How Will the 2020-2021 Season Look?

[Gugny]

Interested to see how people think this will shake out.  I respectfully request that we keep the discussion primarily to football, please.  Obviously, this is COVID-19-related.  I just ask that we keep politics out of it.

Edited May 2, 2020 by Gugny

[Golden Goat]

I think they're nuts if they allow fans this year, but I think the mighty $ will persevere.

[Buffalo Boy]

The NFL is all about that ?.

This country as a whole will be starving for diversion by September.

I can see them doing limited fans at first, 25%,50%??? If it comes off well they will increase fans if feasible.

The only wildcard is the players but they want that money as well , so with testing, I think they are in. 
I would expect the camera crews and such would be limited.

COME ON FOOTBALL???

[Augie]

I can’t guess what the end of May will look like. I can’t even try to imagine September. 

[wagon127]

I voted based on a mix of what i think is realistic, vs. What i am hoping will happen. Obviously i hope this all ends tomorrow, but i know its not realistic. I think i would be ok if they start a month late, and we can start going to games half way through the season. I have heard faucci say several times, "i dont know whats going to happen," or "we may not have sports this year" and "we have to look at the daily data." That to me says anything is still possible with regards to football at this point.

[Mike in Horseheads]

41 minutes ago, Golden Goat said:

I think they're nuts if they allow fans this year, but I think the mighty $ will persevere.

The money is in TV $$$$

Do we need a new stadium if fans can't go so it looks good on TV?

[Brennan Huff]

It’s gonna be a lot of pain and punishment for the rest of the league. Go Bills

[RalphWilson'sNewWar]

I think the NFL will be forced to have no fans due to several states governors rightfully not allowing it and to keep the playing field even.

 

 all home games will have to have no fans until states like New York and California with their governors would be willing to allow groups of large sizes

[Logic]

I actually foresee the season starting (because there’s too much money on the line for it not to), but having to stop a few games in as a few players are diagnosed with COVID. Then the NFL sits in no man’s land, like the NHL and NBA currently are.

 

What a mess.

Edited May 2, 2020 by Logic

[Marv's Neighbor]

Hard tellin, not knowin!

[Haplo848]

I'm of the opinion that the NFL will try to keep players essentially in their own quarantine with rigorous testing to make sure it doesn't spread through the players.  Use only a couple playing fields so that players don't have to travel much and risk getting sick.  No fans the entire season.

[Albany,n.y.]

My prediction isn't among the available choices.  Season starts in February and follows the USFL model.   

[machine gun kelly]

28 minutes ago, Haplo848 said:

I'm of the opinion that the NFL will try to keep players essentially in their own quarantine with rigorous testing to make sure it doesn't spread through the players.  Use only a couple playing fields so that players don't have to travel much and risk getting sick.  No fans the entire season.

Haplo, I tend to agree.  I know people hate the idea of no fans in the seats, but seems likely given the governors will make the decision, not Trump, the NFL, or anyone else.  It’s the whole states rights thing vs. the Feds.  Now they are talking about having the NFL on Saturday’s and Sundays which should increase tv revenue.

 

If the league is delayed the WAG is in October.  I also agree, it is likely the players and all staff will be tested repeatedly, possibly daily to ensure the least disruption, and the NFLPA will have nothing to say about it as a health issue.  I also concur the quarantine as much as possible makes sense to me.  Lockers only six feet apart, trainers wearing masks and gloves, etc.

[Gugny]

With 52 voting, 77% believe the season will start by Oct. 11 - and 65% believe there will be butts in the seats at some point during the regular season.

[Don Otreply]

There will be no fans for one potentially very costly reason.
 

The legal liability of actively and knowingly bringing large crowds together while a pandemic virus is active, the potential wrongful death lawsuit will hit class action levels and the potential loss of many hundreds of millions of dollar, and personal culpability will be the reason. Rodger Goodell’s and the owners groups asz’s would be on the line. 

 

The NFL would be crazy to allow fans in the stadiums. There is also a very high likelihood that the Governors who have the final say will not allow it to happen. 

[Orlando Tim]

4 minutes ago, Don Otreply said:

There will be no fans for one potentially very costly reason.
 

The legal liability of actively and knowingly bringing large crowds together while a pandemic virus is active, the potential wrongful death lawsuit will hit class action levels and the potential loss of many hundreds of millions of dollar, and personal culpability will be the reason. Rodger Goodell’s and the owners groups asz’s would be on the line. 

