Opinion | Tokyo 2020: Super Bowl LV and Australian Open show how the Olympics can still take place

Floridians and Australians are offering case studies on how to put on events and tournaments with fans

Athletes quarantining and limited seating capacity seem to be more than feasible as the pandemic drags on

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The Australian Open is going ahead, why not Tokyo 2020? Photo: AP

Published: 12:00pm, 2 Feb 2021Updated: 4:30pm, 2 Feb 2021

Super Bowl LV will have 25,000 fans in attendance on Sunday watching Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take on Patrick Mahomes and his Kansas City Chiefs. Fans will be spaced out, wearing masks and there will be strict protocols as to where they can go inside the stadium grounds.

The venue, Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida, lies in one of the United States’ red states, where the resistance to mask-wearing, social distancing and restrictions has been fierce since day one. Republicans have been sceptical of the government’s overreach because of Covid-19, and it has shown in cases.

Florida is averaging about 10,000 cases a day amid its second wave, but the state has already made a name for itself as a sporting destination. The Ultimate Fighting Championship was first to utilise the state’s leniency in hosting events in Jacksonville last May. UFC president Dana White was lambasted in the media, but pushed ahead and served up a healthy dose of humble pie to his detractors.

The National Basketball League, when it decided to resume its season on July 30, headed to Orlando and the Disney World bubble. Now Tampa Bay, which has already rolled out pregame activities for the Super Bowl around the city, looks to hold one of the first large-scale sporting events since the pandemic started.

Super Bowl LV is set to kick off on Sunday with 25,000 fans in attendance. Photo: AFP

The NFL is inviting 7,500 vaccinated health care workers to attend in a clear PR bid for public support. Commissioner Roger Goodell has been working with the Centers for Disease Control and appears to have their blessing to hold the event, given there will be numerous protocols and health and safety requirements in place.