2020 NFL Schedule

[RiverDog]

The full schedule has yet to be released, but the league has confirmed that it is canceling the international series, thus the first official NFL coronavirus casualty:

The National Football League announced today that it will schedule all 2020 games in the United States in order for the entire season to be played in NFL teams' stadia under consistent protocols focused on the well-being of players, personnel and fans. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made this decision after consultation with our clubs, national and local governments, the NFL Players Association, medical authorities and international stadium partners.

The NFL had been planning to play one game in Mexico City at Azteca Stadium and four games in London - two at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and two at Wembley Stadium - during the 2020 season. The Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Jacksonville Jaguars and Miami Dolphins had all previously announced that they would be home teams for International Series Games in 2020. These teams will now play all of their home games this season at their home stadia in the United States.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/288 ... ho6KuZr9AI

[RiverDog]

Here's our tentative 2020 schedule under the assumption that the season starts on time:

Week 1, Sep. 13: at Falcons, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Week 2, Sep. 20: vs. Patriots, 8:20 p.m. ET (Sunday Night Football, NBC)
Week 3, Sep. 27: vs. Cowboys, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Week 4, Oct. 4: at Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Week 5, Oct. 11: vs. Vikings, 8:20 p.m. ET (Sunday Night Football, NBC)
Week 6: BYE
Week 7, Oct. 25: at Cardinals, 4:05 p.m. ET (Fox)
Week 8, Nov. 1: vs. 49ers, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Week 9, Nov. 8: at Bills, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Week 10, Nov. 15: at Rams, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Week 11, Nov. 19: vs. Cardinals, 8:20 p.m. ET (Thursday Night Football, Fox/NFLN/Amazon)
Week 12, Nov. 30: at Eagles, 8:15 p.m. ET (Monday Night Football, ESPN)
Week 13, Dec. 6: vs. Giants, 4:05 p.m. ET (Fox)
Week 14, Dec. 13: vs. Jets, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
Week 15, Dec. 20: at Redskins, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Week 16, Dec. 27: vs. Rams, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
Week 17, Jan. 3: at 49ers, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/seah ... -and-more/

A few other tidbits: The league opener is Thursday, Sept. 10th, Texans at Chiefs. The MNF Week 1 double header features Steelers vs. Giants in the 4:00pm slot and Titans vs. Broncos at 7pm PT. There is a Saturday game on December 19th, Panthers at Packers, that they added a flex option to. They have a game scheduled on Christmas Day, Friday, December 25th, Vikings vs. Saints.

Of course, this is all based on the assumption that the season will start and continue in a relatively normal fashion.

[obiken]

Losses 9ers, Bills, Cowboys, Cards, Rams. 11-5. According to ESPN

[RiverDog]

Losses 9ers, Bills, Cowboys, Cards, Rams. 11-5. According to ESPN

I'd settle for 11-5 as it would likely mean a division championship and first round bye.

I've always said that it's very difficult to handicap a strength of schedule until 4 or 5 weeks into the regular season, and that even more true this season as ever. Will we sign Clowney? Griffen? How strong will Carson, Penny, and Dissly return from their injuries? How well will our re-constituted offensive line perform? Lots of question marks surrounding our team.

There's a few oddities in this year's schedule. We don't play our first divisional game until Week 7 when we visit the Cards. Our bye is in Week 6, awfully early and not strategically placed. 5 of our 8 road games are in the Eastern time zone (tends to happen when you play the AFC East and NFC East divisions). Counting the playoffs, we'll be making 3 trips to Philly within 12 months.

[obiken]

River the bigger question is are we going to even have football. Our game at Oregon vs Ohio State Brown just killed. It cost us Millions.

[RiverDog]

River the bigger question is are we going to even have football. Our game at Oregon vs Ohio State Brown just killed. It cost us Millions.

I saw that, although the game isn't quite killed, but damn near. Heck, they might not even let the team practice let alone play games. How the heck can you justify letting colleges play football, where social distancing is impossible, when you're keeping restaurants and movie theatres shut down?

