Schefter speculates that the start of the new league year for the NFL may be delayed

[Logic]

Not confirmed at this point, but with the NBA, MLS, and soon to be NHL suspending their seasons, and with the NFL sending all non-essential personnel home until further notice, don't be surprised if the start of the new league year -- and all that goes with it, including free agency and the draft -- is delayed. 

[Dablitzkrieg]

Everyone is nuts

[Logic]

3 minutes ago, Dablitzkrieg said:

Everyone is nuts

Irrelevant to the conversation. Don't want this to turn into an argument/debate/political agenda thread.

Just reporting the potential news as it pertains to the NFL.

[WMDman]

for selfish reasons im upset but everyones health should be a priority 

[Rc2catch]

I get everyone has to show awareness etc etc but shutting some of this stuff down seems silly. I can understand large crowds/events but free agency? I’m sure they can video conference instead of in person meetings. I’m sure there’s plenty of workarounds to limit travel and exposure. 

[Mc1320]

Rudy Golbert clowning with the media and putting his paws on every microphone he could find looks pretty funny right now that a 2nd teammate is also infected, doesn’t it?

 

There are things called math and science that are driving the models and warnings scientists and doctors are providing to the public so discount their warnings at your own risk.  

[RyanC883]

this is nonsensical.  Delaying FA and the draft seems unnecessary.  Close off the draft to the public, do it by teleconference, etc.  FA can easily be done remotely, in fact, it likely already is.  Not ideal, but in this situation, an NFL delay seems more like a money grab than not (will allow people to be at the draft, etc).  

[YoloinOhio]

Do the meetings, but via Skype. I think what you miss are the physicals by the team doctors and the private workouts 
 

 

[RyanC883]

1 minute ago, Mc1320 said:

Rudy Golbert clowning with the media and putting his paws on every microphone he could find looks pretty funny right now that a 2nd teammate is also infected, doesn’t it?

 

There are things called math and science that are driving the models and warnings scientists and doctors are providing to the public so discount their warnings at your own risk.  

 

this isn't about discounting warnings.  Last time I checked, FA did not involve large crowd gatherings--or the touching of many microphones.  The draft does not need to involve this either.  

 

Closing training facilities also seems overdone.  Just keep the players together in a hotel, people's houses, and work out together, almost a "team quarantine" similar to training camp but w/o as many people.  Of course, i'd be voluntary.  

[DrDawkinstein]

9 minutes ago, RyanC883 said:

 

this isn't about discounting warnings.  Last time I checked, FA did not involve large crowd gatherings--or the touching of many microphones.  The draft does not need to involve this either.  

 

Closing training facilities also seems overdone.  Just keep the players together in a hotel, people's houses, and work out together, almost a "team quarantine" similar to training camp but w/o as many people.  Of course, i'd be voluntary.  

 

"this isnt about discounting warnings" then proceeds to make suggestions for "work arounds" which essentially discount every warning.

 

FA involves players traveling from city to city, through airports, and through crowded offices, to meet with different people. Spreading the disease.

Training facilities have people in close quarters sweating and breathing hard and getting bodily fluids on each other. Spreading the disease.

 

Players have families. Keep them together (to spread the disease through all of them) and then send them home (to spread the disease to their family, who will in turn spread it themselves).

[SWATeam]

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/28891831/nfl-not-delaying-start-league-year-coronavirus

[stinky finger]

This severely impedes my inner sports clock.

3 minutes ago, SWATeam said:

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/28891831/nfl-not-delaying-start-league-year-coronavirus

 

Clock reset

 

I feel better already

[Westside]

I still have to go to work. ?

[atlbillsfan1975]

I would think anyone playing Professional football would be considered an elite athlete and therefore be someone who the virus would pose no more harm than the always existing flu. 
now everyone else like agents and family is a different story. 
It is 2020, no reason to delay FA. Let’s see what the next month shows before calling off the draft.
I see both sides of it. One person is too many but we don’t have a great track record containing any virus as a civilization.

