Baltimore Ravens announce plan to limit number of fans at games

It’s going to be a very different looking season at M&T Bank Stadium. In the dog days of the offseason we have some very big news as how the season is going to go down:

The Baltimore Ravens are planning on having fans at M&T Bank Stadium, it’s just going to be a lot less fans. Today on the official website of the Baltimore Ravens, there were several big announcements about how fans would be involved on game days during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are the takeaway points which I have summed up for you:

• It hasn’t been decided if fans will be allowed at games and if they are it will be under new social distancing guidelines.
• Season tickets are deferred to the 2021 season
• The stadium capacity will go down from 62,000 to possibly under 14,000 fans
• Single game tickets will eventually go on sale, but PSL owners have the first chance to get them.

If the Ravens are going to have fans, this is probably the only way they can do it:

Whatever you believe or feel about the struggle we’re having right now, you have to know that just about everyone’s reality has changed because of the global pandemic of COVID-19. The Ravens have to play on the side of caution, especially as case numbers in the United States are climbing once again. If you want there to be fans there at all, it’s going to be different.

This is the statement from Ravens president Dick Cass from the Ravens website: 

"“To offer a proper level of safety for fans who want to attend games, a reduction in capacity is necessary,” … “We are disappointed that this will be a disruption for many ticket buyers, but we have an obligation to our fans and our community to keep M&T Bank Stadium as safe as possible.”"

The Ravens don’t have to make everyone happy. There are going to be a lot of people who want to go to games that won’t be able to. It’s going to be harder to get a seat. They have to comply to the law and guidelines set by the state and federal government. In this video (seen in the tweet below) Garrett Downing talks about what this all means.

It’s just a reality we have to deal with. It’s no different than wearing masks at the grocery store or abiding by travel restrictions. There’s no sense in being mad at the franchise. This is a situation they cannot change and just about every NFL team will probably do something along these lines.

The Bottom Line:

If fans are allowed to go to the games it will be a personal choice fans have to make. I personally don’t feel all that comfortable going and I tell you that because at the end of the day, I’m a fan just like you. I have gone to at least one game just about every year since I was 11 years old. Not going to a game for an entire season sounds like a brutal proposition, one that would be hard for me. Not being there at all to root on incredibly fun players to watch Lamar Jackson and Mark Andrews would be disappointing.

Still, there is a part of me that hopes fans won’t be allowed in the stadium because it will prevent me from feeling conflicted. I don’t want to make that choice, because I know my head and heart will not agree. I also have to think about how it could potentially impact my family. You may feel entirely differently and that’s fine. That’s the take home point. If fans are allowed, people have to weigh the risk when deciding whether or not to go to games.

Ultimately, my goal in this post was to convey the news, point you to the information and stay out of the charged debate that is inevitably to come about this. We’ll keep you posted as we get more information. At Ebony Bird, we are for fans, by fans so this hits us the same way it probably hits you.