07-16-2020, 06:45 PM
(07-16-2020, 12:19 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: I'm very curious to see if any state laws will affect the beginning of camp. I don't understand how athletes circumvent these.
As it stands right now New York has a list 19 states that have travel restrictions when traveling from. You're to fill to fill out a form upon arrival to any airport and list where you'll be staying, and you're required to quarantine for 14 days. Non-compliance is to be met with a fine and a hearing in front of a judge, where supervised quarantine may be ordered. Other states have issued stay at home orders and similar travel bans and restrictions.
I would like to see sports return as much as the next person but I'll be extremely disappointed if somehow professional athletes are exempt from these rules. Not just because I think these orders are being made for a reason and that we need to get a handle on this, but because there is no reason they should be treated any differently than any other American.
What message does it send if all of these rules and regulations are put in place if a select few are allowed to ignore them? How can a govenor or local mayor urge their citizens to take this seriously and use all necessary precaution to only turn a blind eye to the actions of professional sports?
If you want people to take this seriously, and you've done the research, and you're making these rules in good faith then they need to apply to everyone. If the Mets or Yankees have a team fly in for a game from one of these states and they're allowed to play then that's complete b.s.
Again I will use what has happened over here to explain. Our professional sports over here have been given exemptions from governments, not because they are being viewed as more important but because they have been able to show that the players and club staff are living under stricter biosecurity measures than the general public. Currently only 1 state has a lockdown but since March our players have been locked down, they are only allowed to leave their house to go to training or games. There are strict biosecurity measures in place at training and game venues, our sports are actually leading the country in that regard and the government has used the reports and measures put in place by the sports to help guide decisions about other industries.
That is why I was disappointed with the NFL allowing each team to set its own policies for game attendance, an organisation the size of the NFL should be leading the country on this.