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Should the NFL Play at all in 2020? RBF

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Amherstcavsfan

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Hey guys, normally I'd keep this in the RBF articles, but because I think this is a discussion focused article, I'm gonna start a new thread.

The article:


Well, there are two separate issues:

1) Can the NFL be run in such a manner as to make it unlikely that anyone catches Covid?

2) If the answer to 1) is "no", then is "just play through it" a valid approach? That obviously gets very controversial, but there are guys like the Hammer who have already had it and are ready to go. Some other players and some within the league may see that as an example of why they should push ahead.

I suspect 2) really can't be answered/discussed fully here without blowing up beyond the scope of just football. So I'm just raising it as a point that is likely be discussed internally by the NFL, and likely by/among players as well. And it's really unlikely that everyone is going to agree on an answer.
 
the biggest issue i see is that when someone gets it, everyone that comes in contact with that person is probably going to get it. At least in Baseball the teams for the most part can social distance. But there is 0 chance teams can social distance in football. To be clear here, this isnt just a bunch of people wearing a masking standing near each other. This is getting sweaty, rubbing on each other, coughing, sneezing, the whole 9 yards of shit that should absolutely and completely be avoided.

My personal opinion is that if MLB is still playing come the fall, then absolutely give the NFL a shot (i give it 35% chance). That said if MLB cant handle COVID, then the NFL just needs to hang it up.
 
I've tried thinking of ways to play the season and be safe in doing so. I'm by no means the smartest person on the planet (top 3 maybe :p ), but I can't think of a good way to do it.
 
I've tried thinking of ways to play the season and be safe in doing so. I'm by no means the smartest person on the planet (top 3 maybe :p ), but I can't think of a good way to do it.
The Dallas/Fort Worth bubble makes the most sense but the NFL doesn't seem interested.
 
My opinion is pretty well laid out in the article - thanks for reading it by the way - but what blows my mind even more is that college football is going to be played in 2020.

At least the NFL players know what they are signing up to do. They will bravely put their health on the line and make hundreds of thousands of dollars to do it. If we are talking about a high end rotation player or starter, they are going to make millions this season. If they get Covid - a disease which doesn't have any solid data on the long-term health risks - well they made bank for their family in the process.

College kids are getting a scholarship, that's it. The money all goes to the school, which is probably going to hold virtual classes. I'm amazed any kid signs on for the football season before the vaccine is finalized.
 
My opinion is pretty well laid out in the article - thanks for reading it by the way - but what blows my mind even more is that college football is going to be played in 2020.

At least the NFL players know what they are signing up to do. They will bravely put their health on the line and make hundreds of thousands of dollars to do it. If we are talking about a high end rotation player or starter, they are going to make millions this season. If they get Covid - a disease which doesn't have any solid data on the long-term health risks - well they made bank for their family in the process.

College kids are getting a scholarship, that's it. The money all goes to the school, which is probably going to hold virtual classes. I'm amazed any kid signs on for the football season before the vaccine is finalized.

I dunno. I remember being that age, and you wanted to live your life. You did all sorts of stupid and risky shit just because you were young and trying new things. I could understand a lot of college kids saying "fuck it", let's just get this thing over with and if I get it, I get it. But I want to play ball."

I mean, we're talking about a sport in which there is an inherent risk of significant injury, and these are the guys who choose to play anyway despite that risk. We're also talking about the demographic that has been the least compliant in terms of social distancing and wearing masks. A lot of them are likely hanging out with friends in ways that violate those protocols anyway.

So whether or not it "makes sense" from a medical or epidemiological perspective is different from how the average college athlete may weigh the risk/reward. There is a "medical risk" v. "quality of life" question that isn't so easily reduced to a question of pure logic.
 
My opinion is pretty well laid out in the article - thanks for reading it by the way - but what blows my mind even more is that college football is going to be played in 2020.

At least the NFL players know what they are signing up to do. They will bravely put their health on the line and make hundreds of thousands of dollars to do it. If we are talking about a high end rotation player or starter, they are going to make millions this season. If they get Covid - a disease which doesn't have any solid data on the long-term health risks - well they made bank for their family in the process.

College kids are getting a scholarship, that's it. The money all goes to the school, which is probably going to hold virtual classes. I'm amazed any kid signs on for the football season before the vaccine is finalized.

