NFL medical officer states

[Lee Borgersen]

    NFL medical officer: Games not feasible without widespread tests

  .....
NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills slowed optimism Thursday that the 2020 season will take place on time, saying widespread and frequent coronavirus testing would have to be available.

  ....
"As long as we're still in a place where when a single individual tests positive for the virus that you have to quarantine every single person who was in contact with them in any shape, form, or fashion, then I don't think you can begin to think about reopening a team sport," Sills told Judy Battista of NFL.com. "Because we're going to have positive cases for a very long time."

Earlier in the week, NFL general counsel Jeff Pash said the league is planning for a full season starting in September and in front of fans.

Sills added that the combination of frequent tests and quick results are not currently available on a large scale, though he's hopeful that will eventually change.

The NFL has already conceded that organized team activities won't take place over the spring because of social distancing. Lengthy quarantines could also prevent players from showing up to training camp later in the summer in legitimate football shape.





"There's no way to recreate a four-month offseason program in the span of (a) week or two," Sills said. "When you think about resuming something like football, everyone understands there needs to be some time to acclimatize to activity and train back to the level of physical fitness just to be able to think about more football-specific work. That's part of the timeline you have to plan for. The longer we're away from all football activity, we'll have to adjust that timeline of preparation as well."

The COVID-19 crisis has forced every other major sports league in North America to put its season on hold.

The NFL plans to release its regular-season schedule by May 9.

[Gunner55]

Along those lines, I see where ESPN's lead NFL guy, Adam Schefter, has come out ripping the league for trying to have the draft at it's normal date. Especially since they've already cancelled the OTA's & their offseason conditioning programs.  

[LPS]

It will definitely be strange not having all of the people there.  Was fun to hear the booing for Goodell.  LL  BUT I look forward to it as something to look forward to.  Let's get er done..   

[Reinhard]

One thing to do is to cut pre-season games to maybe two games.  Not because of the virus [but would make sense to me at least this season] but I just don't think they need 4 games to see if players are going to make the team.  They can see that at practice.  I've always believed 4 games are too many.  Plus the risk of injury to players.  good luck.

[LPS]

I agree.  Great to watch football but the preseason games get boring too.  I think 2 is perfect.  It also give the TV stations time to get their stuff fine tuned for the regular season too. 

[Steve-o]

Along those lines, I see where ESPN's lead NFL guy, Adam Schefter, has come out ripping the league for trying to have the draft at it's normal date. Especially since they've already cancelled the OTA's & their offseason conditioning programs.

Some sports "talking head" is ripping the league...?!?

They obviously need to stir up some controversy so they have something to talk about.  Poor Goodell can't do anything right in their eyes.

Why can't you have a draft?  You don't need everyone in the same room to do that.  Sure the NFL/Sports media is missing out on a big event money grab, but tough break.

Teams should absolutely go about building their rosters for next season in the hopes that most of this will clear by then.  I'd do the same thing if I was in their shoes.

[Gunner55]

 I see where the NFL has announced that everybody's set to go for the Draft next week.

[LPS]

I'm looking forward to it.  Sometimes all of the people there were a little overdone I thought. 

[Steve-o]

The draft will be a nice diversion.  I like the coverage - knowing how goes where, but it was becoming overblown.

I am curious to see how they will cover it this year.

[Gunner55]

  It's actually 4/23              

[glenn57]

It's actually 4/23              

[Gunner55]

  Don't you have a boat you need to get fixed?                                       

[dutchboy]

Having the draft and releasing a schedule doesn't mean anything. It just is headlines when there aren't any others in the sports world.

They can cancel, delay, suspend the season anytime.

[mike89]

very true!!!  always subject to change!!

[Gunner55]

A lot of chatter the last 2 days on the college football season. Some seem to think it will be cancelled completely & a coach or 2 thinks it can be a normal season which I think is  . They'd have to have the players back practicing by 5/1. College football pays the majority of all the colleges athletic departments budget nationwide & without that revenue they will need to do some major cuts in other college sports programs. Many are afraid that a lot of those non revenue sports will be lost for good.