Edited March 12, 2020 by atlbillsfan1975

[RyanC883]

3 minutes ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

"this isnt about discounting warnings" then proceeds to make suggestions for "work arounds" which essentially discount every warning.

 

FA involves players traveling from city to city, through airports, and through crowded offices, to meet with different people. Spreading the disease.

Training facilities have people in close quarters sweating and breathing hard and getting bodily fluids on each other. Spreading the disease.

 

Players have families. Keep them together (to spread the disease through all of them) and then send them home (to spread the disease to their family, who will in turn spread it themselves).

 

please tell me what "work around" I have proposed that have discounted warnings.  Please cite the proposed work around and the actual warning that is disregarded.  Otherwise, you are just stating baseless conclusions.  

 

Further: (1) FA does not need to involve players traveling.  The players can stay home.  The only reason to travel is for a physical.  This can be done later and contracts can still be done pending physical, as many are now. 

 

(2) training facilities can be opened, with the players quarantined.  Where are the players working out now?  Likely better to have the team facility open to players who are living in a mini and contained Olympic village/training camp type environment.  

 

(3) the last point makes zero sense.  If the players are kept away from families, again voluntarily (like in training camp), there is no one to spread it to.  Players can also be tested ahead of time.  Also, again, are players not working out now?  But really, fine, if teams want to shut down the facilities that's okay, it does not mean the season needs to be delayed.  Deliver training equipment to players homes, where they can stay and train.  

 

 

[eball]

So, Schefter on top of breaking news as usual? 

[DrDawkinstein]

5 minutes ago, RyanC883 said:

 

please tell me what "work around" I have proposed that have discounted warnings.  Please cite the proposed work around and the actual warning that is disregarded.  Otherwise, you are just stating baseless conclusions.  

 

Further: (1) FA does not need to involve players traveling.  The players can stay home.  The only reason to travel is for a physical.  This can be done later and contracts can still be done pending physical, as many are now. 

 

(2) training facilities can be opened, with the players quarantined.  Where are the players working out now?  Likely better to have the team facility open to players who are living in a mini and contained Olympic village/training camp type environment.  

 

(3) the last point makes zero sense.  If the players are kept away from families, again voluntarily (like in training camp), there is no one to spread it to.  Players can also be tested ahead of time.  Also, again, are players not working out now?  But really, fine, if teams want to shut down the facilities that's okay, it does not mean the season needs to be delayed.  Deliver training equipment to players homes, where they can stay and train.  

 

 

 

Fair enough, you didnt propose any workarounds. Just discounted the warnings.

 

Point (1), I can agree with that it doesnt need to be done in person. But no way can or will teams sign guys to big time contracts pending physicals down the line. If one player fails a physical, which they do, then it screws that teams entire offseason. Maybe they can do a physical locally, but the physical has to happen at the time of signing.

 

(2). Disagree. The facilities should ALL be closed right now. Whether they are team facilities or private facilities.

 

The good news is, as the article above states, it doesnt look like the season will be delayed. Nor did I think it would get that far. But I think we can both agree some things need to be changed around right now.

[stinky finger]

5 minutes ago, eball said:

So, Schefter on top of breaking news as usual? 

 

Yes he is.

 

No he isn't.

[Coach Tuesday]

3 minutes ago, DrDawkinstein said:

The good news is, as the article above states, it doesnt look like the season will be delayed. Nor did I think it would get that far. But I think we can both agree some things need to be changed around right now.

 

That will likely change in 2-6 days.  The other shoe is going to drop next week.

[Westside Madness]

17 minutes ago, atlbillsfan1975 said:

I would think anyone playing Professional football would be considered an elite athlete and therefore be someone who the virus would pose no more harm than the always existing flu. 
now everyone else like agents and family is a different story. 
It is 2020, no reason to delay FA. Let’s see what the next month shows before calling off the draft.
I see both sides of it. One person is too many but we don’t have a great track record containing any virus as a civilization.

 

Agreed, but then if they incidentally infect their new born child or ailing mother, those demographics are at risk of more severe responses and or death. This is transmittable before symptoms present.

