What attendance at stadiums across the NFL will look like during the COVID-19 pandemic

Sometimes, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says the darndest things.

For instance, the other day he declared there is no “competitive advantage’‘ if some home teams have fans in the stands and some don’t, due to the varying rules league-wide this season because of COVID-19.

Goodell doubled down a day later in the wake of pushback and outcry from both media and fans who questioned his logic.

Now, I understand Goodell is inclined to defend the shield and the difficult decisions made by those 32 NFL owners who pay his salary and must adhere to their state public health guidelines. It should be noted that Goodell will forego his salary of $40 million with incentives this season amid the global pandemic.

That said, Goodell should not insult our intelligence.

Of course, a home team benefits from having fans inside their stadium, especially if that team plays winning football in front of rabid sellout crowds; i.e., New Orleans, Kansas City, Seattle, Green Bay and New England, among others.

There is a reason why NFL home teams generally get three points when handicappers determine betting lines.

Why else would New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton award fans “Attayboys’‘ and the Jumbotron inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome implore crazed Who Dats to “MAKE NOISE’‘ during games? To exercise their vocal chords? No, to make it difficult on opponents.

It got so loud during the NFC Championship game between the Saints and visiting L.A. Rams in January 2019 that part of the ceiling fell down.

It’s called homefield advantage.

And those teams that don’t have fans inside their stadiums at home games this season will be missing a positive element, .

Consider:

▪ A number of teams are in danger of playing at empty home venues this season, including the New York Giants and New York Jets who share MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, and the Rams and Los Angeles Chargers who share SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

▪ Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis already has declared that no fans will be allowed to attend Raiders home games this season at their new $1.9 billion Allegiant Stadium on the Vegas strip. Davis vows not to attend home games as a matter of principle.

▪ The Dallas Cowboys will be allowed to have upwards of 50,000 fans but not exceeding 50 percent capacity at AT&T Stadium for all eight home games, including their Week 2 game against the Atlanta Falcons. The seating capacity is 80,000 at AT&T Stadium, 105,000 counting standing-room.

▪ Empty stadiums will abound in Week 1. Of the 16 season-opening games, only two will have fans on hand, most notably at Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday night when the defending Super Bowl-champion Kansas City Chiefs kick off the NFL season against the Houston Texans. The Chiefs are expecting an opening-night crowd of 16,046 or 22 percent capacity.

Jacksonville also can have fans at their home game Sunday against Indianapolis — approximately 17,000 or 25 percent of capacity at TIAA Stadium.

▪ The Saints won’t be so fortunate in Week 1. No fans will be allowed inside the Superdome on Sept. 13 (3:25 p.m., Fox) to watch the Black and Gold tackle the new-look Tampa Bay Buccaneers who feature quarterback Tom Brady, tight end Rob Gronkowski and newly-signed running back former LSU stud Leonard Fournette of New Orleans.

It should be noted at least two NFL coaches take exception with Goodell’s unfounded assessment — Minnesota’s Mike Zimmer and Buffalo’s Sean McDermott. Davis goes one step farther, saying if one team can have no fans, no team should have fans.

Don’t dismay NFL fans. All is not lost. The league will attempt to level the playing field for home teams sans fans by pumping in simulated fan noise and displaying virtual fans in the stands.

In any other year piping in fake crowd noise at stadiums would be a scandal.

But not in 2020 which is like no other.

This story was originally published September 3, 2020 at 2:30 PM.