Kristian Kapp
sports editor
is used to a large audience, but as a writer.

first of all: We are here looking for the best of all bad solutions. Because that will be the Playoff for the Swiss ice hockey championship with viewers, is now excluded. The Federal Council is likely to allow its decision by the end of February, no major events for 1000 visitors, not loosen. It is the choice between the termination of the championship and a Playoff without the Fans remains so. To say

, ice hockey without the viewers getting used to, is an understatement. Because you can't get used to. Because a high-speed sport with body contact such as hockey lives of the emotions that transfers the audience to the players. If they talk about how difficult it was, the normal performance without Fans retrieve, then this is not talking just therefore. Playoff without an audience is not by far the same Fun.

But clearly, the club's decision-making, especially for the money. Where are the losses small? In the spirit of revenue play, for with unabridged TV? Or at the termination of the championship without any further cost, for a possible cut of the TV money?

to cancel The season, would be a betrayal of the players of the Playoff Teams.

It may be that the mind games are the financially inferior option. Nevertheless, they are the only right solution in this difficult Situation. The season to cancel, would be a betrayal of the players of the Playoff Teams. They would be deprived of the Chance to win the title in a sporty way.

Playoff games without spectators are not a good advertisement for the Sport. Even worse would be to refrain from financial reasons to the sporting determination of the master, as well as the promotion and relegation battle. Especially since you would be stepping on to a Playoff of the lawyers, that would be longer and uglier than any Best-of-7.

Simon Earl
sports editor
was once in front of 10'000 people – as he held the speech in honor of Ari Sulander.

Playoff without an audience is like Raclette without the cheese. Like a concert without sound. Like skiing without the snow. Like a cell phone with empty battery. Like the Rolling Stones without Mick Jagger. How Züri West-Kuno Lauener. It is the essence is missing.

What do you remember, when you think of the Playoff? Yes, to beautiful actions, goals, saves, Checks. But above all, about what triggered it. The electricity is in the air when the home team enters before the game the Arena. The Eruption in the stands after an Overtime goal. How the energy from the ice to the crowd, transmits, or Vice versa, if a Team starts a comeback. The scenes after the titles, when the Fans storm onto the ice.

And now? The expression of the spirits of the Playoff is chosen correctly. Ice hockey in front of empty stands seems spooky, that's what we learned in the last two rounds. You can't drown out with loud music. Games in a sterile atmosphere will never be so passionate, so fiery, such as in front of 10'000 Fans, who love to live with every fiber. And what happens to the season ticket holders are not allowed into the stadium? All need to buy a TV Sportabo to be able to play the games of your team look? So pay double for half the Fun?

On the ice, the coaches strongly recommend Social Distancing.

What comes to this: What if someone is contagious? A player, an official or a family member? It is sufficient to isolate this? Hardly. In the moist hot atmosphere of the cabin germs spread well. And on the ice, the coaches strongly recommend Social Distancing. So you have to expect that it will be infected in those six weeks of the championship finals at some point one of the Parties. Then the Playoff would have to be canceled anyway. And someone will feel at a disadvantage. Therefore, so much it hurts: not at all begin!

The Tamedia-Hockey-Podcast "icebreaker"

Created: 09.03.2020, 20:36 PM