The Dolphins will continue to allow 20% capacity at Hard Rock Stadium for the foreseeable futureGETTY IMAGES
There were 11,705 fans in attendance at Hard Rock Stadium yesterday to watch Bills-Dolphins, which was "far from the 65,326 capacity, and even more than 1,000 short of the 13,000 the state and county are allowing," according to David Wilson of the MIAMI HERALD. Dolphins QB Ryan Fitzpatrick said of the atmosphere during the game, "Even though the place obviously wasn't at capacity, it felt a lot more like a football game. It was not eerily quiet the whole game." Wilson noted the team "will continue to fill its stadium at 20 percent capacity for the foreseeable future." However, Dolphins President & CEO Tom Garfinkel said that capacity "could increase to 50 percent later in the season" (MIAMI HERALD, 9/21). NBCSPORTS.com's Peter King writes the fact the Dolphins did not sell all 13,000 seats for their home opener "had better be a commentary on fans not wanting to go to a public event during a pandemic, and not a commentary on the interest in the Dolphins in south Florida" (NBCSPORTS.com, 9/21).
TAKE IT IN: In West Palm Beach, Andrew Abramson in a special to the PALM BEACH POST writes in the days leading up to Bills-Dolphins, he "wasn't sure" if he was "mentally prepared to attend a game." He "hadn't been around more than ... 10 people at a time since March." Abramson: "I felt comfortable enough with all the safety protocols in place. My friend and I had no other fans within six feet of us. All the seats directly behind, in front and to the side of us were tarped off. The minimal crowd size made it easy to avoid others when entering and exiting the stadium. It was a fun way to attend an NFL game. It'll be difficult to go back to bumping elbows and knees and dodging drunk fans" (PALM BEACH POST, 9/21).
MORE THAN WORDS: In Ft. Lauderdale, Omar Kelly noted Dolphins players, after calling for "less talk and more action when it comes to addressing social justice issues," are putting their "efforts and money into their cause, executing initiatives aimed at improving life in South Florida." The Dolphins "assembled a Social Impact Committee this spring," and the group has met regularly since a viral image of George Floyd "sparked worldwide protests." There are "four components to the Dolphins' player-led efforts: health, education, uniting the community and voting." Dolphins Dir of Player Engagement Kaleb Thornhill is "working with the players to turn their agenda into action." Kelly noted this is "not the Miami Dolphins' Foundation," the money for which comes from Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross and team profits. Instead, the Social Impact Committee "gets money from the players themselves -- which the NFL matches as part of the league's initiatives." This week, the Dolphins' Social Impact Committee announced a plan to "increase voter awareness and engagement throughout South Florida." Next week, the Dolphins players and the foundation are "donating $300,000 total to Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach County schools to purchase wireless hotspots and digital technology that will help students and parents in underserved communities get better Wi-Fi access" (South Florida SUN SENTINEL, 9/19).