 

The NFL would be crazy to allow fans in the stadiums. There is also a very high likelihood that the Governors who have the final say will not allow it to happen. 

I am very curious whether the NFL can put a legally binding exemption on their Tix? Can they state you will be packed in and you will probably be exposed to the virus in some way and you are accepting that risk? I will not be going to any packed arenas for a while and I have season Tix to the NBA but that is my choice.

[Don Otreply]

3 minutes ago, Buffalo Timmy said:

I am very curious whether the NFL can put a legally binding exemption on their Tix? Can they state you will be packed in and you will probably be exposed to the virus in some way and you are accepting that risk? I will not be going to any packed arenas for a while and I have season Tix to the NBA but that is my choice.

Not legally binding, wavers, do not absolve a party of their actions. 

[Gugny]

38 minutes ago, Don Otreply said:

There will be no fans for one potentially very costly reason.
 

The legal liability of actively and knowingly bringing large crowds together while a pandemic virus is active, the potential wrongful death lawsuit will hit class action levels and the potential loss of many hundreds of millions of dollar, and personal culpability will be the reason. Rodger Goodell’s and the owners groups asz’s would be on the line. 

 

The NFL would be crazy to allow fans in the stadiums. There is also a very high likelihood that the Governors who have the final say will not allow it to happen. 

 

This is pretty much where I am with regard to fan attendance.  Not to mention optics, which we all know is very important to the NFL.

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

So if the league mandates all players self quarantine 14 days prior to camp. I see no reason trading camp isn’t a go.
 

at that point the biggest challenge is traveling team logistics for the games, 

 

the fan part is tough. Social distancing would basically need to be no longer necessary in any us state.

 

i also see it as impossible that college football doesn’t go.   

[Gugny]

With 67 voting, 80% believe the season will start by Oct. 11 - and 66% believe there will be butts in the seats at some point during the regular season.

[Captain Hindsight]

50 minutes ago, Gugny said:

With 67 voting, 80% believe the season will start by Oct. 11 - and 66% believe there will be butts in the seats at some point during the regular season.

I'm so on the fence with fans. In NYS, i think they will be extra cautious here. I wouldnt expect to be allowed to go, but If I was, Im not sure I'd want to

 

I have anxiety going to target for an hour. The idea of sitting in the crowds of people who come from all over, shouting and drinking and slapping hands. Its a breeding ground. It makes me very nervous thinking about it

 

 

[Gugny]

A couple months have passed since this poll was put up.

 

Obviously, this is a COVID-19 related topic ... but please don't make it another politically charged Covid thread.  This is a good topic and should generate decent conversation.

 

Please don't be a dick.

[JPP]

come september i think it will start on time....no fans in the stadiums at first than i think they will slowly allow people in likely half capacity etc with distancing.......this all depends if this covid crap continues to spiral....I just want my buffalo bills football!!!

Just now, JPP said:

come september i think it will start on time....no fans in the stadiums at first than i think they will slowly allow people in likely half capacity etc with distancing.......this all depends if this covid crap continues to spiral....I just want my buffalo bills football!!!  I think true test lies ahead.....nba & nhl supposed to start at the end of this month....lets see how that goes will give us a clear idea about the nfl......

 

[Beast]

No games, no fans.

 

 

[GreggTX]

It shouldn't be too much to require that fans wear a mask and seat groups of fans that come together in clusters, maintaining a proper distance from other groups. They could also filter the crowd into seats by their seating locations so everyone isn't clogging up the walkways together. Same on the way out. You could maybe fill 1/4th of the stadium safely???

[par73]

I just can't see how this can work, given the current situation.

[Gugny]

With new information every day, I'm interested to see how the votes change.  

As of today ....

 

[jimmy10]

I want to be wrong, but I just have a hard time seeing this season happening. 

[Rocky Landing]

I voted "no season," and "no fans" because of my propensity to be wrong so often. You're welcome.

[Klaista2k]

On 5/2/2020 at 12:13 PM, Golden Goat said:

I think they're nuts if they allow fans this year, but I think the mighty $ will persevere.

Why would they be nuts to allow fans? 

 

You realize this hole thing is basically a hoax right? 

Edited July 21, 2020 by Klaista2k

[Golden Goat]

2 hours ago, Klaista2k said:

Why would they be nuts to allow fans? 

 

You realize this hole thing is basically a hoax right? 

 A friend of mine who has COVID-19 would laugh in your face, but he cant because breathing has become problematic for him. Total hoax. ? 

[billsfan89]

13 hours ago, Klaista2k said:

Why would they be nuts to allow fans? 

