07-06-2020, 11:50 AM
I'm not feeling at all confident in this season proceeding as scheduled. Up until about two weeks ago I would have told you differently, but with the recent uptick in cases and a number of the hurdles facing other leagues I've done a complete 180. I just don't know how it's possible for this season to start on time, or if it can be played at all.
I've kind of gone down the rabbit's hole these last couple of weeks, in scouring the interwebs for info on all things sports and Covid related. From troubling comments from conference commisioners, to players opting out, to outbreaks at certain campuses. There's so much there that is telling me there is no way we see the season kickoff in early Sept.
This article came out just this morning, with a troubling statement from the Packers CEO: https://www.yahoo.com/sports/packers-ceo-on-timing-of-nfl-season-with-covid-19-time-is-no-longer-on-our-side-232801369.html
Guys, we're now only 17 days from rookies reporting, and 19 days from the veterans reporting for training camp. This means 80+ players, around 20 coaches, and probably another 30+ team staff descending onto a single facility. And this after travel from all around the country. Is this doable?
Keep in mind, training camp is now more important than ever. Pretty much our entire offseason was done remotely. No minicamp. No access to team facilities until recently. Limited to no players working in groups off-site. Team meetings done via Zoom rather than in-house.
You have to wonder what type of shape some of these guys are in without a typical offseason. Were they all able to sustain their normal offseason training and conditioning? Were they all able to get a handle on the playbook the same way they would have had they been here? So, again, training camp couldn't be more important. These guys have to get together and start working.
What happens if we have a few cases? What happens if those cases fall on important pieces? Can Joe Burrow afford to miss a few weeks of practice? And what the hell happens if you start seeing cases in-season? Can you imagine teams losing starters week-to-week?
I think the benefit the NFL has had is that they could kind of wait this out, but that time is almost over. Decisions now have to made. Do they have fans for games? What's the protocol for a positive test? These are questions that soon have to be answered.
I hope I am wrong. I'd love nothing more than this season start as planned. But I think it becomes less and less likely with each day. And for all the talk about the NBA and MLB returing, the fact is that they still haven't. I think that the chances of them successfully starting up and it not being a total disaster are slim to none.
PS Can we please try to keep this topic to the relationship between the NFL and Covid, and not turn it into a political discussion? I welcome any and all opinions on it, but let's not get nuts and completely derail the thread.
I've kind of gone down the rabbit's hole these last couple of weeks, in scouring the interwebs for info on all things sports and Covid related. From troubling comments from conference commisioners, to players opting out, to outbreaks at certain campuses. There's so much there that is telling me there is no way we see the season kickoff in early Sept.
This article came out just this morning, with a troubling statement from the Packers CEO: https://www.yahoo.com/sports/packers-ceo-on-timing-of-nfl-season-with-covid-19-time-is-no-longer-on-our-side-232801369.html
Guys, we're now only 17 days from rookies reporting, and 19 days from the veterans reporting for training camp. This means 80+ players, around 20 coaches, and probably another 30+ team staff descending onto a single facility. And this after travel from all around the country. Is this doable?
Keep in mind, training camp is now more important than ever. Pretty much our entire offseason was done remotely. No minicamp. No access to team facilities until recently. Limited to no players working in groups off-site. Team meetings done via Zoom rather than in-house.
You have to wonder what type of shape some of these guys are in without a typical offseason. Were they all able to sustain their normal offseason training and conditioning? Were they all able to get a handle on the playbook the same way they would have had they been here? So, again, training camp couldn't be more important. These guys have to get together and start working.
What happens if we have a few cases? What happens if those cases fall on important pieces? Can Joe Burrow afford to miss a few weeks of practice? And what the hell happens if you start seeing cases in-season? Can you imagine teams losing starters week-to-week?
I think the benefit the NFL has had is that they could kind of wait this out, but that time is almost over. Decisions now have to made. Do they have fans for games? What's the protocol for a positive test? These are questions that soon have to be answered.
I hope I am wrong. I'd love nothing more than this season start as planned. But I think it becomes less and less likely with each day. And for all the talk about the NBA and MLB returing, the fact is that they still haven't. I think that the chances of them successfully starting up and it not being a total disaster are slim to none.
PS Can we please try to keep this topic to the relationship between the NFL and Covid, and not turn it into a political discussion? I welcome any and all opinions on it, but let's not get nuts and completely derail the thread.
