In a joint statement on Monday, the major American sports leagues announced that they would be restricting access to the locker rooms and clubhouses in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
This restriction would essentially leave the locker rooms closed to the media while players and team personnel were permitted to carry on as usual.
The announcement was met with reasonable criticism from reporters, unions and the APSE. Every journalist is mindful of the COVID-19 outbreak. But the notion that closing the locker rooms to the media is in the interest of everyone’s health turns questionable when you’re simultaneously having players make physical contact for two hours in front of packed crowds.
There was also the concern that temporarily limiting media access to locker rooms and clubhouses could turn permanent. Well, leave it to Reds star Joey Votto to explain why it’s in every fan’s best interest to not see clubhouse restrictions become the norm.
He said via The Athletic:
“No, I definitely think most of — I’d say a vast majority of the stories involve nuance, emotion, personal relationships. Even if they’re incorrect, a perception of how someone reacted or how a player reacted can be told through facial expressions, getting to know that person and tone. I think that if you don’t have that on a daily basis, you don’t get to share those insights and frankly, most fans don’t care about the balls and strikes and runs and wins — well, I guess wins — but runs, but they care about the person. They want to feel like they’re close to the performer in any sport. I think everyone in the media is the bridge that connects the athlete with the public and without that close proximity, I don’t personally think you get that human component.”
Joey Votto just gets it.
Let’s hope the leagues take notice.
