Loud Seahawks crowds have led to the most false-starts by opponents over the last decadeGETTY IMAGES
The Seahwaks are "exploring the possibility of playing their eight regular-season home games in a half-filled CenturyLink Field, because of social-distancing requirements in the coronavirus pandemic," according to a source cited by Gregg Bell of the Tacoma NEWS TRIBUNE. That plan "could involve leaving entire rows or every other seat empty." The Seahawks also are "considering home games with fewer than half their seats filled, with perhaps 20,000 or so fans." That plan "would leave entire swaths of CenturyLink Field empty -- and quiet." It remains possible the social-distancing requirements in Washington's Safe Start reopening plan for King County "could force the Seahawks to play home games with no fans at all." Seahawks GM John Schneider said, "We would definitely miss our fans, no question." Bell writes on the field, competitively, this is "potentially a bigger deal in Seattle than in other NFL cities." The noise has made Seattle the home stadium with the "most false-starts by opponents over the last decade." Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said, "Everybody needs to be wide open and ready to adapt and all of that and all aspects of our lives right now, and certainly as we approach the season. We are going to have to be prepared" (Tacoma NEWS TRIBUNE, 6/12).