And you're exactly right, there might not be a season at all. If I were to place a bet, I'd put my money on the prospect of the entire season getting canceled. There's 20 some states that NFL football is played in, and they can't have a patchwork of some states allowing full stadiums and others 25% capacity as it affects competitiveness. CA Gov Newsom has already said full stadiums aren't happening w/o a vaccine. Even if they held games in empty stadiums, some states, due to the inability of players to maintain social distancing, will require an aggressive testing program if they are allowed to operate where other states won't, meaning that the odds of at least one player/coach/ref/equip manager testing positive is near 100%, again creating a competitiveness issue.

[jshawaii22]

The key to all this is the NFL's "luck" that the virus came just after the Super Bowl. We are all living in a day-to-day world, but it's only May 8th. The first game is 4 months away, and the NFL built 3 weeks into the front end of the schedule to potentially move back.

The 4 months is longer then the entire time that we have been dealing with this and look at the progress.

There is too much $$$ involved not to try to have a season. At the rate the scientific community is progressing, I wouldn't bet on there not being a wide-spread test available by the fall. Maybe there won't be fans in the stadiums, and maybe some teams (Seahawks maybe one of them, as with the Cali teams) will have to move away from their home city to make it happen, but if any sport can pull it off, it's the NFL.

As for the Seahawks schedule... not much to say. #1 is flight miles again. I think Baltimore travels less the whole year then our roundtrip to Miami.

[RiverDog]

The key to all this is the NFL's "luck" that the virus came just after the Super Bowl. We are all living in a day-to-day world, but it's only May 8th. The first game is 4 months away, and the NFL built 3 weeks into the front end of the schedule to potentially move back.

It's going to be difficult. There's approximately 20 states that the NFL has teams in, and they all have to be able to be on the same page in order for the league to open in a competitive fashion. You can't have the 3 California teams playing in front of empty or 1/4 stadiums while the rest of the league is playing in front of packed stadiums as it would create a competitive issue. Indeed, CA's governor is on record as saying it's unlikely they'll be playing in front of full stadiums until a vaccine is available, and that's not likely until January.

The 4 months is longer then the entire time that we have been dealing with this and look at the progress.

Most of the progress has been in NYC. Factor that out and the picture changes dramatically. Rural America is beginning to see more cases. My community, a 3.5 hour drive from Seattle, is a typical example. We're currently a hotspot, with confirmed cases, hospitalizations, and deaths all continuing to rise. We have a Tyson meat packing plant that has over 200 cases and 2 deaths linked to it.

There is hope in that the second wave that's sure to come will be less transferrable due to the summertime temperatures and that we should be more prepared this time around.

There is too much $$$ involved not to try to have a season. At the rate the scientific community is progressing, I wouldn't bet on there not being a wide-spread test available by the fall. Maybe there won't be fans in the stadiums, and maybe some teams (Seahawks maybe one of them, as with the Cali teams) will have to move away from their home city to make it happen, but if any sport can pull it off, it's the NFL.

First off, it's not the NFL's decision. It's the Governors of each state that has an NFL team. The NFL is not going to try to swim upstream against the state Governors. Secondly, it's going to be pretty darn hard for a Governor to justify allowing the NFL with their multi million dollar players open for business when nearly a quarter of the rest of the nation is out of work. The NFL is likely to be the last group to be given a green light given the 70k+ jamb packed stadiums.

I don't know how well relocating games to other venues in other states would work. How would Idaho feel with a bunch of infected fans from Washington invading their state? Doesn't sound like good politics to me.

As for the Seahawks schedule... not much to say. #1 is flight miles again. I think Baltimore travels less the whole year then our roundtrip to Miami.

Flight miles isn't the issue. The issue is the changing of time zones when you travel west to east. I haven't looked at the Rams and Niners schedules, but being that they play virtually the same opponents as we do, there shouldn't be too much difference in the number of games played in the Eastern time zone.

[Rambo2014]

NO FANS!!!!! ROTFLMAO

JUST PUT DUMMIES IN THE SEATS AT CL WITH NOISE MAKERS

HAHAHAHAHA THATS WHAT U ALREADY DO SORRY

GO RAMS 13-3

[jshawaii22]

RiverDog » Fri May 08, 2020 11:08 am

jshawaii22 wrote:
The key to all this is the NFL's "luck" that the virus came just after the Super Bowl. We are all living in a day-to-day world, but it's only May 8th. The first game is 4 months away, and the NFL built 3 weeks into the front end of the schedule to potentially move back.


