Alexander: Coping with the desolation, and silence, of empty seats

As we watch on TV, high-level games in empty stadiums and arenas almost seem normal now. If you squint, and if you forget that the crowd noise is artificial, not much seems amiss.
But to a player, it’s still weird. With no fans, and thus no cheers or boos, the charged up atmosphere and the adrenalin it creates no longer exist. Generating that energy has become a DIY endeavor.
Kind of like the old days on the sandlot, but with much more at stake.
“At some point, you play a football ga