The Saints announced Wednesday that their season opener game against the Bucs in the Superdome will be held without fans because of unfavorable coronavirus trends in Louisiana.
The decision means fans won’t have a chance to attend six-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady’s first game with his new club since leaving the Patriots for the Bucs in free agency.
Saints president Dennis Lauscha said owner Gayle Benson’s “overriding directive and priority is the health and safety of our fans, our employees, the Mercedes-Benz Superdome staff and all of the coaches and players.”
The Saints have been working with medical, health and safety professionals; state and local authorities; and the NFL to determine how and if the Superdome could safely host fans this season, Lauscha said. The Saints and government officials concluded that at this time, regional and statewide trends regarding positive coronavirus cases do not meet health and safety standards the club established to host fans in the dome.
New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell said decisions about Saints home games “will be guided by data, and until we get to where we need to be, we will have to support the Saints from the sidelines at home.”
Lauscha said the Saints “remain cautiously optimistic” that fans may be able to attend the Sept. 27 game against the Packers.
In other fan news: Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said the team plans on having fans at its games at AT&T Stadium this year. The team will follow local and state protocols; Texas allows 50 percent capacity for sports events. Jones said the size of his stadium will allow for social distancing. … Washington said it planned to play home games at an empty FedEx Field in Landover, Md., “out of an abundance of caution due to the rapidly changing dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic.” The decision can be re-evaluated if conditions improve throughout the season, it said.
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