It's going to be difficult. There's approximately 20 states that the NFL has teams in, and they all have to be able to be on the same page in order for the league to open in a competitive fashion. You can't have the 3 California teams playing in front of empty or 1/4 stadiums while the rest of the league is playing in front of packed stadiums as it would create a competitive issue. Indeed, CA's governor is on record as saying it's unlikely they'll be playing in front of full stadiums until a vaccine is available, and that's not likely until January.

No one said it wouldn't be difficult, but, lets assume no fans for right now, as "fans" aren't the issue, TV + advertising revenue is the issue. The NFL can play in empty stadiums, as that's probably around 10% of their income, and if you accept that, then the teams can move anywhere the state governments will allow it. That includes doubling up or more to each available NFL stadium. Florida probably has 6 stadiums that are NFL quality, if you include the Orange bowl and one or 2 college stadiums. Do you think the players, who won't be paid if the games don't take place (except for bonuses they already have) wouldn't want to play, even if it meant empty stadiums? As the NBA was looking at, Orlando has 150,000 hotel rooms by itself and you could setup team "camps" as needed.

jshawaii22 wrote:
The 4 months is longer then the entire time that we have been dealing with this and look at the progress.

Most of the progress has been in NYC. Factor that out and the picture changes dramatically. Rural America is beginning to see more cases. My community, a 3.5 hour drive from Seattle, is a typical example. We're currently a hotspot, with confirmed cases, hospitalizations, and deaths all continuing to rise. We have a Tyson meat packing plant that has over 200 cases and 2 deaths linked to it.

There is hope in that the second wave that's sure to come will be less transferrable due to the summertime temperatures and that we should be more prepared this time around.

Unfortunately, the number of rural deaths probably doesn't matter to the NFL or to the 'open' state Governments. What's happening in other places around the country, or even in their own state, as long as the economy moves forward, and having NFL playing games is a start toward that goal.

jshawaii22 wrote:
There is too much $$$ involved not to try to have a season. At the rate the scientific community is progressing, I wouldn't bet on there not being a wide-spread test available by the fall. Maybe there won't be fans in the stadiums, and maybe some teams (Seahawks maybe one of them, as with the Cali teams) will have to move away from their home city to make it happen, but if any sport can pull it off, it's the NFL.


First off, it's not the NFL's decision. It's the Governors of each state that has an NFL team. The NFL is not going to try to swim upstream against the state Governors. Secondly, it's going to be pretty darn hard for a Governor to justify allowing the NFL with their multi million dollar players open for business when nearly a quarter of the rest of the nation is out of work. The NFL is likely to be the last group to be given a green light given the 70k+ jamb packed stadiums.

Yes, you're right. But without fans or even with the idea of limited fans, if Inslee decides that the Seahawks can't use their own stadium, do you really think that would stop the team or the NFL from finding one that does? Come on, man, this is the New World Order we're looking at.

don't know how well relocating games to other venues in other states would work. How would Idaho feel with a bunch of infected fans from Washington invading their state? Doesn't sound like good politics to me.

Considering Idaho's typical population, they'd probably fit right in.

[/quote]
jshawaii22 wrote:
As for the Seahawks schedule... not much to say. #1 is flight miles again. I think Baltimore travels less the whole year then our roundtrip to Miami.

Flight miles isn't the issue. The issue is the changing of time zones when you travel west to east. I haven't looked at the Rams and Niners schedules, but being that they play virtually the same opponents as we do, there shouldn't be too much difference in the number of games played in the Eastern time zone.

[RiverDog]

No one said it wouldn't be difficult, but, lets assume no fans for right now, as "fans" aren't the issue, TV + advertising revenue is the issue. The NFL can play in empty stadiums, as that's probably around 10% of their income, and if you accept that, then the teams can move anywhere the state governments will allow it. That includes doubling up or more to each available NFL stadium. Florida probably has 6 stadiums that are NFL quality, if you include the Orange bowl and one or 2 college stadiums. Do you think the players, who won't be paid if the games don't take place (except for bonuses they already have) wouldn't want to play, even if it meant empty stadiums? As the NBA was looking at, Orlando has 150,000 hotel rooms by itself and you could setup team "camps" as needed.

