Good sign - Patriots say 20% stadium capacity for 2020

For all things Chicago Bears

Moderator: wab

Post Reply
User avatar
dplank
Hall of Famer
Posts: 12025
Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2016 9:19 am
Has thanked: 1201 times
Been thanked: 2138 times

Seems like a strong tell that there's going to be football and even fans in most if not all stadiums. 20% capacity seems right, they are selling 10 seat blocks. So I'm assuming a preset group could go together and sit together if it were all friends/family or something? And then they space out the 10 seat blocks 6ft in all directions?

I've also been wondering if teams are gearing up for home stadium noise strategies, doing what they can to maintain a home field advantage. That shit matters on game day. Do they start handing out some new type of noise maker to the 20% so they can make 5x normal sound? And the Air Raid siren, annoying last year I felt, but could be deployed in a useful manner. I dunno, just spitballing.

https://www.nfl.com/news/patriots-reduc ... 020-season
The Grizzly One
Crafty Veteran
Posts: 934
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2020 12:09 am
Has thanked: 675 times
Been thanked: 128 times

I hate that Air Raid Siren more than you Pagano.
I'm gone. Have a nice life. I'm clearly not wanted here.
User avatar
IE
Hall of Famer
Posts: 12500
Joined: Mon Nov 03, 2008 8:46 am
Location: Plymouth, MI
Has thanked: 523 times
Been thanked: 700 times
Contact:

Creating a situation where groups of people who don't dwell together can spend 3-5 hours in close proximity is an enormously bad idea, if we're talking about sitting next to each other in stadium seating and yelling and high-fiving and such. I'm assuming most (or many) wouldn't wear masks until maybe it was cooler out. There would be the inevitable lines of people at the gates and especially indoors at key times in food/drink lines and especially bathrooms which will be a literal cloud of aerosolized virus. And the tailgating and crowded transportation to & from. At 20% capacity that is It is what 10-15K people in 16 cities across the US every week? It's just too big - equivalent to just opening up the bars everywhere and saying "let it rip". Some may be in favor of that (not many with a sound handle on math). But that's what it is, unfortunately.

I watched the Cubs last night for a bit, and it was really strange with no fans. I think football would be the same.

I hope science hurries.
2023 Chicago Bears... emerging from a long hibernation, and hungry!
RichH55
Hall of Famer
Posts: 7942
Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2016 4:23 pm
Has thanked: 511 times
Been thanked: 598 times

I think they should be able to do 20%

It will actually make the tickets that much more a thing - Got to think if you are caught without a mask you are gone
Richie
MVP
Posts: 1912
Joined: Sat Apr 01, 2017 9:37 pm
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 17 times

I think you can do 20% capacity with spaced seating, temps taken at the gate, no concessions, etc.

I would go.
User avatar
dplank
Hall of Famer
Posts: 12025
Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2016 9:19 am
Has thanked: 1201 times
Been thanked: 2138 times

Jets and Giants announce there will be no fans allowed....d'oh.
User avatar
Arkansasbear
Head Coach
Posts: 4817
Joined: Tue Jun 16, 2020 10:41 am
Has thanked: 457 times
Been thanked: 655 times

I think you can safely do 20%. The biggest issue would be keeping things organized to get people in. That's our big issue at the courthouse right now. We've been lucky that the weather has been decent (crazy hot some days, but at least not big storms) so we've just had one of the security staff telling people to stay distant from each other. You could may do some food service and mark the floor where the "next in line" had to stand.

Don't know if I'd go if given the chance. I likely would. The issue becomes determining which 20% get to go since most tickets have already been sold.
User avatar
IE
Hall of Famer
Posts: 12500
Joined: Mon Nov 03, 2008 8:46 am
Location: Plymouth, MI
Has thanked: 523 times
Been thanked: 700 times
Contact:

Arkansasbear wrote: Tue Jul 21, 2020 4:09 pm I think you can safely do 20%. The biggest issue would be keeping things organized to get people in. That's our big issue at the courthouse right now. We've been lucky that the weather has been decent (crazy hot some days, but at least not big storms) so we've just had one of the security staff telling people to stay distant from each other. You could may do some food service and mark the floor where the "next in line" had to stand.

