As professional sports leagues continue to grapple with coronavirus restrictions on both players and fans, teams are playing to empty, or near-empty, stadiums, and broadcasting the games live. Team mascots, who normally thrive on interaction with a live audience, are left to play to the cameras, interacting with empty bleachers and cardboard cutouts of fans. Below is a collection of images from recent months of various mascots, still hard at work during trying times.
Lonely Days for Sports Mascots
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The Phillie Phanatic sits alone in the stands during a game between the Miami Marlins and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on July 25, 2020, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. #
Hunter Martin / Getty -
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Blooper, the mascot of the Atlanta Braves, sits in the empty stands to watch the exhibition game between the Atlanta Braves and the Miami Marlins at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia, on July 22, 2020. #
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Mascots Sean (left) and Albee (right) sanitize the seats prior to the Chinese Professional Baseball League game between CTBC Brothers and Rakuten Monkeys at the Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium in Taichung, Taiwan, on May 10, 2020. #
Gene Wang / Getty -
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Fans of the San Diego Padres, preparing to watch a drive-in movie screening of "Anchorman," speak to a mascot of character Ron Burgundy outside of Petco Park in San Diego, California, on June 6, 2020. The event was organized to raise money for the hunger-relief charity Feeding San Diego. #
Sean M. Haffey / Getty -
The Boston Red Sox mascot Wally sits in the stands during a game between the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts, on July 27, 2020. #
Paul Rutherford / USA TODAY Sports / Reuters -
The mascot Frankie performs during the Chinese Professional Baseball League game between CTBC Brothers and Fubon Guardians at Xinzhuang Baseball Stadium in New Taipei City, Taiwan, on April 24, 2020. #
Gene Wang / Getty -
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The Detroit Pistons mascot Hooper (left) and Paws, the Detroit Tigers mascot, watch a baseball game between the Tigers and the Kansas City Royals in Detroit, Michigan, on July 27, 2020. #
Carlos Osorio / AP -
The mascot of Tijuana, Xolo Mayor, sits among the empty stands prior to the first-round match between Tijuana and Atlas as part of the Torneo Guard1anes 2020 Liga MX at Caliente Stadium in Tijuana, Mexico, on July 25, 2020. #
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In Sydney, Australia, the Rabbitohs mascot is seen among cardboard cutouts in the stands, during the round six NRL match between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the New Zealand Warriors at Bankwest Stadium on June 19, 2020. #
Mark Kolbe / Getty -
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The Boston Red Sox mascot Wally the Green Monster dances with cardboard cutout fans during a game against the Baltimore Orioles on July 25, 2020, at Fenway Park in Boston. #
Billie Weiss / Boston Red Sox / Getty -
The San Francisco Giants mascot Lou Seal was photographed in the stands during the game against the Oakland Athletics at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California, on July 21, 2020. #
Kelley L Cox / USA TODAY Sports / Reuters -
The Los Angeles Kings mascot, Bailey, participates in a pro-mask-wearing pop-up fashion show at Yamashiro Hollywood during the COVID-19 pandemic in Los Angeles, California, on July 2, 2020. #
Amy Sussman / Getty -
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The St. Louis Cardinals mascot, Fredbird, lies in the left field bleachers during the sixth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, on July 25, 2020. #
Jeff Curry / USA TODAY Sports / Reuters -
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The mascot, Victor, of the Rakuten Monkeys watches during the Chinese Professional Baseball League game between the Uni-Lions and the Rakuten Monkeys at the Taoyuan International Baseball Stadium in Taoyuan, Taiwan, on June 9, 2020. #
Gene Wang / Getty
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