Edited March 12, 2020 by Westside Madness

[Logic]

1 minute ago, Coach Tuesday said:

 

That will likely change in 2-6 days.  The other shoe is going to drop next week.

We are in the veerrry beginning stages of this thing affecting America. 

I'm not being alarmist, I'm just being realistic. Things are going to get serious over the next couple weeks. 

We'll see if the NFL holds fats to its "we're not gonna change a thing!" ethos. As it is, I expect an announcement cancelling the public/crowd aspects of the draft any minute now. 

[Rc2catch]

38 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

Do the meetings, but via Skype. I think what you miss are the physicals by the team doctors and the private workouts 
 

 

The physicals part I can understand being an issue. 

[Coach Tuesday]

2 minutes ago, Logic said:

We are in the veerrry beginning stages of this thing affecting America. 

I'm not being alarmist, I'm just being realistic. Things are going to get serious over the next couple weeks. 

We'll see if the NFL holds fats to its "we're not gonna change a thing!" ethos. As it is, I expect an announcement cancelling the public/crowd aspects of the draft any minute now. 

 

Unfortunately realism and honesty are in short supply right now - but I concur.  The "false start" re: testing and containment has put us as a society on our back foot, and it's going to hit the fan next week when the number of community-spread cases absolutely skyrockets and businesses and schools (with very little, or conflicting guidance from government) elect to shut themselves down.  That will create a domino effect that will spread to nearly all industries including the NFL.  The league year is NOT going to start on time.

[YoloinOhio]

15 minutes ago, eball said:

So, Schefter on top of breaking news as usual? 

It involves something medical so he’s on it 

[Florida Bills Fanatic]

55 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

Do the meetings, but via Skype. I think what you miss are the physicals by the team doctors and the private workouts 
 

 

If teams really want to conduct physical exams, they can always move either the players or the doctors around on private jets.  This isn't as difficult as some people may think.  I have always thought the private workouts were a little over the top.  Between game tape, the combine, and college pro-days; teams should have enough input to make a decision.

 

 

[atlbillsfan1975]

26 minutes ago, Westside Madness said:

 

Agreed, but then if they incidentally infect their new born child or ailing mother, those demographics are at risk of more severe responses and or death. This is transmittable before symptoms present.

The ailing mother yes. Unless things have changed, there was no deaths for kids 0-9 from what I saw last week. Hard to keep up with everything.

[YoloinOhio]

 

[Westside Madness]

4 minutes ago, atlbillsfan1975 said:

The ailing mother yes. Unless things have changed, there was no deaths for kids 0-9 from what I saw last week. Hard to keep up with everything.

 

Just because children haven't yet died, doesn't mean they aren't a vulnerable demographic. Then you get into immuno-compromised individuals such as those with Lupus or folks with a weakened immune system due to battling cancer.

 

You don't have to 'keep up with anything' to follow this concept. But, to your point, lets assume an ailing mother is enough...

[RyanC883]

54 minutes ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

Fair enough, you didnt propose any workarounds. Just discounted the warnings.

 

Point (1), I can agree with that it doesnt need to be done in person. But no way can or will teams sign guys to big time contracts pending physicals down the line. If one player fails a physical, which they do, then it screws that teams entire offseason. Maybe they can do a physical locally, but the physical has to happen at the time of signing.

 

(2). Disagree. The facilities should ALL be closed right now. Whether they are team facilities or private facilities.

 

The good news is, as the article above states, it doesnt look like the season will be delayed. Nor did I think it would get that far. But I think we can both agree some things need to be changed around right now.

 

I thought I did propose work around?  ?

 

In terms of closing the facilities, do you think all gyms (LA Fitness, etc.) should also close?  I'm fine with the facilities closing, I'd just ship equipment to players homes.  

 

Local physical could work in terms of FA.  

 

I do agree that things need to be changed around now.  I'd do the draft w/o an audience.  The sooner they announce this stuff, the better people can plan.  Plus, if I'm the NFL, I'm not sure I want lots of NFL folks coming to Vegas (lots of tourists, etc) for the draft.  

