President Biden rips Texas Rangers’ decision to open Globe Life Field to full capacity
The Texas Rangers are expecting the home opener Monday to be a sellout, with as many as 40,518 fans filling Globe Life Field.
The Rangers are the only MLB team so far this season to open its ballpark to full capacity.
President Joe Biden thinks that is “not responsible” during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Well, that’s a decision they made. I think it’s a mistake,” Biden said Wednesday during an interview on ESPN. “They should listen to Dr. [Anthony] Fauci, the scientists and the experts. But I think it’s not responsible.”
Fans at Rangers home games will be required to wear face coverings inside Globe Life Field except when eating and drinking at their seats. Fans are encouraged to practice social distancing, wash their hands frequently and make use of hand-sanitizing stations, and all transactions will be cashless.
The Rangers have installed plexiglass in areas where fans could potentially come in contact with players.
After the home opener, the Rangers will dedicate some sections in the ballpark to accommodate socially distant seating.
The Rangers remain encouraged by the trends with COVID-19 in Tarrant County along with more and more people becoming vaccinated. The team understands that some fans might not feel safe enough to come to a game, and that those who do need to obey the safety guidelines in place at the ballpark.
“As excited as we are to welcome Rangers fans back to the ballpark, our organization also understands that we’re still in the midst of a global pandemic and this is not the time to back away from the protocols that we’ve had in place the past 12 months,” executive vice president Rob Matwick said Wednesday.
“In spite of the challenges the pandemic presents, there is a safe way, a responsible way to conduct events. We look forward to doing that, but we also understand it takes everybody’s cooperation for it to be successful.”
This story was originally published April 1, 2021 at 10:20 AM.
