It's Not Looking Good, Guys

[Wes Mantooth]

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.

[CJD]

I would be absolutely shocked if the NFL season went on as planned. With how contagious Covid is, there's no way a swath of players don't catch it at some point in the season, those players' team (or teams) will be quarantined, meaning they won't be able to play that week (and likely the following week) and that'll ripple throughout the NFL as teams that aren't infected no longer have opponents etc etc etc.

And then, even with the quarantines, it'll likely spread throughout the NFL anyway.

I hope we get an NFL season, but I just don't know if it's possible.

[Luvnit2]

I agree, the season in my humble opinion will be moved to March, 2021. It will be shortened 12 game season.

Then second season will begin October, 2021

Many laugh, but I don't see players or NFL missing an entire year of revenue

I see colleges also doing 2 seasons in 2021, it is all about the money and colleges can't keep other sports if no money

[SladeX]

I almost have to think TC will be the model for at least the first part of the season, ie the players and staff in isolation. Once camp breaks, would they go for it?
If I was a player, with hundreds of thousands or millions at stake, I would.
I would look at it like military service.

[Big Boss]

MLB is already having issues with players getting test results back in a timely fashion. Several teams have had to cancel practices as a result. And that's for a low-contact sport.

Color me shocked if the NFL starts on time. Hell, I'm seriously floating the possibility of no season at all. We simply have not gotten a grip on this thing yet.

[Sled21]

They are going to play. Open air stadiums are just that, open air. They will be open with reduced capacity. Retractable roofs will have to be open regardless of weather, but will have further reduced capacity. Fully enclosed stadiums will be even more restricted. Players get health checks every time they enter the facility. But they are going to play. The average NFL career is 4 years or less, and at any given time probably 85% of the league is fighting to keep a roster spot. Even those superstars are fighting to get their next big time contract. Television rights, sponsors, etc.... too much money not to have a season.

[Trademark]

Sick of the fear mongering from an overblown virus

[*jason*]

(07-06-2020, 12:32 PM)Trademark Wrote: Sick of the fear mongering from an overblown virus

Cool story bro... Write Roger Goodell and make shit happen.

[*jason*]

Yeah... I don't see the season happenin' this year, and quite frankly with all the new faces we have a herky jerky season is the last thing we need.

[BrownAssClown]

(07-06-2020, 11:50 AM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: 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 agree, I thought this "overblown" virus would die down by late summer early fall, but seems to be exploding in the southern states. I agree with Luvnit2 that things might be pushed back into the spring, I hope and pray that an effective vaccine can be found by then, so we all can get back to some kind of normalcy. I want to see Bengal football as bad as you all do! I want to see Burrow play! WHO DEY!!!

[Jason_NC]

(07-06-2020, 12:02 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: I agree, the season in my humble opinion will be moved to March, 2021. It will be shortened 12 game season.

Then second season will begin October, 2021

Many laugh, but I don't see players or NFL missing an entire year of revenue

I see colleges also doing 2 seasons in 2021, it is all about the money and colleges can't keep other sports if no money

That's not happening.

[HarleyDog]

The virus is not overblown. Our expectations should be as real as the virus. I want to see football in a bad way. As stressful as this year has been, football would be a nice feeling of normalcy. Seems like everyone is sacrificing during these times, including the teams. I mean, I know the players want to play and the coaches want coach, etc, etc. As cruel as this year has been to most of us, it would totally suck if we made it to the playoffs with a great record and then have the season cancelled. Geez, we already know what that feels like with UD basketball.

Poor UD kids had their possible/probable historic, once in a lifetime opportunity stripped from them. I want to see an NFL season but am fully expected for the season not to be played. Health is more important than sports.

[fredtoast]

I think the country has reached a point where most people realize it is impossible to shut everything down until a vaccine is developed.

Things are going to stay open even with people getting sick. In fact we KNEW more people would get sick when we opened stuff back up. We were just trying to "flatten the curve" so that everyone did not get sick at once and over tax our health care system.

So far, even with record number of new cases I have not heard about a shortage of hospital beds or respirators. Until that happens I think we will keep moving forward instead of shutting stuff back down.

[HarleyDog]

(07-06-2020, 01:38 PM)fredtoast Wrote: I think the country has reached a point where most people realize it is impossible to shut everything down until a vaccine is developed.

Things are going to stay open even with people getting sick.  In fact we KNEW more people would get sick when we opened stuff back up.  We were just trying to "flatten the curve" so that everyone did not get sick at once and over tax our health care system.

So far, even with record number of new cases I have not heard about a shortage of hospital beds or respirators.  Until that happens I think we will keep  moving forward instead of shutting stuff back down.

I agree. However, it's sports. There are so many athletes who could opt to sit out the year and basically we would be watching scrubs. The economy is a different animal because we won't survive by shutting things down or sitting out the year. Some could, but most couldn't.

[fredtoast]

(07-06-2020, 01:46 PM)HarleyDog Wrote: I agree. However, it's sports. There are so many athletes who could opt to sit out the year and basically we would be watching scrubs. The economy is a different animal because we won't survive by shutting things down or sitting out the year. Some could, but most couldn't.

None of us have seen anything like this before.

I make my guesses at what will happen, but none of us really know.

[*Nately120*]

(07-06-2020, 01:46 PM)HarleyDog Wrote: I agree. However, it's sports. There are so many athletes who could opt to sit out the year and basically we would be watching scrubs. The economy is a different animal because we won't survive by shutting things down or sitting out the year. Some could, but most couldn't.

I cant see veterans playing along side scrubs since that could actually be hazardous for a career at this level.  Maybe they will do the whole replacement player thing just to give people some uniforms to root for. 

I'll be intrigued to see of the CFL can get anything together in August or September as they've hoped and planned.  They've had a more promising covid rate than we have so maybe they can test the football waters soon.

I want nfl football, but playing this year would be way too chaotic and risky.  I just don't see it happening and I don't see things getting better any time soon. 

(07-06-2020, 01:46 PM)HarleyDog Wrote: The economy is a different animal because we won't survive by shutting things down or sitting out the year. Some could, but most couldn't.

I know what you mean, but that brings up the risk vs reward of going out there and working and making money versus how much you could lose if you get covid and the medical bills start to pile up.  

[Essex Johnson]

Totally do able, still very low cases of actual infection, if players and coaches abide by protocol it can happen and we are getting better with diagnosis, testing a possible vaccine. Might be a shortened season but still very doable.

[Hammerstripes]

(07-06-2020, 01:11 PM)jason Wrote: Cool story bro... Write Roger Goodell and make shit happen.

The numbers agree with him.  

[Hammerstripes]

(07-06-2020, 01:38 PM)fredtoast Wrote: I think the country has reached a point where most people realize it is impossible to shut everything down until a vaccine is developed.

Things are going to stay open even with people getting sick.  In fact we KNEW more people would get sick when we opened stuff back up.  We were just trying to "flatten the curve" so that everyone did not get sick at once and over tax our health care system.

So far, even with record number of new cases I have not heard about a shortage of hospital beds or respirators.  Until that happens I think we will keep  moving forward instead of shutting stuff back down.

Vaccine isn't necessary.  A treatment is necessary.

This is a relatively mild issue for 95% of the people that encounter it, it's even smaller if you don't have underlying conditions.

[GreenCornBengal]

They just gotta wear masks while they play lol