CHARLOTTE — All is relatively quiet right now, a couple of hours before game time, at Bank of America Stadium, where the Vikings and Panthers will kick off as scheduled a little after 1 p.m. local time.
The unrest in the city has died down after violent protests were sparked Tuesday night and Wednesday night following a police shooting. There were internet rumors of civil demonstrations being planned to take place outside of the stadium this morning. But if they are happening somewhere, they have yet to impact today's game.
All five Vikings team buses arrived at the stadium without incident and some players are already out on the field for early warmups. The final two buses, for the late sleepers, just pulled in to the stadium a little bit ago.
This reporter did not spot a single protester on his way inside. There were a ton of tailgaters, though, with the smell of sizzling hot dogs wafting through the air. A couple of police cruisers were parked on the south side of the stadium. The officers leaning on them appeared pretty relaxed.
We will let you know if things change on this beautiful Sunday morning.