The logistics and availability of suitable venues isn't the problem. It all boils down to what the state governments will allow. If we're still at the point where crowds aren't allowed, the league is still going to have to come up with a very aggressive testing program as there'd be no way they'd allow a game with several hundred people physically unable to maintain 6' separation. Then the question becomes what happens when someone tests positive. Do you quarantine everyone else?

I just see too many hurdles for them to do this half assed. It's either all or nothing, a full normal season or nothing at all.

Unfortunately, the number of rural deaths probably doesn't matter to the NFL or to the 'open' state Governments. What's happening in other places around the country, or even in their own state, as long as the economy moves forward, and having NFL playing games is a start toward that goal.

The NFL would have to be the last business to re-open or else governors would face a huge blow back by favoring multi million athletes over the huge numbers of common citizens that are out of work. Additionally, the league is extremely conscious of their public image. No way would they ever go against the grain in an attempt to hold games in pursuit of the Almighty dollar if health officials advise against it.

But without fans or even with the idea of limited fans, if Inslee decides that the Seahawks can't use their own stadium, do you really think that would stop the team or the NFL from finding one that does? Come on, man, this is the New World Order we're looking at.

Yes, I do. As I said above, the league is extremely sensitive to how the pubic perceives them. If Inslee says no, they aren't going to say "screw you" and move to Idaho or Montana for the season. They want to at least give the public the impression that they are concerned about the health of their players and fans first and their financial success last. Their entire advertising campaign has cast the league as this Holier Than Thou, All American great group of people that cares about everything from supporting our troops to fighting breast cancer. It's the centerpiece of their advertising strategy, and I simply don't see where this "New World Order" would cause them to do an about face and change an image they've spent 50 years cultivating.

[jshawaii22]

Yes, I do. As I said above, the league is extremely sensitive to how the pubic perceives them. If Inslee says no, they aren't going to say "screw you" and move to Idaho or Montana for the season.

and that RD is one of the major billion $$$ questions, isn't it? Per a PFT blog, the 49ers have already started their search today, just in case Cali's Gov won't even let them open up their training facility and you can bet a "Plan-B" for the season is also in the works, as it is for all the teams in the same potential situation.

I also think Inslee knows that they are coming back as soon as he opens up the city, or at worst September of 21. It's not like the Seahawks would be permanently leaving. Is this any different then New Orleans for a year after Katrina?

I just don't think anyones feelings are the issue. Look at the ratings of the DRAFT for goodness sake... fans just want to see football, no matter where your team is playing it. Millions watch on TV / via Amazon and other devices and around 70k see the game live.

[RiverDog]

and that RD is one of the major billion $$$ questions, isn't it? Per a PFT blog, the 49ers have already started their search today, just in case Cali's Gov won't even let them open up their training facility and you can bet a "Plan-B" for the season is also in the works, as it is for all the teams in the same potential situation.

Oh, I'm sure that they're developing contingency plans, especially for training camps as they are not nearly as problematic as the games and it would buy them time in the event restrictions are relaxed in August or September. And they might be able to duck one governor in CA's Newsom, but if the Gov of PA or NJ does the same thing, can 5 teams relocate? IMO I don't see the league pulling the trigger on a plan like that.

I just don't think anyones feelings are the issue. Look at the ratings of the DRAFT for goodness sake... fans just want to see football, no matter where your team is playing it. Millions watch on TV / via Amazon and other devices and around 70k see the game live.

Fans are only part of a much larger equation. The overall public's opinion is what matters. Obviously every Governor will be looking over their shoulders, especially with a major election coming up this fall. They are all politicians driven by the will of the voters. Right now, public opinion is decidedly in favor of the measures adapted by their various Governors by 2 or 3 to 1, 5-1 in major cities like LA. I saw a poll this morning where 68% of Americans are concerned that their respective states are re-opening too fast: https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/07/politics ... index.html. No one's going to be able to intimidate or bully any of those Govs if they have that kind of popular support. The owners are watching those numbers, too. Their image means everything to them, and they're not going to buck the trend anymore than a Governor would.