The NCAA knows this might be one of the last years they can exploit the labor of college kids for grotesque profits.
 
The NCAA knows this might be one of the last years they can exploit the labor of college kids for grotesque profits.

The NCAA and the vast majority of colleges are nonprofit -- there aren't any shareholders who own the school and pocket profits.

The real reason underlying all this is that the funding for the vast majority of other sports, including women's sports, depends upon football revenues. That impacts not just other students, but all the people whose jobs depend on those athletes. So if you required football to be "revenue neutral" in terms of the football players getting the excess revenues that come from football, you'd essentially be ending many other collegiate sports.

Now, maybe that is what should happen anyway, and if you want to play a sport that doesn't produce revenue, the costs of that sport plus your tuition/room/board/fees will have to come from someplace other than an athletic scholarship and coaches/facilities paid for by someone else. Again, maybe that's what should happen. But it is something that you'd have to consider.
 
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The B1G players have put out "demands":


BIG TEN Unity Proposal
Protecting the Well-Being of All Athletes
Oversight and Transparency
  • Third-party, approved by players, to administer COVID testing and to enforce all COVID-19 health and safety standards
  • Sufficient penalties for noncompliance
  • Mandate for athletics personnel to report suspected violations
Prevention and Safety Protocols
  • Ensure all athletes have up-to-date information about the risks that COVID-19 may pose to their personal health, the health of their families and the health of their communities
  • Adherence to WHO and CDC guidance for sporting events and compliance with all federal, state, and local statutes and regulations
  • Safety standards that are appropriate for each sport
  • Social distancing requirements and mandatory mask-wearing in and around athletic facilities by coaches, staff, players, vendors, press, and visitors
  • Minimum cleaning and sanitation protocols for all uniforms, equipment, and athletic facilities, including visitor locker rooms
  • Temperature checks for anyone entering any athletic facility
Testing, Contact Tracing and Related Procedures
  • Contact-tracing protocols for anyone who comes into contact with college athletes and team personnel who test positive
  • Testing of everyone who comes into contact with college athletes, including coaches, trainers, medical staff, nutrition staff, referees, media, etc.
  • In-season testing of all of the above three days per week
    • Testing twice per week with an FDA-approved test with less than 1% false negatives
    • Additionally, testing on the day of competition (or within 24 hours of competition for each team that can be quarantined) with an FDA-approved test with less than 5% false negatives, with results delivered at least two hours before competition
  • Immediate quarantine of any person who tests positive or exhibits symptoms
  • Quarantine rules for college athletes who test positive, and protocols for their return to practice and competition
  • Objective criteria for shutting down seasons should the pandemic take a turn for the worse or if teams experience significant outbreaks
Player Assurances
  • Whistleblower protections for athletics personnel and college athletes reporting a suspected violation
  • Ban the use of COVID-19 liability waivers
  • Automatic medical redshirt for any player who misses any competitions due to a positive test or a mandatory quarantine due to contact tracing
  • Preserve athletic eligibility, scholarship, and roster spot for any player who opts out of athletic participation or is unable to play more than 40% of their scheduled season due to COVID-19 or season postponement/cancellation
  • Complimentary access to the Big Ten Network for athletes’ family members
Hazard-Related Economic Support
  • Coverage for all out-of-pocket medical expenses related to COVID-19 (both short-term and long-term) incurred by active college athletes
  • Scholarship protections (including room, board and stipend) in the event that the season is canceled due to COVID-19
  • An adjustment to the cost-of-living stipend to account for the increase in personal expenses related to limited access that players have to facilities
  • Reimbursement for stipends that were reduced during the summer
 
The B1G players have put out "demands":


