9-09-2020 1:56pm

Are The Super Bowl Champs Putting Money Over Safety?

Rick Amburgey Neighbor

I remember watching the Kansas City Chiefs playing the Tennessee Titans on the big screen while we were on a cruise in January. As a Titans fan, I wasn't cheering for the Kansas City Chiefs. I hadn't really watched the team much and I was impressed by their athleticism. I wanted the Titans to win, but I think the best team won.

It's been a long year without a lot of a lot of sports. I am so excited to football to start again. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said recently that both the Bengals and Browns could operate a two-week trial. He said the teams had worked hard to come up with a plan. There will be up to 1,500 fans allowed on each side of the stadium for a total of 3,000 games per game. The trial will include both games when the Bengals and Browns play each other, once in Cincinnati and once in Cleveland. The first game with fans won't be until Sept. 17.

Most teams have chosen to not have fans during the first week. The first NFL game of the season is the Texans at the Chiefs on Thursday night. As I understand it, there will be up to 16,000 fans in the stands, which is a lot more than are being permitted by other teams. For a frame of reference, all four games played in Ohio will have 12,000 fans combined.

Are the Chiefs violating health laws? No. In Arrowhead Stadium, 16,000 fans would account for under 25 percent of the total capacity of the stadium. There's no question that fans want to be able to attend a game again. A game with 16,000 fans would probably be one of the biggest gatherings since the pandemic began. I have to wonder if it is a good idea to bring that many people into a stadium. They can separate fans in the stands, but I wonder how people will socially distance when they go to the restroom or the concession plans. I know all teams would love to put a lot of people in the stadium, but I am not sure it is the right time.

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