Harry
ASFN Consultant and Senior Writer
A few months ago it was no sure thing that pro sports teams would try to play in 2020. Then it seemed like every team had a plan. The question was who could really get a season started and how quickly. Now the MLB, the NHL and the NBA are rushing to get play under way. All this while the NFL goes about its business on almost its normal schedule. Sure minicamps were cancelled and the preseason truncated but the season schedule remained intact. As they wait, the NFL is going to school on what the other leagues are doing. They already learned from the MLB not to assume that a simple testing system will be enough. The NFL has immediately broadened their relationships with testing providers, especially labs.
One of the big issues they haven’t worked out is how to run a training camp. Bruce Arians is already on record as saying he believes every player will get the disease. Look for the NFL to break into units trying to keep small groups isolated from each other. You won’t likely see much 11 on 11 involving the two first units facing each other. Yes that will distort the improvement from practice.
They’re also going to pay close attention how the MLB handles travel. Of course air charters and exclusive bus lines are virtual certainties. Hotels figure to be reserved not only for a couple of days. Better to pick one hotel and simply continually reserve a large chunk of it. Contract with a CDC compliant cleaning service. Then have each visiting team use those rooms in turn. This won’t be the Hampton Inn. The goal is to restrict non-team access to anything the team uses.
Like the MLB, the NFL and the NHL, the NFL will have to rein in player behavior. The NHL already had a problem with with a group of Blues’ players carousing in a bar and coming up with the virus. There will be a premium on maturity. These are often players who aren’t known for this character trait. Starting later the NFL figures to have ample examples of bad behavior to point to in team meetings. The NBA bubble has already had a few quiet issues. They’ve announced they’ll be bringing in entertainment to Disney to make certain the players and their families have something to do with their spare time. Not sure the NFL can copy that.
Depth of players in the NBA will be an issue. The gap to the D League is huge. The NHL will struggle with this as well. The MLB saw the issue clearly. They’re setting up a pool of 60 players just so their 26 team rosters can be kept full of functional players. Look for the NFL to expand rosters, possibly through larger practice squads. Again the NFL can judge the MLB dropout rate.
In the end the NFL may be last to start and may have to toughest schedule to support. Nonetheless they can learn from others’ mistake by going last. However, the real final issue is having a long season even possible in the current reality? We can all speculate but only the realization of the effort will provide the answer.
One of the big issues they haven’t worked out is how to run a training camp. Bruce Arians is already on record as saying he believes every player will get the disease. Look for the NFL to break into units trying to keep small groups isolated from each other. You won’t likely see much 11 on 11 involving the two first units facing each other. Yes that will distort the improvement from practice.
They’re also going to pay close attention how the MLB handles travel. Of course air charters and exclusive bus lines are virtual certainties. Hotels figure to be reserved not only for a couple of days. Better to pick one hotel and simply continually reserve a large chunk of it. Contract with a CDC compliant cleaning service. Then have each visiting team use those rooms in turn. This won’t be the Hampton Inn. The goal is to restrict non-team access to anything the team uses.
Like the MLB, the NFL and the NHL, the NFL will have to rein in player behavior. The NHL already had a problem with with a group of Blues’ players carousing in a bar and coming up with the virus. There will be a premium on maturity. These are often players who aren’t known for this character trait. Starting later the NFL figures to have ample examples of bad behavior to point to in team meetings. The NBA bubble has already had a few quiet issues. They’ve announced they’ll be bringing in entertainment to Disney to make certain the players and their families have something to do with their spare time. Not sure the NFL can copy that.
Depth of players in the NBA will be an issue. The gap to the D League is huge. The NHL will struggle with this as well. The MLB saw the issue clearly. They’re setting up a pool of 60 players just so their 26 team rosters can be kept full of functional players. Look for the NFL to expand rosters, possibly through larger practice squads. Again the NFL can judge the MLB dropout rate.
In the end the NFL may be last to start and may have to toughest schedule to support. Nonetheless they can learn from others’ mistake by going last. However, the real final issue is having a long season even possible in the current reality? We can all speculate but only the realization of the effort will provide the answer.