Back in February, when COVID-19 started to look more and more serious, I had a conversation with a Chicago Fire staffer about whether the league would consider holding games without fans.
We both agreed that idea seemed absolutely crazy. Football without fans? How would that even work?
On the morning of March 11, I visited SeatGeek Stadium to cover the day’s training session. Luka Stojanoviu0107 and Boris Sekuliu0107 had just gotten to Chicago a few days prior, and it was my first look at what was essentially the entire 2020 team. By then, elbow bumps had replaced handshakes, and there was growing uncertainty about what would happen going forward.