If those opinion polls flip flop, as they obviously could, then I could see the public putting pressure on their Govs to allow football. The league and the states are going to have to make a decision by early July, a couple weeks prior to training camps opening. That's not that far off, about 60 days.

[jshawaii22]

It's been about 2 months since we first got to know the word "Covid" and started to make decisions that affected all our lives so much.
I understand some will doubt you can organize training camps for 30 teams that seems like a short period, but in reality, go back 2 months in time (March 10th) and tell me how far the country has come. From the unknown just coming to terms with the devastation, and before the realization of the layoffs and shutdowns of the world, not be mention the start of the minute-by-minute news casts that add death-by-death to a scoreboard...

Yes, we were all worried, for good reason. The night my wife screamed when she saw "diabetes" as a Covid precursor to a death sentence and forbid me to go outside, except as a driver who doesn't leave the car. I've lived in my basement "man-cave" since.

Two months later Hawaii has this 99% under control by following the CDC guidelines and the undeniable ability of the scientific and manufacturing communities to get a grip of what we were dealing with and how to control it. Hawaii has proven, with just a very few new cases in the past 2 weeks (and almost none on Oahu) that if you cut off arrivals and control movement where you can, and force anyone coming in to isolate for 14 days, the virus can be controlled and potentially eliminated.
There are 1 million people on our island that did it, so it's not a reach to assume that for the NFL to control say 200 people x 30 teams = 6000 + say another 5000 workers who also will be under strict no-outside contact, that you can have at least a modified season. The key is getting all the players, team workers, site/venue workers and of course the States where this would take place to all agree to it and the stipulations for testing and living in isolation without your families for potentially months. That's going to be harder and no doubt the biggest block. I haven't heard anything from the NFLPA, but $$$ talks and I'm in the belief that the players will want to play and the workers will want to work. Better then waiting for an unemployment check? I think so.

As I don't have much else to do, I've been watching and reading day-by-day as we're now turning the country around. Will it be perfect? NO, there will always be issues as we go forward (this is not a political forum, so I'll leave the Fed Gov't out of it) as we figure out what we can and can't do, but it's starting. NASCAR is starting back up without fans, and except for very poor season timing, I'll bet NBA and MLB would also try to go.

My opinion is that a lot of things can and will change in the next 60 days, hopefully to the positive, and more and more States and cities continue to move towards all the time face covers, social distancing and using common sense as a way of life to continue forward. Common sense dictates that if you are in a 'health group' that says to stay isolated, you will. I'm not heading to the beach any time soon.

[RiverDog]

My opinion is that a lot of things can and will change in the next 60 days, hopefully to the positive, and more and more States and cities continue to move towards all the time face covers, social distancing and using common sense as a way of life to continue forward. Common sense dictates that if you are in a 'health group' that says to stay isolated, you will. I'm not heading to the beach any time soon.

First off, Hawaii is a very unique state in that there's only one viable way in or out, and that's through an airport. You have to pay hundreds of dollars if you want to visit another state. Even traveling within the state is costly if you want to go to another island. A person in Honolulu can't just hop in their car and go visit their girlfriend in Hilo or their grandmother in Eugene. It makes isolating and contact tracing way more easier. That's obviously not the case in the contiguous 48.

Secondly, I agree that a lot can change in 60 days. You've described the optimistic outcome. There's other, more darker possible outcomes that at this point is just as likely. All I can say is that they've been revising the projections upwards, not downwards. 60 days isn't that long of a time according to some of the criteria and goals some states have laid out. WA wants a minimum of 3 weeks before they move to the next phase.

I'm not trying to convince you that your vision is wrong and mine is right. My opinion is that I think it's more likely than not that we're going to have either a delayed opening, some sort of radical change in how the games are played, or no season at all. I hope you're right and I'm wrong.

[jshawaii22]

My point is, if you can isolate 1 million people, you can do it for around 300 people, per team. And Hawaii couldn't close the airports to American tourists, who still come, but are verified and tested at the airport and must isolate for 14 days (same or similar to what the NFL would have to do to just start)
And there will be players and others that for any number of reasons can't or won't or are forbid by medical to come and that will have to be OK.
Anyone in a high-risk group. Maybe we'll need a new head coach. Time will tell how and if this goes down. The 2 months is to open typical training camps. They really have at least 3 months or more and cutting preseason to 2 games is a start.

