For most of the past year, as the nation shuttered and struggled to fight the coronavirus, the Texas Rangers, following the lead of Gov. Greg Abbott, adopted more of a devil-may-care attitude toward the pandemic.<\/p>\n
As millions stayed home, the Rangers urged their workers to report for duty at Globe Life Field, to the point an employee told ESPN employees were "terrified for their safety." <\/p>\n
As Major League Baseball's 30 franchises played games without fans while adhering to local guidelines to stop the spread of COVID-19, Texas and its Rangers flung its doors open to MLB, offering to host three rounds of postseason games as well as 25% occupancy for NLCS and World Series games. <\/p>\n
And now, as municipalities and franchises tentatively welcome fans back for the 2021 season, the Lone Star State once again seems intent on displaying a rugged individualism that will set it apart from the rest, even at the risk of imperiling its population. <\/p>\n
The Rangers on Wednesday announced they will impose no restrictions on attendance at Globe Life Field, inviting Texans to fill up their second-year ballpark 40,000 strong for their home opener April 5 against Toronto. <\/p>\n
The Rangers' announcement comes eight days after Abbott lifted a statewide mask mandate and allowed businesses to operate at full capacity, rescinding "most of the executive orders" he'd issued since the virus began its spread in March 2020.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2021\/03\/10\/USAT\/8805c365-4c65-4cc7-991f-60b8f20445a9-USATSI_15093054.jpg?width=540&height=&fit=bounds&auto=webp\")