Thursday open thread: Would you feel comfortable attending an NFL game in 2021?

The NFL made a strong statement this week when commissioner Roger Goodell claimed he intends on going back to full attendance in 2021 after the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out nearly all of attendance across the league last year.

“We want to see every one of our fans back,” Goodell said on Tuesday. “We expect to have full stadiums in the coming season.”

While Detroit Lions team president Rod Wood wasn’t exactly as bold in his response to Goodell, it’s clear he’s hoping for a return to normalcy this fall, as well.

“I think if we can continue on this trend, there’s a pretty good chance we’re going to have large gatherings of fans this fall, whether it’s a full stadium or not,” Wood said in a Zoom call with local media on Wednesday.

Of course, there needs to be a certain amount of confidence from the consumer side of things. While vaccinations are currently being handed out at a promising rate—5,000 to 6,000 a day at Ford Field alone, according to Wood—the virus is spiking in Michigan all over again right now.

We’re a long ways from September’s games, but today’s Question of the Day is:

Would you feel comfortable attending a fully-populated NFL game in 2021?

My answer: It depends on the COVID protocols in place. As we’re starting to see with Major League Baseball, some teams are requiring either vaccination records or a negative COVID test to enter the stadium. If something like that was in place, I’d be more than comfortable entering a crowded stadium again.

Also, if the national outlook for the pandemic is much more promising four months from now and the CDC clears public gatherings of tens of thousands of people, then I would trust their judgement.

But that’s a lot of ifs. The work needs to be put in before we return to normalcy, and simply the presence of a vaccine isn’t necessarily enough. I’m hopeful, but I also hope people don’t get complacent or reckless in the meantime.