[dutchboy]

They don't need to be back for spring practice. They want to be back because they have nothing else to do. They need the money season ticket sales will bring but the football on the field will be fine without spring practice.

Peel everything away on this onion and it's just about the money, no different than the other pro leagues.

They have no problem rushing the kids back to the field even if it should kill a few of them. 

[Gunner55]

  I have a very hard time believing they'll be seeing 60,000 people in the stands for anything in the near future, August/September, pro or college. Hard to buy season tickets with a unemployment check let alone that many people in 1 place after all this.

[dutchboy]

I don't see any problem for them selling tickets. People in this country are football crazy and have no problem putting their heath 2nd in front of not going to a football game.

You can read internet forums all up and down the dial and you find the "it's a hoax" "it's not that bad" "it won't get me" "i'm not changing my life over this" crowd on every single site.

The sheep will follow the wolf right over the cliff.

[Gunner55]

  Just seen on ESPN where they had a poll & many, they didn't give a %, who responded said they are havin 2nd thoughts on attending football games because of the big crowds. They did say that 76% of them said that they would watch on TV even if there were no fans in the stands, however. So 3/4 of the people interviewed have at least thought about it.

[LPS]

It would be strange as heck to not have the crowd in the game and it would lose a lot of momentum because of it.  Players have said that too.  BUT I would watch. 

[Steve-o]

Just seen on ESPN where they had a poll & many, they didn't give a %, who responded said they are havin 2nd thoughts on attending football games because of the big crowds. They did say that 76% of them said that they would watch on TV even if there were no fans in the stands, however. So 3/4 of the people interviewed have at least thought about it.

I believe the % of people who will avoid stadium events will change as the summer progresses.  More people will have been exposed, and hopefully, recovered.  We will understand transmission much more.  We will all be VERY antsy to get our lives and leisure activities back to normal - even if it means assuming more risk.  And those risks will be better understood.

Then we still have the big question of the athletes.  I'm not sure the NBA shut down (initially) because they were worried about fans.  They shut down immediately after they found out that one of their players tested positive and they realized how easily it would be to spread through all the league players.  Sports franchises need to protect players, [one of] their biggest assets.

I'm not sure what needs to happen before owners and/or players (and their unions) will be willing to go back to work - with or without fans in the stands.

[glenn57]

This is my very own personal opinion but I think things will start to open up more after may 4th. If you listen close to the message the governor's and medical experts I believe are saying, these closures and stay at home orders are attempting to do is allowing the medical facilities enough time to get the supplies they need to handle an onslaught of cases. And of course to try to stop the spread

I'm far from a medical expert, but with the Warner more moist air I think will limit or curtail the ability of this virus to travel so easily. Just my 2 cents.

[Steve-o]

Yes, things will loosen up, but there is still the question of personal risk.  If you are in your 80's or suffer from some other lung or heart ailment, I can see there being a desire to postpone being exposed as long as possible.  And that means if I am close to someone in those categories, I want to postpone my exposure as well.  I don't want to give it to them.  Restarting is not only complicated economically, but also socially.

[glenn57]

Oh there still gonna push and persist the social distancing.what pisses me off is some of our members, not alot, just a select few are pissing and moaning about having to work when others can't and possibly losing there job. Where supposed to have 500 field people out working right now, we may have a 100.

[Gunner55]

I think we need to make some huge advances in the testing & vaccine protocols before a lot of people will be willing to take on more risk. Just about everybody has a mom or dad, grandpa or a grandma, or someone in their life who is at high risk of getting it & not recovering. Something that works in both instances & then prove that it works & that takes time. Just my $.02

[Gunner55]

They would then still have to scale up production & figure out how many should go where & when. It could easily take months.

[LPS]

Sometimes I think we should relax the stay at home and open more businesses.  There are some that would probably be ok.  And maybe I would only get the mild flu type if I got it.  Then I remember I am almost 66 and in pretty darn good health shape.  BUT maybe I am more vulnerable than I think.  It is a very hard balancing act between the economy and health issues we have before us.  There will be lots of 2nd guessing and finger pointing when it is over.  Good people are trying to do the best thing and that will never please everyone.