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The New England Patriots season-ticket holders who are considered high-risk as it pertains to COVID-19, are being allowed to skip 2020 and hold their places for 2021, per ESPN.
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This generous and thoughtful gesture is the first of its kind in the NFL, and you have to wonder–or even expect–other organizations should follow suit. The NFL has offered a full refund for games not played, and it has also allowed fans to opt-out in advance if their underlying health conditions place them at a higher risk.
However, that falls short of what the Patriots are doing, which should result in a further entrenched fanbase. When you consider how vested Pats Nation already is in its team, creating a deeper connection would be quite impressive.
In an email to its season-ticker holders, the Patriots said:
“By completing this agreement now, your seat location will be protected for the 2021 season.”
The Associated Press reportedly reached out to other NFL teams, but as of Friday, every other franchise hadn’t come up with a policy in line with what the Patriots are offering their season-ticket holders.
Does this Mean the Patriots are Ensuring Their Fans There Will Be a 2020 Season?
No team or owner can commit to that at this point, especially with COVID-19 cases seemingly on the rise again in the United States. Here’s how the Patriots answered that potential question from its fanbase.
“We remain optimistic for the return of football and we are preparing to play each home game as scheduled in front of our Season Ticket Members this fall,” the Patriots wrote their season-ticket holders. “We will do so in full compliance with the NFL and all government regulations and will rely on the advice of medical and public health professionals to maintain the safety of our fans, players, and personnel.”
Each state has a different situation. Because of varying degrees of infection in different regions, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the United States’ authority in the field of epidemiology, has stated he believes the NFL will need a bubble similar to what the NBA and NHL are using if it wants to have a 2020 season.
On CNN last week, Fauci said:
Football may not happen this year, Dr. Anthony Fauci tells @drsanjaygupta.
“Unless players are essentially in a bubble – insulated from the community and they are tested nearly every day – it would be very hard to see how football is able to be played this fall.”
“Unless players are essentially in a bubble — insulated from the community and they are tested nearly every day — it would be very hard to see how football is able to be played this fall,” he said. “If there is a second wave … football may not happen this year.”
That’s a tough pill for Patriots and football fans to swallow.
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