With the NFL announcing that the 2020 season shall get under by September, questions regarding the safety of players, staff, and fans have been lingering in the minds of many. The League has been suspended since March due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and may be compelled to hold fixtures with fewer spectators or none at all. Melvin Gordon, however, seems prepared for this.
Joking About Already Having Played in Stadiums with No Fans
I asked former Chargers and current @Broncos RB @Melvingordon25 about the possibility of playing in “fanless stadiums” and his response was PRICELESS! #NFL pic.twitter.com/ErGo5tr2Oc
— Marcus Cromartie (@Cromartie_M) May 28, 2020
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Cornerback Marcus Cromartie asked Denver Broncos‘ Melvin Gordon how he would feel playing without any fans in the stadium. Gordon decided to light-heartedly poked fun at Los Angeles Chargers in response to the question. He apparently grew used to playing in stadiums with empty stands while at the Los Angeles team. “Bro, we didn’t have fans anyway“, the cornerback said laughingly.
The two-time Pro Bowler was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in 2015. The Chargers decided to move to Los Angeles in 2017 and consequently, struggled to bring fans out to the stands. “Much loyalty and love but we ain’t have many [fans], so I’m not missing anything”, the Doak Walker Award recipient said. Gordon signed with the Denver Broncos this offseason but hasn’t been able to play for the team yet.
Will Fans Really be Unable to Attend Football Games?
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With health and safety at top priority, fans may actually not be permitted to spectate games at stadiums. Typically, a football stadium has the capacity to seat 65,000 or so spectators. However, now teams might not be able to host more than 15,000 in each game.
With the NFL set to announce the 2020 schedule this week, here’s an exclusive look at how the @MiamiDolphins are safely preparing @HardRockStadium for the upcoming season amid the pandemic, including a major accreditation. Our report on @GMA pic.twitter.com/ogbCOE7UuB
— Victor Oquendo (@VictorOquendo) May 4, 2020
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Recently, the Miami Dolphins announced measures it plans to take to be able to host fans at its Hard Rock Stadium in fall. These seem to be in compliance with the norms for social distancing issued by the Center for Disease Control.
With numerous health risks involved, being able to experience great NFL moments live again currently seems like a distant possibility.