Patriots make official announcement on fans for 2020 season

The New England Patriots made it official, as COVID-19 worsens in America: No fans in 2020 at Gillette Stadium.

Though we received a few midseason hints of hope at Gillette Stadium, Patriots fans have received the news they’d always been expecting as they followed the 2020 timeline this week.

On Monday, stadium officials announced that the team would not be allowing fans entry for the remainder of the season. With under two months left of the regular season, this was hardly a shock, especially as case counts continue to climb as we approach the winter months.

Massachusetts, along with much of the eastern seaboard, has also been at the forefront of curbing the spread of the coronavirus, and has remained steadfast in their support of public health measures. Better luck next season, but this was always going to be where 2020’s fate rested while external conditions worsened.

As Stadium officials put it in their official press release:

"“We understand that the advisory board, Governor Baker and Lt. Governor Polito made this decision with the health and safety of the community in mind. Still, we know that this decision will be disappointing to the friends and family members of our respective teams and countless Patriots and Revolution Season Ticket Members who were eager to attend games this season.“As we turn our focus to 2021, we will continue to work closely with the advisory board to safely reopen our building. We look forward to welcoming Patriots and Revolution fans back home to Gillette Stadium upon being granted approval next year.”"

While the news putting an official black bow over the 2020 season is a downer, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about what next season will bring.

With the advancements of a proposed vaccine also being announced on Monday morning, it seems far more likely that, by the time the 2021 NFL season begins, our country will be in a much different place.

Until then, just thank your lucky stars you won’t have to experience a mid-December blizzard with this current roster, nor will you have to navigate Gillette Stadium traffic mid-ice storm.

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