It appears that the mighty NFL is succumbing to the positive covid test pressure. There is talk that no preseason games will be played before the start of 2020 football.
I guess I need to set that up a bit. I consume a terrific amount of sports media because it's interesting to me, but I recognize that my indifferent audience does not. You're here because you don't have an aversion to sports, you care about someone who cares about sports or, potentially, you follow a sport, but not all sports.
So, back in March, at the beginning of this sports furlough, the quarantine, the shut-down, pro basketball (NBA) was the first league to cancel, or postpone, their season due to one positive covid test. Every other sport quickly followed and within a few days, there were no sports. The benefit held by the NFL at that time was they were not in season, playing games, so they were not forced to stop, cancel or postpone anything. Amidst the pandemic and consequent lock-in, pro football opened their normal off season player movement, meaning players could sign with other teams and trades were allowed. This made the NFL relevant in the media. Pro football had their scheduled draft on its normally scheduled day, which garnered more media attention. NFL hadn't changed a thing about their business schedule- until now.
I first heard the National Football League had cancelled the Hall of Fame game and ceremonies on Monday, I think, and then, by Wednesday (I'm pretty sure), they had scrapped the first and fourth scheduled preseason games. Now, on Friday, reports say the NFLPA would prefer to cancel all preseason games; instead, they will have an extended time of preparation and team activities, "eventually shifting to a 14-day fourth stage that would be focused on what camp traditionally looks like, with potentially 10 total practices with a maximum of eight padded practices." according to Nick Shook at All Around the NFL.
So, no practice runs in the stadiums? No opportunity to go through new protocols with both teams on site? No full speed collisions? No practice games? How risky is it to play professional level football with no build up?
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