Watch the Eerie Scene as Aussie Rules Football Teams Enter Empty Stadium

In Thursday’s Hot Clicks: a bizarre scene in Aussie rules football, Coach O helps with Louisiana’s coronavirus response and more.

100,000 seats and nobody in them

One of the only major sports leagues still in action amid the coronavirus pandemic is the Australian Football League, which opened its 124th season on Thursday night (Australian time). 

The league’s first game of the year is traditionally between rivals Richmond at Carlton, at the 100,000-seat Melbourne Cricket Ground. Last year’s game attracted 85,000 fans. More than 90,000 showed up in 2018. This year, attendance was zero. 

Bizarrely, the pregame routine went on as if there were fans in the stands. “Welcome to the Jungle” blared from the sound system as Carlton prepared to take the pitch, and the club’s song “We Are the Navy Blues” played as the players ran on to the grass. 

Absolutely surreal.#AFLTigersBlues pic.twitter.com/oWXzZLk8eU

— 7AFL (@7AFL) March 19, 2020

The scene was even stranger for Richmond, the home club. The team’s entrance usually involves a group of drummers, the sound of which had to be pumped in instead. The Tigers were also supposed to be unfurling their championship banner at the game but instead will wait until there are fans in the stands. 

No unfurling of the flag tonight as the @Richmond_FC club have chosen to wait for the fans to be there.

📺 Stream #AFL: https://t.co/8rgXYEOMrY
📝 Live blog: https://t.co/jm1GcD85Gs
📱Match Centre: https://t.co/pbMk8ie6WX pic.twitter.com/TglkRXfmX2

— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) March 19, 2020

Compare that with the scene in September when Richmond took the field before the AFL Grand Final (the championship game) at the very same stadium. Tens of thousands of Tigers fans sang along to the club’s song in a packed stadium. 

Fans watching along at home made the best of the situation, trying to enhance the atmosphere any way they could. 

One guy piped in fake crowd noise from a speaker above his TV. 

#FootyAtHome

Easy fix pic.twitter.com/N9wg7vToPG

— Jared Boyle (@JaredBoyle7) March 19, 2020

Another played a trumpet.

pic.twitter.com/3wGwgRO34e

— jason (@Jason_UU) March 19, 2020

A pair of Richmond fans held their own banner-unfurling ceremony.

No virus will stop us from unveiling the ‘2019 Premiership Flag’ 🐯 #gotigers #yellowandbalck #tigerarmy #fromTigerland #footyathome @AFL @Richmond_FC pic.twitter.com/kdtawjiFVU

— Lucy Loy (@LucyGar90192554) March 19, 2020

Hopefully stadiums across the world will be full of cheering fans again soon. 

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Around the sports world

The NBA and NFL made their streaming services free to use for the time being to access old games. ... A Korean baseball team held an intrasquad game in which every player wore a face mask to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. ... This year’s WrestleMania is going to be a two-night event hosted by Rob Gronkowski. ... MLB is reportedly considering canceling the 2020 draft.

Coach O has this whole thing under control

Honestly, Louisiana has a better handle on things that most places right now pic.twitter.com/AX5P2hc0Sq

— Bunkie Perkins (@BunkiePerkins) March 18, 2020

LSU’s Coach O gives Coronavirus update: “It’s gonna get tough the next few weeks come on, but I believe in Louisiana, I believe we have a winning game plan.”

— KALB News Channel 5 (@KALBtv5) March 18, 2020

Coach O, who just sat in the Governor’s emergency response meeting: “this is not the time to be selfish. I urge young people to stay home.” #lalege #lagov pic.twitter.com/shh3SEGVqb

— Sam Karlin (@samkarlin) March 18, 2020

Wait, did people really think Tom Brady had dinner with Bill Gates? People thought Bill Gates went to Tampa?

More updates on this supposed dinner that @ScottHanson reported, with new Bucs QB Tom Brady eating in Tampa on Sunday with Bill Gates, Jeff Vinik and Derek Jeter. It never happened. Representatives for Vinik, Gates and Jeter all say they did not have dinner with Brady on Sunday.

— Greg Auman (@gregauman) March 18, 2020

He’s looked like this since he was a sophomore at Alabama

24 years old. he's 24 years old. https://t.co/jMI3uuAFYz

— bomani (@bomani_jones) March 19, 2020

Misadventures in automated closed captions during the Bulgarian league playoffs

Yeah, but one of them was Mitchell Trubisky

Not what U.S. fans want to see after he missed months of action due to injury

.@cpulisic_10 has joined TikTok! ⚽️😬😂 pic.twitter.com/SfY2duluGw

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) March 18, 2020

Good guy John Cena

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NFL policy does not prohibit Snickers sponsoring trades

Per @NFLNetwork reports, we have traded for QB @NickFoles.
(NFL policy currently prohibits teams from making any official announcements.)@SNICKERS | #DaBears

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) March 18, 2020

The Warriors get it

Myers on...
*Reason Warriors aren't getting tested
*Inability for draft prep
*Potential for pushed back free agency pic.twitter.com/jbt11T8D2Z

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 18, 2020

Not sports

Rumor has it there’s a version of the Cats movie where all the characters have buttholes. ... New York subway trains were delayed after a woman threw her oxygen tank at an oncoming train and caused a small explosion.

I need to know more about “3–7 spirits depending on baseball season”

Found on Zillow: pic.twitter.com/LKrLomFS88

— Escape Artist (@ImageFeeder) February 26, 2020

“For external use only”

Just stay away from crowds!

I don’t usually drink dark beer but I might have to give this a shot

Letter of recommendation: find a bar that’s doing takeout, buy whatever looks like an iced coffee, give a big tip, and go for a stroll. pic.twitter.com/RAkxtUWqpJ

— Tom Ley (@ToLey88) March 18, 2020

Newspaper design is cool

How design tells the story. Brilliant work by @standardregular for @nytimes. pic.twitter.com/MMOo7tjE6t

— Tom Jolly (@TomJolly) March 18, 2020

A good song

Email dan.gartland@si.com with any feedback or follow me on Twitter for approximately one half-decent baseball joke per week. Bookmark this page to see previous editions of Hot Clicks and find the newest edition every day. By popular request I’ve made a Spotify playlist of the music featured here. Visit our Extra Mustard page throughout each day for more offbeat sports stories.