The spread of COVID-19 has forced restaurants and eateries across the country to transition from dine-in service to take-out and delivery service only. And for former Detroit Lions All-Pro lineman Roger Brown, it’s the same story.
He opened his own sports bar in Portsmouth, Virginia called – what else – “Roger Brown’s Restaurant and Sports Bar”. Conversely, he also has two other establishments: Cove Tavern in Newport News and MoMac Brewing Company.
He misses being able to appear at his eponymous business and mingle with the patrons and fans.
“That’s really all a part of running Roger Brown’s,” he explained. “I miss it all. I want to see them…/I want to talk to the guests, see what they feel.””
But as his businesses are being affected by the spread of the pandemic, he has bad news for whomever is ultimately responsible for the outbreak – and they’d better hope they don’t see him in person.
“It’s terrible,” Brown said. “I mean, we’re at a standstill. But you got to go along with the program. If it says you can’t open, you can’t open. If it says you got to close at a certain time, you got to close. But I would like to know where the hell this thing came from.”
“Whoever came up with this damn coronavirus and then passed it on to America, I want to put him on the line right across from me. And I guarantee you, you’ll never see him again.”
And while he’s taking all necessary precautions to avoid contracting the illness, Brown isn’t backing down.
“I’m too damn bad to have anything (happen to me),” he said. “I’ll kick its butt, man.”
Brown suited up for the Lions from 1960 to 1966 before finishing his NFL career with the Los Angeles Rams for two additional seasons. He was inducted into Pride of the Lions in 2018.
– – Quotes via Dave Birkett of The Detroit Free Press Link – –