[RiverDog]

My point is, if you can isolate 1 million people, you can do it for around 300 people, per team. And Hawaii couldn't close the airports to American tourists, who still come, but are verified and tested at the airport and must isolate for 14 days (same or similar to what the NFL would have to do to just start)
And there will be players and others that for any number of reasons can't or won't or are forbid by medical to come and that will have to be OK.
Anyone in a high-risk group. Maybe we'll need a new head coach. Time will tell how and if this goes down. The 2 months is to open typical training camps. They really have at least 3 months or more and cutting preseason to 2 games is a start.

And my point is that Hawaii is not a good example as the means of entry and exit are already severely limited. Even when it's business as usual, you don't have a tenth of the border crossings that exists in most states on the mainland, particularly those on the east coast. Then you close the hotels and restaurants in Hawaii and tourism drops to a trickle and lots easier to manage. It's not a good comparison to the problems the NFL would face trying to isolate 10,000 people.

MLB, Nascar, and the NBA, all much smaller and less complicated endeavors, haven't figured out how to open their seasons, and until they do, I have a hard time seeing how the NFL is going to be able to develop a plan that could gain the approval of 24 states and still maintain a level playing field for their teams. Indeed, the NFL has been waiting for MLB to form a plan so they could use it as a blueprint for their own.

What the league needs to do is get on a conference call with the 24 states that have NFL teams and see if they can't agree to a common plan that would allow all of them to operate at or near their current locations under the same conditions. Even if they were able to agree to a common plan, that plan could result in competitiveness problems. You mentioned one of them, placing restrictions on at risk groups based on age.

The league desperately wants to be seen as cooperating with the states and the medical community, not fighting with them and disrespecting their health concerns by moving to another state.

[RiverDog]

I read a pretty fair article on the possible solutions the NFL might come up in order to hold games in a somewhat normal fashion:

A recent Seton Hall Sports Poll revealed that 61% of respondents who identified themselves as sports fans (and 72% of all respondents) indicated they would not attend a sports event until a COVID-19 vaccine is available. The poll was conducted in mid-April; the NFL is undoubtedly banking on societal progress in curtailing the pandemic over the next three months (which could be stretching hope, albeit after Major League Baseball attempts to return) before its preseason is slated to begin.

It’s a given, though, that the days of opening gates two hours before kickoff with a mob scene are over. That process will begin earlier — without the mob scene. Cannon said they are considering designating specific gates for fans to enter that would depend on the location of their seats. More shocking could be an appointed time window for fans to enter — which is even more intriguing, considering the late-arriving crowds that are a Falcons tradition.

"In the same way that airlines do group one, two, three, four, five, six, we’re going to create order," Steve Cannon, CEO of AMB Group, parent company for the Atlanta Falcons and Mercedes-Benz Stadium, told USA TODAY Sports. "In the old days, everybody flocks in front of the security entry and you get all kinds of congregating. We’re going to have to solve that, and some of that could mean a staged entry."

So much for pregame tailgate parties and watching the early games from a bar. Fans could end up being required to enter the stadium 2-4 hours ahead of kickoff. If those proposals come to fruition and become the norm, I might be done attending NFL games in person. Part of the allure of attending games in person is the carnival-like atmosphere.

[c_hawkbob]

I'd probably try it this method on for size. I kinda like the idea of 15000 fan limits to account for social distancing, I usually have to buy two seats because I'm just too wide (I buy two airline tickets two). Come December for the Redskins game, I just might.

[jshawaii22]

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2 ... eter-king/

Here's an interview with Dr. Fauci, who seems to cover all the bases, both good and bad. Good Read.

[RiverDog]

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/05/11/nfl-season-dr-fauci-coronavirus-fmia-peter-king/

Here's an interview with Dr. Fauci, who seems to cover all the bases, both good and bad. Good Read.

Excellent article, thanks for sharing it. It pretty much reinforces what we've all been saying, that there's no way of telling what the season is going to look like.

