Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White may be opting out of playing in the NFL during the 2020 season. Fans in Buffalo and all over have voiced their opinion on White’s potential choice as he has until 4pm today to make his final decision. Many have called fourth year vet “selfish” for debating to not partake in the coming up season after 56 players have tested positive for the Covid-19 Virus around the NFL. White was an All-Pro in 2019, recording a league-high six interceptions along with 58 total tackles in 15 games.

White spoke out against critics tweeting, “Crazy that me choosing my family’s well being over a game comes with so-called fans attacking and questioning me and saying I’m selfish. No you guys are selfish for thinking that football is bigger than life. Oh by the way my girl’s grandfather passed from COVID. U understand now?” White opting out of the season would be a precautionary measure, but after reading his explanation, it is clear why he is considering it. If he is to do so, he will be one of the biggest stars thus far to make that choice.

The NFL preseason has been cancelled and the regular season is to start on September 10th with the Buffalo Bills first game to be on September 13th against the New York Jets. As of right now, there will be no fans in attendance and they are also working to ban tailgating due to health concerns. Players have until 4 pm to decide whether they will opt out. After that, NFL Network reported that “players can opt out after the deadline if the player is diagnosed as being high risk for contracting coronavirus or a family member dies or is in a hospital because of coronavirus or a related issue.” Tune in to the 4pm news to see what Tre White decides!

UPDATE: White did not opt out of the 2020 season! Go Bills!

It is absolutely unheard of to be watching major league sports on television and not to see fans in the crowd. Even at your least popular match up in sports, the stadiums, arenas, and ballparks are always full. Due to the Covid-19 virus, sporting events are being played fanless this year and it really is a strange sight to see. With MLB being the first sport to play and air on live tv without their fans, they have come up with a created way to “fill” the stadium and get the fans involved.

The MLB Opening Day was on July 27, 2020. The athletes and team staff entered the ballpark, but that was it. Then the idea of cutouts occurred. Teams all over the MLB are beginning to fill the empty stands with the cardboard cutout program, in which fans can pay to have a cardboard likeness of themselves in the stands during home games. The price of the cutout varies team by team as does where your cutout “sits.” This unique idea provides a way for fans to still interact with their favorite team while allowing the teams to bring in some revenue. Some of the teams like the Boston Red Sox have a rather high price for their cutout but it includes more. According to MLB.com “A $500 donation to the Red Sox Foundation will yield you a fan cutout that will sit atop the Green Monster for a portion of the season. If a Red Sox home run ball hits the cutout, that fan will receive the autographed home run ball, two Green Monster tickets for a 2021 home game, a custom Red Sox jersey, and a video replay of the home run. Proceeds are donated to the COVID-19 relief in Massachusetts.” Other teams such as the New York Mets are offering free cutouts to season ticket holders who have renewed their tickets for the 2021 season. At the end of the season, the fans will get the cutout sent back to them to keep as a souvenir. As you watch the games, you will see some “trolling” fans in the stands. Hall of Famer, Chipper Jones,  put on an appearance at Citi Field to haunt the Mets in their own ballpark. Many celebrities have been spotted across the MLB parks as well as some important tributes to late employees and fans of the team. This clever idea keeps the excitement for the fans alive and allows them to interact with their favorite teams.

Although 2020 has been plagued with the coronavirus, we are seeing creative ways that the sports industry are keeping the spirits of players and fans alive. Baseball is the only major sport that is being televised right now, but we have no doubt that the cut outs will continue as new sport seasons start. This idea of the cutouts is both beneficial to the fans and the teams as it creates a bridge of involvement for the fans while giving the illusions of normalcy to the viewer of a “full” ballpark. We hope to see more unique ways for fan interaction with their favorite teams as the season progresses, but for now we are just happy to watch live sports!