Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has authorized the return of professional sports, as we learned earlier this morning. She made it clear that capacity crowds will not be permitted until there is a COVID-19 vaccine, but Lions team president Rod Wood is trying to get Ford Field opened up to fans just the same. Wood released the following statement via the team’s official Twitter account.
“Governor Whitmer’s most recent Executive Order is an exciting step forward in our preparation for the 2020 season. We are working closely with her office to evaluate when and how we can safely play in front of our fans. With nearly 3 months until our regular season home opener at Ford Field, I’m optimistic and encouraged by our progress.”
It seems that most, if not all, teams will be playing in front of empty or partially-full stadiums in 2020, and Wood is hopeful that his club will be able to generate at least some gate revenue this year.
Now for more on the Lions:
- Lions QB Matthew Stafford has been saying for some time that he is fully healthy, and the team posted a brief video clip of its signal-caller working out with teammates, which suggests that Stafford is indeed ready to go (Twitter link). While that’s certainly encouraging, it’s also notable that the workout is in contravention of the advice of NFLPA medical director Thom Mayer, who said players should not be practicing together privately. Stafford is by no means the only QB1 to be participating in workouts, and as Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com writes, the 32-year-old signal-caller has made adjustments to try and keep himself and his teammates healthy.
- Sheila Ford Hamp will take over her mother’s duties as principal owner and chairperson of the Lions, and she said she is going to take a very hands-on approach (Twitter link via Rothstein). Given Lions fans’ general feelings towards the Ford family, that may or may not be welcome, but Hamp said her first course of business will be to meet with members of the organization’s departments that she is less familiar with. As Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets, Hamp specifically noted that she wants to learn more about the analytics side of the operation.
- Hamp has also said that she would sign off on the team’s acquisition of QB Colin Kaepernick if her football people thought it was in the club’s best interests (video link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). The Lions, though, appear to be an imperfect schematic fit for Kaepernick, and in any event, neither Detroit nor any other club has reached out to him yet.
Kap is a proof god is real no human cld make someone so dumb and small minded
I mean without Kaepernick there’s still proof with you
This article on Michigan is all wrong…she never said fans..only games. Rory you might want to click on the link you have and re read it.
It’s never a good sign when your stadium is better known for hosting a wrestling event than a winning football team.
Different Stadiums
If I made a big stink about some injustice, would an nfl team have to sign me then too? I’m about as good of a qb as kap skill wise so that obviously isn’t a requirement! Nice to know I have a chance if I find something that offends me even if that said something offends other people! Drop the kap stuff for once. The guy is not good and wanted too much money for a backup skilled qb. If he really only wanted to play then take the salary offered and move on and show your skill. Don’t use your kneeling as an excuse and cover up for your greed!
Let me guess… a trump supporter.
?
Wait, wasn’t the subject here about a quarterback?
I think any Racist Comment or Political Comment should be Banned. Let’s just keep the conversation about spoiled Millionaires and Billionaires please.
Exactly.