David Tepper Thinks the NFL Should Play Games With "some fans" in Stadiums in 2020

The Panthers' owner discussed the upcoming NFL season stating that stadiums should not be completely empty.

Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper appeared on CNBC on Wednesday and said that he believes that NFL stadiums will likely not be in full capacity in 2020, but that they should play games with "some fans" in attendance. 

"You won't be playing having full stadiums, but that doesn't mean you can't have some fans in the stadium either," Panthers owner David Tepper said during an appearance on CNBC. "If you're comfortable being in a closed airplane for a cross-country trip, 18 inches apart, maybe with two seats in between you and being 5 feet away from each other, you might be comfortable in an open-air stadium."

“There should be some amount of fans in the stadiums, depending on what locale and where you are and what the local rules are,” the billionaire hedge fund manager explained on CNBC’s “Halftime Report.”

Tepper said that there will be enough coronavirus tests available by the fall to make sure that the players are "safe on the field." He added the idea that fans in attendance would need to wear face masks, for example, along with executing social distancing measures inside the stadiums to ensure safety.

German Bundesliga soccer league is scheduled to resume play Saturday and other European soccer leagues have announced their intentions to resume play this spring. This is a sign in the right direction for the NFL, who will closely monitor what happens when play resumes. 

The NFL has sent memos to teams stating that they needed to have policies in place by Friday for the possibility of the reopening of team facilities. The "virtual offseason" will be in place until at least May 29, but in the meantime, owners, players, coaches, and front offices continue to cling to the hope that the ball can get rolling to resume a least some in-person offseason activities in the near future. 

Do you think the NFL will allow fans in stadiums in 2020? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below and discuss it with fellow Panther fans!

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Jack Duffy
JACK DUFFY

Panthers Coverage for SI's All Panthers, Hornets Beat Writer, 15-year Big XII advocate, and Seinfeld enthusiast.