CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Training camp in Berea has a much quieter feel to it this year.
There’s no barking. The “Here we go Brownies” and player name chants are gone too.
The silence is deafening.
“It is eerily quiet out there,” Jimmy Haslam said during a Zoom video conference Sunday afternoon. “We miss the fans. Normally we would’ve hand three or four thousand people out there today and I think players, coaches and ownership miss having our great fans out there and giving them the opportunity to see our guys up close.”
Such is the reality of preparing for a football season during a global pandemic where fans aren’t allowed – for their safety as well as the safety of players, coaches and staff.
“We really miss the fans,” Dee Haslam said. “It’s made a big difference not having them out there with us and [it’s] just really strange.”
It remains to be seen if fans will be barred from FirstEnergy Stadium this year too.
Unfortunately there isn’t an answer to that question and it’s difficult to project when a decision can or will be made.
“I think in the world we live in, we are big planners, but that is not realistic today,” Jimmy Haslam said. “We have a great plan in place. It will be up to the governor of the state of Ohio to bless or not bless that. We have actually taken them through that, and we will just have to see how that goes. I would not want to speculate that it needs to be a week or two weeks ahead of time.
“Everybody has to remain fluid and flexible in everything we do. I think we have all learned to do that over the last four or five months.”
The organization has been working for over two months with the city and state in conjunction with other pro franchises in the state to develop a safe plan for at least some fans to fill the stands this fall.
“We have put a lot of time, effort and resources into ensuring that if we did have quote, 20% fans, it could be a safe experience,” Jimmy Haslam said. “We feel good about that opportunity. Obviously, the final decision is up to the governor but we’re ready and excited to go and I think the city of Cleveland feels the same way.”
The hope was that by September COVID-19 cases would have decreased nationwide.
Instead, the opposite has happened. The refusal by some to wear masks or follow safety guidelines has allowed the virus continue to spread like wildfire.
Businesses remain closed. Employees continue to work from home. Downtown is deserted.
School districts and universities are grappling with the challenges of remote as well as in classroom learning at the start of the new academic year.
The PAC-12 and BIG 10 have already called off their football seasons. The Mid-American Conference too.
The NFL is trying to play.
Just having training camp underway feels like a victory. What happens come September is anyone’s guess.
“It has been challenging, but we are excited now to be on the field,” Jimmy Haslam said. “None of us know if there is going to be a full season, but we are going to do everything we can to get a season in but do so in a safe manner.”
For that to happen, fans need to do their part, regardless if they can attend games.
“We actually mean this very seriously, how important it is for everybody to wear a mask all of the time,” Jimmy Haslam said. “I mean that… You all see us wear them at practice. I still go visit stores once a week. Dee’s out in public a lot and we wear our masks and none of us want to shut the country down again and there’s three things we can do that will make a difference – one, wear a mask; two, be socially distant; three, wash your hands and if everybody will do that we have a chance at having an NFL season, a high school season, all the other things we want to see happen.
“But if we’re not smart about it, then it won’t happen. So, please, please wear your mask. It’s no fun. We get it. But please wear your mask.”