NFL teams are scrambling to plot a course of action for the 2020 season. For the Detroit Lions, that plan appears to need to account for playing in an empty Ford Field. Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer has made it clear that there won’t be rows filled with fans anytime soon.
In a radio interview with WQKI-FM that did not range into sports beyond the immediate topic of Ford Field, Whitmer delivered a bitter pill of reality. She was asked specifically about the Lions and Ford Field.
“There is reason to feel some confidence here,” Whitmer said. “But we also have to measure (peoples’) expectations and say life’s going to be different. We’re not going to be filling stadiums in the fall.”
In a later follow-up email statement, Michigan deputy press secretary Bobby Leddy shed more light on the issue,
“Medical experts have made it clear that COVID-19 spreads when people are in close contact with one another, and without a vaccine, our best strategy in combating the virus is to practice social distancing. In regards to stadiums, our administration will continue to make informed decisions on re-engagement based upon data and medical expertise.”
The governor’s statement is not yet policy.
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