The NFL season starts in 7 days. There is concern about whether the 2020 schedule can be completed without some interruption due to the coronavirus. Unlike the NBA, there will not be a bubble to insinuate the players. The league has not modified the schedule to shorten the season. Some stadiums are anticipating having fans attend with a cap on capacity. There does not seem to be a preventive structure in place. One of my colleagues and I had a discussion as to how the NFL could better prepare for this season. Here are some of the ideas we came up with:
The league should amend the visiting team’s arrival time to the night before the game.
The players should be tested 48 hours before the game and isolated afterward.
Players should be tested after the game as well.
Hotels: The hotel accommodations for the all visiting teams would be restricted to a designated location. If, for example, a visiting team stays at a Marriott the next visiting team would stay in that same location. Certain floors would be blocked off for players and team personnel only. After a team leaves, those rooms would be deep cleansed for a period of 5 days. The rooms would not be available for use for 14 days between teams. So, if the league has 4 floors, they would use two. The rotation would be seamless.
Travel: For teams on a road trip going to multiple cities would fly directly to the next city. This eliminates going back to the home city and minimizes interactions. A bus service that is contracted for the team use only would provide all transportation. That service would cater to all visiting teams.
During the week, the players and team personnel would be required to go from their homes to the training facilities, then returning to their residences. Interactions outside of immediate family members and close business associates should be prohibited.
Other Thoughts
The NFL should extend itself and take advantage of the absent of college football this fall. They could start doing Saturday games early in the season to fill the void. Have a doubleheader with a game on each coast to maximize viewership. College Football fans would be excited about it. With all the sporting events this fall, this would be something else to look forward to.
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