The Chicago Bears have announced no fans to start the season
The Chicago Bears announced on Monday that there will be no fans to start the season. While this isn’t a huge surprise since other NFL teams are taking the same approach. It still is a harsh reminder that the coronavirus still has its grasp on not allowing normalcy. To the Bears credit, they did everything in their power to formulate a plan to allow a limited number of fans into Soldier Field.
The Bears along with the Chicago Park District, health officials, and ASM Global the management partner of Soldier Field came together to determine whether it would be safe to accommodate a select number of fans.
However, after discussing a draft plan, it was ultimately determined that due to the health metrics it wasn’t safe to allow fans to start the season. All hope is not lost because the team and City still believe there is room to potentially allow fans in down the line once everything is deemed safe. Hopefully, this will be sooner than later.
Chicago Bears statement on fans at Soldier Field: pic.twitter.com/uaUSxQJipx
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) August 17, 2020
Lack of fans will not be the same for gameday
Even though we saw this coming, it’s still very disappointing to us Bears fans. Going to Soldier Field on Sunday has been a tradition for many, and the atmosphere won’t be the same without fans in attendance. Many sports are trying innovative ways to rekindle the atmosphere that has been lost. We might just see NFL teams including the Bears do the same thing.
Whether it’s cardboard cut-outs or interactive screens it’s not going to be the same without the roar of the crowd. Having the crowd noise is a huge advantage for home teams and that is going to be lost. It will be interesting to see how the Bears can get creative to fill the void. Let’s just hope this is a temporary thing and we see fans allowed in sooner than later.