Sports
Falcons’ Arthur Blank Believes NFL Will Play 16-Game Season Despite COVID-19
Brian Blanco/Associated PressAtlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank was optimistic that the NFL will be “fine” and able to carry out a 16-game 2020 regular-season despite the coronavirus pandemic while speaking with NBC Sports’ Peter King for his weekly Football Morning in America column:”If I had to speculate now, and I use the word speculate because…
Brian Blanco/Associated Press
Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank was optimistic that the NFL will be “fine” and able to carry out a 16-game 2020 regular-season despite the coronavirus pandemic while speaking with NBC Sports' Peter King for his weekly Football Morning in America column:
“If I had to speculate now, and I use the word speculate because that's really all it is, I would say yes. Only because it's so far away from where we are today. I could easily see camps being shorter, players being tested on a daily basis, things of that nature. No fan attendance. Things like that. We may have fewer preseason games, which probably wouldn't be the end of the world. But I think by September, my hope is by the time the regular season starts, that we'll be able to bring people together in some form or fashion in a safe manner and play.”
Blank added that he feels football is needed now because of the overwhelming COVID-19 news cycle.
Commissioner Roger Goodell told teams Thursday that this year's draft will go on as scheduled from April 23 to 25:
Adam Schefter @AdamSchefter
Goodell informed teams they “should be doing the necessary planning to conduct Draft operations in a location outside of your facility, with a limited number of people present, and with sufficient technology resources to….communicate with other clubs and Draft headquarters.” https://t.co/iHaf5d8eJn
Adam Schefter @AdamSchefter
In Roger Goodell’s memo that the draft will go on, he served warning to those around the league that criticize the league’s stance. Goodell wrote, “public discussion of issues relating to the draft serves no useful purpose and is grounds for disciplinary action.”
Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times reported March 21 that the draft would no longer be held in Las Vegas. The league had previously announced that there wouldn't be any surrounding events open to the public.
Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer, as well as the NBA and NHL, suspended their 2019-20 seasons earlier this month. The NFL's offseason has been affected, too:
Tom Pelissero @TomPelissero
Players are prohibited from entering club facilities through March 31 and thus can't have physical exams there. Similar to free agents, clubs can contact a physician near the players' home — but some teams aren't comfortable with that. Another unusual aspect of this offseason.
Tom Pelissero @TomPelissero
Some NFL teams already had closed facilities; others had very limited personnel in the building. Now, a level playing field amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The memo says teams may continue to conduct all normal business, including signing players.
CNN relayed more than 139,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States with at least 2,425 resulting deaths as of Sunday evening.
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