If you’re looking for optimism that the NFL season will happen, maybe even with fans, then Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross is your man.
During a Tuesday morning interview on CNBC, Ross stated clearly that the NFL season will happen, the only question is whether fans will be in attendance.
“I think there definitely will be a football season this year,” Ross said. “Real question is, will there be fans in the stadium? Right now — today — we’re planning to have fans in the stadium.”
The Dolphins have been reportedly experimenting with the idea of social distancing inside the stadium. So, just because teams may be planning to have fans, doesn’t necessarily mean that stadiums will be filled to capacity.
It’s not surprising that this level of optimism has come from a sports executive in Florida. The Sunshine State, along with Georgia, has been at the forefront of the country’s reopening and recovery effort. Florida in particular has become a symbol of the sports world’s reopening, as Governor DeSantis has moved to make the state a refuge for sports leagues and sports entertainment organizations such as the UFC and WWE, in their bid to resume holding events.
“The NFL hasn’t made any firm decisions on whether to allow fans into stadiums during the 2020 season, but the league released its schedule earlier this month and plans to play its full 16-game slate on time, starting Sept. 10,” Cameron Wolfe of ESPN reported.
“We all miss our sports,” Ross said. “The NFL, I think, will be ready to go. I know we’re all looking forward to it. I know I am.”
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn