do not like. Whether it’s politics, sports, or something else, we tend to poke holes in data that doesn’t work. There is a reason why 72% is a flawed number.

JUST IN: 72% of AMERICANS say that they would not attend a game before a Coronavirus vaccine was available, according to a new @HallSportsPoll just released. Among sports fans, the poll found that 61% of them said they would not attend.

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) April 9, 2020

My issue with this data stems from that 46% of the participants used a landline. Do you know who uses landlines? The people most affected by COVID-19. I said it on Twitter yesterday that I do not know a person under the age of 40 with a landline. Even people that are 40-50, I’m not sure how many have a landline. Which means most of the people that we’re taking this poll were likely 50+. We should not take this very seriously yet many will use this story because scare tactics rule local news.

If I were teams in each state, I would be conducting my polls. Finding out from fans if they’re coming back or not. Carolina Hurricanes discussed a plan of having limited fans, no fans, or a full house. Limited fans is an interesting idea if executed. Could they space out the fans enough to encourage social distancing? I’m unsure. Regardless, it’s interesting to monitor moving forward.

Charlie.