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.