[billsfan89]

I don't think they have to delay the start of the year. Most of what the NFL's early off-season will be can be done either with no crowd (draft) or with little travel/contact. Contracts can be negotiated over the phone and signed by fax. Pre-Draft workouts can be taped and sent out via private links and pre-draft interviews can be done over Skype. 

 

I always think there should be a use of caution when it comes to public health however I don't think the NFL Off-season needs such a high degree of caution. I think they could do all of this in a safe manner. 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

2 hours ago, Dablitzkrieg said:

Everyone is nuts

 

Take a plane to Italy.  I hear they need help in the hospitals there.

[DrDawkinstein]

21 minutes ago, RyanC883 said:

 

I thought I did propose work around?  ?

 

In terms of closing the facilities, do you think all gyms (LA Fitness, etc.) should also close?  I'm fine with the facilities closing, I'd just ship equipment to players homes.  

 

Local physical could work in terms of FA.  

 

I do agree that things need to be changed around now.  I'd do the draft w/o an audience.  The sooner they announce this stuff, the better people can plan.  Plus, if I'm the NFL, I'm not sure I want lots of NFL folks coming to Vegas (lots of tourists, etc) for the draft.  

 

Probably, yes. It's looking like they will be extending our closed campus through next week as well, and we're just a corporate office setting. If that's the case, then places such as gyms should be closed as well.

 

It's like this:

Do we shut everything down as much as possible for the next 2-3 weeks and get some containment on it?

Or wait, allow business as usual, and drag this out through the rest of the year with exponentially more cases?

[Hapless Bills Fan]

49 minutes ago, atlbillsfan1975 said:

The ailing mother yes. Unless things have changed, there was no deaths for kids 0-9 from what I saw last week. Hard to keep up with everything.

 

Correct in fact until several countries started testing all contacts, including children, they didn't even know kids were getting infected.

It is a blessing

 

26 minutes ago, RyanC883 said:

 

I thought I did propose work around?  ?

 

In terms of closing the facilities, do you think all gyms (LA Fitness, etc.) should also close?  I'm fine with the facilities closing, I'd just ship equipment to players homes.  

 

Local physical could work in terms of FA.  

 

I do agree that things need to be changed around now.  I'd do the draft w/o an audience.  The sooner they announce this stuff, the better people can plan.  Plus, if I'm the NFL, I'm not sure I want lots of NFL folks coming to Vegas (lots of tourists, etc) for the draft.  

 

Yes, I do.

 

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

No Cris Collinsworth?  ?  September is looking better already!

*
?

[Bronxbomber21]

So the whole country is shutting down and my company is the only one that's still open 7 days a week. Why can't Terry send the private jet for the free agents

[HOUSE]

You can't have training camp without toilet paper....

 

Edited March 12, 2020 by HOUSE

[CountDorkula]

5 hours ago, atlbillsfan1975 said:

I would think anyone playing Professional football would be considered an elite athlete and therefore be someone who the virus would pose no more harm than the always existing flu. 
now everyone else like agents and family is a different story. 
It is 2020, no reason to delay FA. Let’s see what the next month shows before calling off the draft.
I see both sides of it. One person is too many but we don’t have a great track record containing any virus as a civilization.

This kind of thinking is what will get people in trouble.

 

Its always been abotu how easily transmitted this disease is.

If an athlete gets it, he is more susceptible to pass it to others because he is always considered in high traffic places.

[Punching Bag]

3 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Take a plane to Italy.  I hear they need help in the hospitals there.

 

He will need to fly thru Canada. US has stopped flights to Europe.  

[atlbillsfan1975]

39 minutes ago, CountDorkula said:

This kind of thinking is what will get people in trouble.

 

Its always been abotu how easily transmitted this disease is.

If an athlete gets it, he is more susceptible to pass it to others because he is always considered in high traffic places.

Keep reading what I wrote. Quoting part of what someone says isn’t very ethical. I won’t be revisiting any thread that mentions the virus. Good day.

Edited March 12, 2020 by atlbillsfan1975