[c_hawkbob]

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/05/11/nfl-season-dr-fauci-coronavirus-fmia-peter-king/

Here's an interview with Dr. Fauci, who seems to cover all the bases, both good and bad. Good Read.

Excellent article, thanks for sharing it. It pretty much reinforces what we've all been saying, that there's no way of telling what the season is going to look like.

Which is one reason I picked a December game to set my sights on, even then I think my odds are short of 50/50.

[RiverDog]

Which is one reason I picked a December game to set my sights on, even then I think my odds are short of 50/50.

My group of Seahawk road warriors are setting their sights on our season opener in Atlanta on 9/13. I think it's a pipe dream, that the season will be delayed or that they'll impose a set of deal breaking restrictions. On the one hand, it sucks because I love doing that stuff so much, but on the other hand, it's pretty selfish of me to think that way when so many people are suffering as badly as they are.

I won't travel to a cold weather city past the 2nd or 3rd week of November, so the Redskins game is off my radar.

[RiverDog]

According to Fox announcer Joe Buck, it sounds like the networks are considering not only piping in fake crowd noise for their broadcasts in front of empty or partially filled stadiums, they're also talking about fake fans:

"I think Fox and these networks have to put crowd noise under us to make it as a normal viewing experience at home," Buck said.
Andy Cohen asked, "You think they'll do that?"

Buck replied, "I do. In fact, I know they'll do it."

"It's pretty much a done deal. I think whoever's going to be at that control is gonna have to be really good at their job and be realistic with how a crowd would react depending on what just happened on the field."

"On top of that, they're looking at ways to put virtual fans in the stands so when you see a wide shot it looks like the stadium is jam-packed when in fact it will be empty."

https://www.tmz.com/2020/05/14/joe-buck ... -W0HEWGt7g

I wonder how they're going to get virtual fans to catch players that do the Lambeau leap?

[RiverDog]

Here's something I came across that might interest a few of you:

In an NFL memo sent posted by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the league reiterated no date has been set to reopen team facilities. There are still three criteria that must be met, the memo said, and one of them is “competitive equity.”

If that means the NFL isn’t going to have some teams return to their facilities while others are not allowed to, it might get tricky.

Reopening facilities is a big deal because teams want to get their players in the building to work out and have some offseason practices before training camp. Even the opening of training camp is tied to the reopening of facilities, since many teams (including the Hawks) hold camp at their headquarters.

The three criteria outlined by the NFL was following “sound medical and public health guidance,” that reopening is permitted under government regulations and then the line about respecting principles of competitive equity.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/nf ... spartanntp

It would appear to me that if the league is going to cite "competitive equity" in the reopening of team facilities that they darn sure aren't going to allow some teams to play their home games at a venue other than their normal stadium and in front of fans while others, say the three California teams, have to move to another state.

[c_hawkbob]

Back to the schedule, if the games are played as scheduled I really dig it!

1 Sept. 13 at Falcons 1 p.m. ET Fox
2 Sept. 20 vs. Patriots (SNF) 8:20 p.m. ET NBC
3 Sept. 27 vs. Cowboys 4:25 p.m. ET Fox
4 Oct. 4 at Dolphins 1 p.m. ET Fox
5 Oct. 11 vs. Vikings (SNF) 8:20 p.m. ET NBC
6 BYE — — —
_____________________________________________

7 Oct. 25 at Cardinals 4:05 p.m. ET Fox
8 Nov. 1 vs. 49ers 4:25 p.m. ET Fox
9 Nov. 8 at Bills 1 p.m. ET Fox
10 Nov. 15 at Rams 4:25 p.m. ET Fox
11 Nov. 19 vs. Cardinals (TNF) 8:20 p.m. ET
_____________________________________________

12 Nov. 30 at Eagles (MNF) 8:15 p.m. ET ESPN
13 Dec. 6 vs. Giants 1:05 p.m. ET Fox
14 Dec. 13 vs. Jets 1:05 p.m. ET CBS
15 Dec. 20 at Redskins 1 p.m. ET Fox
16 Dec. 27 vs. Rams 4:05 p.m. ET CBS
17 Jan. 3 at 49ers 4:25 p.m. ET Fox

Three almost equal segment separated after the first 5 games by the bye ... then after the next five games by the mini bye (created by having a Thursday night game followed 11 days later by a Monday night game) ... then a 6 game push to the playoffs.