Don't know if I'd go if given the chance. I likely would. The issue becomes determining which 20% get to go since most tickets have already been sold.
You're exactly right - it is the flow and proximity and interaction that matters. The queue in & out of the stadium, bathrooms and food / beverage service are the main issues. I think "cans only" beverages in coolers and pre-packaged food for touch-free transactions are workable. But can you imagine the lines that would form at a 6 foot difference? If folks have never been in a stadium bathroom, I can understand them not seeing it - but there is almost no way safe lines could form even at 20% capacity. Maybe they could issue Depends to everyone or a Texas Catheter to all men. LOL

I wouldn't go. Not because I don't think I could be diligent. But from what I've seen I can't even trust people I know well to be mindful of distance and safety, let alone drunken football fans. It's just a bad idea, no matter how much we don't like it.
2023 Chicago Bears... emerging from a long hibernation, and hungry!
User avatar
wab
Mod
Posts: 29805
Joined: Sun Nov 02, 2008 12:49 pm
Has thanked: 127 times
Been thanked: 1956 times

In the extremely limited events I've attended since this all started, there was no food service at all, and the bathrooms were monitored for occupancy.

I'd think that no food/beer would limit the amount of trips to the bathroom, and also would cut down on people milling about in the concourses.

I mean, I get it...food and beverages are a part of the experience, but the game is three hours long. You should be able to sit there and watch the game without binging on nachos and getting tanked.
User avatar
IE
Hall of Famer
Posts: 12500
Joined: Mon Nov 03, 2008 8:46 am
Location: Plymouth, MI
Has thanked: 523 times
Been thanked: 700 times
Contact:

Agreed, wab. How about also giving out one bottle of water and "bathroom passes" with tickets to discourage people from loading up outside the stadium.

Part of me would like to see the owners use the disruption to allow access to games for people who normally can't go. They're already taking a hit on the tickets and vending. They should give away tickets to schools/teachers/classes, and populate some well-managed sections of the stadium with kids. Let them write it off.
2023 Chicago Bears... emerging from a long hibernation, and hungry!
User avatar
wab
Mod
Posts: 29805
Joined: Sun Nov 02, 2008 12:49 pm
Has thanked: 127 times
Been thanked: 1956 times

IE wrote: Thu Jul 23, 2020 10:37 am Agreed, wab. How about also giving out one bottle of water and "bathroom passes" with tickets to discourage people from loading up outside the stadium.

Part of me would like to see the owners use the disruption to allow access to games for people who normally can't go. They're already taking a hit on the tickets and vending. They should give away tickets to schools/teachers/classes, and populate some well-managed sections of the stadium with kids. Let them write it off.
Loading up outside of the stadium might take care of itself since bars are facing all kinds of restrictions, and tailgating may not be permitted.

It's going to have to be a pretty watered down experience. Like, you just go, watch the game, and go home. So...like, church lol.

But I do agree on bottled water, especially early in the season when it's hot AF. The one event I went to, they had phased entry schedules, and there were employees at the bathroom entrances with a counter and were only allowing 5 people in at a time. Also zero concessions and fairly strict social distancing guidelines. Granted, it was a small arena (it was a hunting and camping expo) and not a football game at soldier field. But on a small scale it did seem to work pretty well.
User avatar
Arkansasbear
Head Coach
Posts: 4817
Joined: Tue Jun 16, 2020 10:41 am
Has thanked: 457 times
Been thanked: 655 times

You could also do like they do at some baseball parks and let people bring in some food and drink. Limit it to a "six-pack" cooler per person. Of course that is going to slow the process of everyone getting in as we now combine COVID problems with post-9/11 security checks.
Post Reply