Panthers ejected 15 fans from their Oct. 4 game for not following health and safety protocolsGETTY IMAGES
Mecklenburg County (N.C.) Public Health Dir Gibbie Harris said that the Panthers overall "did a good job establishing and enforcing safety measures for the Oct. 4 game" against the Cardinals, their first game with fans this year, according to Erik Spanberg of the CHARLOTTE BUSINESS JOURNAL. Harris noted that the team "ejected 15 fans out of a crowd of 5,120 people, most for not wearing a protective face covering as mandated." Panthers execs said that the 15 ejections are "more than is typical for a full-capacity crowd -- a sign of the team's commitment to making sure everyone follows the enhanced safety rules." In regards to improvements, the team agreed that the temperature checks of fans entering Bank of America Stadium were "slowed by snags, a problem that has been remedied with a tripling of scan thermometers." The Panthers on Sunday will play their second home game with fans against the Bears. Capacity will "again be limited to 5,240 people," which is equal to 7% of the stadium's 75,000 seats. Panthers COO Mark Hart said that the mindset internally is to "make sure Covid-19 protocols are vigilantly adhered to in hopes that a track record of safety and success will lead to expanded capacity" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 10/14).
FANS AT SOLDIER FIELD? In Chicago, James Neveau noted Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot during a Tuesday press conference "left the door open" to the possibility of some Bears fans attending games at Soldier Field this season. Lightfoot said that her administration is "having conversations with the team about allowing limited numbers of fans into the team’s remaining home games" (NBCCHICAGO.com, 10/13).
