Packers season ticket holders must weigh safety, fandom in deciding if they will attend games if they're held this year

GREEN BAY – Like the country as a whole, Green Bay Packers season tickets holders are split on whether they will be ready to gather in large numbers when football season begins.

The NFL released its 2020 schedule Thursday with the assumption it will have a full and normal season, but acknowledged it would make changes if the coronavirus pandemic makes it unsafe to open stadiums or play games.

The Press-Gazette contacted season ticket holders to learn their plans for the coming season. It was too small a sample to draw large-scale conclusions, but the answers are a window into what fans are thinking and how they will make their decisions.

Nathan Hoernke of Mosinee, a Green package holder who had to shut down his small business on March 20, is ready for Wisconsin to open up again.

"I would have absolutely no problem attending games with my family this year as long as we can do so without restrictions like face masks or changes to tailgating," he said. "The atmosphere and camaraderie are the reasons for attending games, and without that the Packers experience is gone."

Hoernke is skeptical that will happen, however.

"Sadly, the social media backlash from allowing 70,000 people to cram into a stadium will be overwhelming. I get dirty looks when I take my family to the store. I'm not seeing a light at the end of the tunnel right now."

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Nancy Selinsky of Green Bay has both season ticket packages, which indicates her level of fandom, so it's a big deal for her to miss a game.

"This is a tough one. The way to get rid of this thing is to stay away from people. There’s not a lot of distancing going on at Lambeau Field. It’s more like anti-distancing," she said. "If the games do happen, and fans are allowed to attend, we would go, providing precautions would be taken to assure safety. If not safe enough, and it pains me to say this, we would not attend."

Wayne Sargent of Campellsport, who also holds Green and Gold tickets, has safety concerns. He said he is at high-risk of serious complications if he's exposed to the coronavirus, but like Hoernke, he would not want to attend with restrictions.

"I, for one, at the present time, have no intention of attending any games this season," he said. "If I have to sit apart from my friends and fellow fans, what's the sense in attending? Half of the fun of going is being with my friends and other fans."

He said his safety concern extends to the parking lot as well as the stadium.

"Additionally," he said, "I do not have the patience to wait for what could be endless times at the restrooms and concessions between quarters will observing social distancing."

Tom Freeman lives in California, but tries to attend at least one game a year.

"My belief is that by fall we will be pretty far down the far side of the curve," he said. "I think my wife is concerned that this will be going on a lot longer than I do. I have to admit, though, that this problem has been far worse, for far longer, than I originally anticipated."

He likes that the Packers are mailing face masks to season ticket holders. 

"That seems like a good idea since social distancing is obviously not possible in the stands," he said.

Eric Norlund of Minneapolis, a Green package holder, is skeptical the season will come off as planned.

"It's the seventh of May and even with several months before the season starts, I can't envision a scenario where I would feel safe going to a game," he said.

Troy Pflum of North Fond du Lac, another Green package holder, trusts that if fans are allowed to attend, it will be safe.

"If they allow me in, I'm definitely going, unless there's a reason not to. If there is a reason, I'm guessing fans won't be allowed in anyway," he said.

Kevin Rades of Appleton is among those that hope time will clarify matters.

"If the season would be starting next week, I would not be comfortable attending games given the current situation," he said. "However, I can’t say for sure how I will feel in August. I am obviously hoping things improve during the summer."

Bobby Christensen, a Gold package holder in Kenosha County, said other factors will drive his decision. Gold package ticket holders hail primarily from southeastern Wisconsin and find night games difficult to attend. Both their assigned games this year are night games, the Falcons on Oct. 5 and the Bears on Nov. 29.

"I can never pass up a Packers/Bears match-up," Christensen said. "But I doubt I will be going to the Monday night game versus Atlanta. Monday night games don't work the best and it's only the Falcons."

Contact Richard Ryman at (920) 431-8342 or rryman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @RichRymanPG, on Instagram at  @rrymanPG or  on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardRymanPG/