Eagles fans will not be allowed at home games | bad sign for 2020 season

Published by Norb Caoili on July 15, 2020

Eagles Lincoln Financial Field will be devoid of fans in 2020

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7hDz-BfGxk[/embedyt]

The Philadelphia Eagles will not have spectators at any home games in 2020.

This week, Philadelphia Health Commissioner Thomas Farley stated that the COVID-19 safety protocols for the major sports leagues “look pretty good”, but feels it would not be safe to have fans in the stands.

“I do think that games can be played with the kind of safety precautions that they’re proposing. I do not think that they can have spectators at those games. There’s no way for them to be safe having a crowd there,” Farley said. “I can’t say what the plans are for the league, but from a safety perspective, they can play games but not [have] crowds.”

The Phillies had already announced that they would play without fans in attendance. NFL guidelines state that local authorities have the ability to ban fans. The question is: will more cities do the same?

In this video, FTFN‘s NorbCam reviews the current situation with Seahawks season ticketholders and gives his outlook on the viability of a 2020 NFL season.

What is the financial impact of games without fans? NFL teams take in approximately $7 million per game. With 10 total home games (8 regular season and 2 pre-season games), a season without fans would cost around $70 million in gate receipts per team, based on conservative estimates. They would also lose out on millions in concession sales and parking.

The Hall of Fame Game and two pre-season games have already been cancelled. The NFLPA has publicly stated that they want to cancel the pre-season altogether. Many NFL players have expressed their dislike of proposed safety measures by the NFL and some are considering sitting out the 2020 season altogether. The NFL and NFLPA are in discussions to try and reach a common ground regarding safety protocols and how to deal with the potential lost revenue. Time is of the essence as training camp is right around the corner, scheduled for July 28th. Fans will not be allowed to watch training camp this year.

With COVID-19 cases on the rise around the country, the outlook for the 2020 NFL season looks grim, at least for fans hoping to see their favorite teams in person.