BIG TEN Unity Proposal
Protecting the Well-Being of All Athletes
Oversight and Transparency
  • Third-party, approved by players, to administer COVID testing and to enforce all COVID-19 health and safety standards
  • Sufficient penalties for noncompliance
  • Mandate for athletics personnel to report suspected violations
Prevention and Safety Protocols
  • Ensure all athletes have up-to-date information about the risks that COVID-19 may pose to their personal health, the health of their families and the health of their communities
  • Adherence to WHO and CDC guidance for sporting events and compliance with all federal, state, and local statutes and regulations
  • Safety standards that are appropriate for each sport
  • Social distancing requirements and mandatory mask-wearing in and around athletic facilities by coaches, staff, players, vendors, press, and visitors
  • Minimum cleaning and sanitation protocols for all uniforms, equipment, and athletic facilities, including visitor locker rooms
  • Temperature checks for anyone entering any athletic facility
Testing, Contact Tracing and Related Procedures
  • Contact-tracing protocols for anyone who comes into contact with college athletes and team personnel who test positive
  • Testing of everyone who comes into contact with college athletes, including coaches, trainers, medical staff, nutrition staff, referees, media, etc.
  • In-season testing of all of the above three days per week
    • Testing twice per week with an FDA-approved test with less than 1% false negatives
    • Additionally, testing on the day of competition (or within 24 hours of competition for each team that can be quarantined) with an FDA-approved test with less than 5% false negatives, with results delivered at least two hours before competition
  • Immediate quarantine of any person who tests positive or exhibits symptoms
  • Quarantine rules for college athletes who test positive, and protocols for their return to practice and competition
  • Objective criteria for shutting down seasons should the pandemic take a turn for the worse or if teams experience significant outbreaks
Player Assurances
  • Whistleblower protections for athletics personnel and college athletes reporting a suspected violation
  • Ban the use of COVID-19 liability waivers
  • Automatic medical redshirt for any player who misses any competitions due to a positive test or a mandatory quarantine due to contact tracing
  • Preserve athletic eligibility, scholarship, and roster spot for any player who opts out of athletic participation or is unable to play more than 40% of their scheduled season due to COVID-19 or season postponement/cancellation
  • Complimentary access to the Big Ten Network for athletes’ family members
Hazard-Related Economic Support
  • Coverage for all out-of-pocket medical expenses related to COVID-19 (both short-term and long-term) incurred by active college athletes
  • Scholarship protections (including room, board and stipend) in the event that the season is canceled due to COVID-19
  • An adjustment to the cost-of-living stipend to account for the increase in personal expenses related to limited access that players have to facilities
  • Reimbursement for stipends that were reduced during the summer
Seems reasonable, however giving the NCAA's history i bet they are laughing at the last group of demands (Hazard Related). They have never taken care of players "long-term" even if they were hurt while playing an NCAA contest.
 
The NCAA and the vast majority of colleges are nonprofit -- there aren't shareholders who own the school and pocket profits.

Isn't that hysterical?

From 2017-2020, over $10 BILLION has gone to coaches and administrators, with zero dollars being split amongst the athletes.

There are numerous stakeholders who get paid out hundreds of thousands every year.

NCAA partners, Conference partners, University partners, boosters, networks, bowl game "non-profits." All of them get a slice of the pie.


The skim is in trouble, and they know the charade can't keep up much longer with athletes and our society realizing the toxicity of the current system.

If colleges can't get the money to work in order to pay more than just tuition/room/board/fees, while money like that is being tossed around elsewhere, the problem is the colleges. So if they want the money train to stop completely and the market to adjust to semi-professional and/or minor league football/basketball reaping the benefits, so be it.

The fault for that won't be on the athletes who deserve to profit from their hard work in this great country.
 
Isn't that hysterical?

From 2017-2020, over $10 BILLION has gone to coaches and administrators, with zero dollars being split amongst the athletes.

There are numerous stakeholders who get paid out hundreds of thousands every year.

NCAA partners, Conference partners, University partners, boosters, networks, bowl game "non-profits." All of them get a slice of the pie.


The skim is in trouble, and they know the charade can't keep up much longer with athletes and our society realizing the toxicity of the current system.

If colleges can't get the money to work in order to pay more than just tuition/room/board/fees, while money like that is being tossed around elsewhere, the problem is the colleges. So if they want the money train to stop completely and the market to adjust to semi-professional and/or minor league football/basketball reaping the benefits, so be it.

The fault for that won't be on the athletes who deserve to profit from their hard work in this great country.

My response to this argument in other years was simply, "Well, they signed on. Nobody makes them participate in the sport. They are under-compensated, but they know what they signed up to do."

In THIS SPECIFIC Covid-19 environment? No, nobody signed up to put their long-term health so clearly at risk. It's different this season, and the schools aren't choosing safety over the almighty dollar.
 

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