Rising COVID cases impact Milwaukee sports, business
MILWAUKEE - A rise in COVID-19 cases across the country is having a major impact on the sports world, and Milwaukee is feeling it, too.
After last season was canceled, the Milwaukee Wave were supposed to make their big comeback Saturday night, Dec. 18. Instead, the game was postponed after players on the other team tested positive for COVID-19.
UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena will have to wait to welcome back the Wave. The team announced on Twitter the home opener's postponement Friday due to Baltimore Blast players and staff testing positive.
Twitter is becoming a scary place for sports fans.
"Every time you open Twitter there’s that unease now because you’re like, well, there’s star players out, key players out every time you look," said Chris Lempesis.
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Lempesis and his family explored the Deer District on Saturday, but are holding off on buying tickets. Giannis Antetokounmpo is still out for the Milwaukee Bucks due to the NBA's health and safety protocols.
"It’s definitely something where you almost wait until the last minute. You kind of have to now with all the COVID stuff, and COVID uncertainty, and tickets not being cheap," said Lempesis. "You don’t want to buy a ticket and then they say, oh, Giannis is out – well Giannis is already out – but Giannis is out, star player from the other team is out. Then you’re almost watching like a preseason game, but it’s regular-season prices."
Chris Lempesis (left) and family walk through Deer District
The uncertainty in the sports world is impacting businesses like the Ambassador Hotel. A partner of the Milwaukee Wave, the hotel was supposed to have 11 rooms booked by the Baltimore Blast this weekend.
"Everything is always up in the air, so when we try to predict what sales, occupancy, things like that will be, it’s difficult for us because we don’t know what actually will come to fruition," Amy Schneider, the hotel's assistant general manager and director of marketing, said.
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The sports world is anxiously awaiting what's next.
"It’s just really unfortunate," said Lempesis. "It felt like there was a moment where we were kind of past all this. Now, it’s kind of rearing its ugly head again."
A rescheduled date has not yet been set for the Wave's game against the Blast. For now, it looks like the team's New Year's Eve game against the Kansas City Comets will be the home opener.
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