Posted on 09/11/2020 5:09:48 PM PDT by lightman
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles will both start their respective NFL schedules without fans in the stands when they play at Heinz Field and Lincoln Financial Field, respectively.
What will it take for that to change?
Health Department Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine weighed in on Friday, just days before both teams play their season openers on the road and two weeks before each plays a home game amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Both franchises have said that they wont have fans in attendance until at least the end of September, but each said in emails to their season ticket holders back in August that, if state and local health guidance changes, their policies could too.
Currently, orders from both Levine and Gov. Tom Wolf limit outdoor gatherings to just 250 people, while indoor events are restricted to 25.
"We would need to see a substantial reduction in terms of the amount of community spread in Pennsylvania to consider changing the outdoor guidance, Levine said during a televised news conference.
Things change, of course. In the future, were hoping for a vaccine and other measures, so things change, but at this time, given current circumstances, we feel it is in the publics best interest not to have fans for those football games.
The question was posed in the context of Thursday nights Kansas City Chiefs win over the Houston Texans, which was played in front of about 17,000 fans, or 22 percent of the capacity of Arrowhead Stadium, according to Yahoo Sports. Only six teams league-wide are planning to have fans in attendance for their first home game.
While the inquiry to Levine came in the context of pro sports, it also must be noted that the Pa. legislature has passed a bill that would allow high schools and school districts to disregard the 250/25 limit and instead set their own fan capacity limits for sporting events. Wolf has vowed to veto it and says he cant conceive that the General Assembly would override his veto, but the result of that wont be known for at least a couple of weeks.
Then, at the college level, Pittsburgh University will play its season opener against Austin Peay on Saturday afternoon. It, too, will compete without a crowd.
The governor strongly feels, and I strongly recommend, that we do not put people at risk, in terms of putting them together in congregate settings, Levine said. We have a 250-person outdoor limit, and so therell be no fans.
Pennsylvania's Trannie Nanny plays Lucy with the football.
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Been a hockey fan my whole life.
I’M DONE WITH ALL OF IT.
Let's get some eyewash into this thread
I’d say “stop insulting America” but it’s too late. Cat is out of the bag.
ALLOW fans?
How about how to ATTRACT fans?
I’m guessing that even if they allow fans in the stands, they will be half empty.
Allowing fans?
Theyd have to pay me a full days wage to sit in their stands. Maybe more. Time and a half.
Hope it stays that way. Screw the NFL
What are these Eagles and Steelers you speak of. Are they sportsball people?
BOYCOTT THE NFL!! Phuck em!
I almost hit “report abuse”.
As for NFL games, who cares?
Professional sports are no longer of any y interest.
Once that happens, news outlets can finally come out and honestly say COVID-19 has always been a nothingburger.
What really needs to happen is for people to refuse to go.
You can’t use the same poon on multiple threads.
At least they’re not yachts.
Did you really have to post a picture of that freak?
What is that?
Who cares, why would you go?
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