Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy does not plan to allow football teams in his states to play in front of fans this year, a new report suggests.
Murphy will not lift his ban on outdoor gatherings exceeding 500 people amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to NJ.com. Both the New York Jets and the New York Giants play their home games in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which means that fans of those teams will largely not be allowed to attend games this upcoming season. It also poses bad news for perennial Big Ten cellar dweller Rutgers, who also plays its home games in the state of New Jersey. (RELATED: Rockets Guard Russell Westbrook Tests Positive For Coronavirus)
Breaking news by @StevePoliti : No fans at Giants, Jets and Rutgers football games this season because of coronavirus https://t.co/2SnnkRQ7rE
— Keith Sargeant (@KSargeantNJ) July 20, 2020
This is obviously brutal news for New York football fans, even if it was expected. The Jets and Giants have some of the most passionate fans in the league, and it would have been great for morale to have fans at games after everything the state has been through this year. (RELATED: At Least Five Alabama Football Players Test Positive For Coronavirus)
Sam Darnold #14 of the New York Jets throws a pass during the first half of their game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on Nov. 10, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
I still believe football will be played to some degree this year at both the professional and college level, but the ship appears to have sailed on fans attending games. It’s hard to predict the future right now, but it seems unlikely that most, if any teams will allow fans to attend games this year.
That’s obviously terrible, but I’m grateful that sports are at least returning in some capacity right now. It’s been too long, and America needs sports more than ever right now.