 

You realize this hole thing is basically a hoax right? 

 

My mother had it in March, she recovered after being very sick for a week but hasn't had the same level of energy since. But you know if something doesn't impact you directly then it is a hoax right?

[Gugny]

17 hours ago, Klaista2k said:

Why would they be nuts to allow fans? 

 

You realize this hole thing is basically a hoax right? 

 

You are so effing cute.  Bless your little heart.

[Punching Bag]

18 hours ago, Klaista2k said:

Why would they be nuts to allow fans? 

 

You realize this hole thing is basically a hoax right? 

 

How much do you get paid to post this crap?

[transplantbillsfan]

21 hours ago, Klaista2k said:

Why would they be nuts to allow fans? 

 

You realize this hole thing is basically a hoax right? 

 

Whole

[Greg S]

6 minutes ago, Gene1973 said:

I personally think the season should be cancelled. I don't look forward to teams having large portions of their star players unable to play due to COVID. All the wins and losses, including the SB winers will have asterisks assocciated with them.

 

I fear the season will start and turn illigitimate rather quickly.

 

If they can't start on time I would hope they would delay it and see if they can push back the start date like baseball. Who says the Super Bowl has to be won the 1st Sunday in Feb. You can play into the rest of Feb and even March. Those are the worst months for sports IMHO. I am not a college basketball fan or NBA for that matter. I love hockey but its 4th in popularity in the big 4 of sports.

Edited July 22, 2020 by Greg S

[Bill from NYC]

Fans attending games is pure profit for the owners, much of it in pure cash. There would seem to be no way that they let an entire season pass without any fans. We are talking of untold millions consisting of 15 dollar beers and 50 dollars to park in some stadiums, let alone souvenirs, high ticket prices and everything else.

 

I know these owners are super rich, but they didn't get that way by turning down money, and at the end of the day they control most of the politicians.

 

Jmo.

2 hours ago, Gene1973 said:

 All the wins and losses, including the SB winers will have asterisks assocciated with them.

 

 

Who cares?

[SCBills]

I just voted for "Season starts on time" and "Fans at some point".  

 

I'm a bit iffy on "Fans at some point", but if we develop therapeutics to combat COVID, which it looks like we might be able to bring to the public during the season, I can see it happening.  

 

This is definitely not a "hoax", but it's also a bit of a media manipulation.  The death rate is is currently somewhere between 5-10 for every 1,000 infected, and that includes the elderly, who are, by far, the majority of those deaths.  I know quite a few people who have gotten this, and they all were varying degrees of sick from asymptomatic to feeling like a severe flu, but people also get sick, and die, from other viruses every year...and yes, other viruses do also, rarely, have lingering/long term side effects.  

 

There's no vaccine - Therefore, this is clearly a different animal, so wear a mask, be considerate, socially distance where you can, but at some point we need to bring rational thought back into this.  If we develop therapeutics and fans are willing to mask-up and go to games down the line if/when we have a better handle on case loads, why not allow fans back into the stadiums?   If you're a healthy person, under 70, chances are incredibly high that even if you catch this, you're going to be fine.   

 

I also won't complain if things stay as they are and we don't have fans... I get it.  I just wish people, on both extremes of this argument, would stop calling it a "hoax" and stop acting like it's an ultra-infectious strain of super-ebola.

 

 

Edited July 22, 2020 by SCBills

[Bill from NYC]

1 hour ago, Gene1973 said:

 

I believe a lot of NFL fans do. Lets say the Bills win the SB this year, facing teams like the Chiefs without Mahomes, Ravens without Jackson in the playoff's etc. If that is the only SB Allen and McDermott win, you'd never hear the end of the asterisk excuse, Bills never won a real SB talk, etc.

 

If we can't have a legitimate NFL season I'd rather not have a season at all. 

 

Already the prospect of no fans just kills the whole idea of a season, let alone swaths of starters being quarantined.

OK, I will respectfully disagree. I see your point, but imo championships never come in a vacuum. If Buffalo wins a title it will be due to the fact that we played the best of any team under the given circumstances.

I would be ecstatic and think that most Bills Fans would also be. If another team wins, I truthfully would not care.

 

jmo.

[Gugny]

2 hours ago, Gene1973 said:

 

I think, a large portion of fandom has to due with garnering respect from other fan bases. A CoronaBowl victory would likely do the opposite. Just see how upset Pats fans get when you talk about cheating asterisks'.

 

Patriots were in control of their cheating.