It really couldn't get much better =)

[RiverDog]

Back to the schedule, if the games are played as scheduled I really dig it!

1 Sept. 13 at Falcons 1 p.m. ET Fox
2 Sept. 20 vs. Patriots (SNF) 8:20 p.m. ET NBC
3 Sept. 27 vs. Cowboys 4:25 p.m. ET Fox
4 Oct. 4 at Dolphins 1 p.m. ET Fox
5 Oct. 11 vs. Vikings (SNF) 8:20 p.m. ET NBC
6 BYE — — —
_____________________________________________

7 Oct. 25 at Cardinals 4:05 p.m. ET Fox
8 Nov. 1 vs. 49ers 4:25 p.m. ET Fox
9 Nov. 8 at Bills 1 p.m. ET Fox
10 Nov. 15 at Rams 4:25 p.m. ET Fox
11 Nov. 19 vs. Cardinals (TNF) 8:20 p.m. ET
_____________________________________________

12 Nov. 30 at Eagles (MNF) 8:15 p.m. ET ESPN
13 Dec. 6 vs. Giants 1:05 p.m. ET Fox
14 Dec. 13 vs. Jets 1:05 p.m. ET CBS
15 Dec. 20 at Redskins 1 p.m. ET Fox
16 Dec. 27 vs. Rams 4:05 p.m. ET CBS
17 Jan. 3 at 49ers 4:25 p.m. ET Fox

Three almost equal segment separated after the first 5 games by the bye ... then after the next five games by the mini bye (created by having a Thursday night game followed 11 days later by a Monday night game) ... then a 6 game push to the playoffs.

It really couldn't get much better =)

You really "dig it"? Groovy!

Just a couple of observations. Although it hasn't been much of an issue lately as we seem to have debunked the east coast jinx (I wasn't much of a believer in it anyway), but we have 4 10:00am PT starts and 5 trips to the Eastern time zone. I'd also like to see the bye week fall later in the year when injuries are more likely to start piling up.

On a side note, I see where NASCAR and horse racing started back up w/o fans. Just reading the tea leaves, it looks like MLB and their players union are going to have a tough time coming to an agreement to start their season. The NFL will be looking to see how MLB fares with resuming their season to pattern their own after.

[NorthHawk]

The early games on the East Coast are a concern.
We won a lot over the years at that time slot, but we had dominating teams then and we don't now.
I expect to lose a couple of those games.

[RiverDog]

Interesting article by Greg Bell of the TNT regarding contingency plans for the upcoming season, along with other interesting information regarding how the coronavirus may affect the game. Here's some selected excerpts:

Washington was the first state to have a confirmed case of COVID-19 (a 35-year-old Snohomish County man in late January). It was an early hot spot for the virus nationally. Five months later, Washington remains one of the most restricted states in the U.S.

That contrasts to Florida. That state called pro sports an essential business months ago. Florida is welcoming the NHL, NBA and, announced Wednesday, the Sounders and Major League Soccer to its state to resume play next month.

Will the Seahawks be playing home games with few or no fans but playing at Miami in a stadium full of mostly Dolphins fans in Florida on Oct. 4?

The New York Times conducted a survey of 511 epidemiologists asking what activities they feel comfortable doing now and might soon. It published the story this week. Attending a sporting event was the activity with the lowest comfort level. Only 3 percent of the epidemiologists The Times surveyed said they expect to attend a sporting event this summer. Only 32 percent said they expect to go to a game in the next three to 12 months. Sixty-four percent said they’d be comfortable going to a game after June 2021.

https://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/n ... 36221.html

I would have major problems regarding competitive inequality if some teams are allowed to play in front of full capacity crowds while others have to play their home games in front of few if any, or at least not in front of their own fans. I would rather see the season canceled than play under those conditions.

[jshawaii22]

The NFL (so far) has kept all teams on equal footing as far as opening up their facilities, access to meetings and team sponsored events and I don't see any reason they would all of a sudden decide not to continue that through at least the beginning of the season.

This in mind, I don't see any fans at any stadium until ALL teams can have fans, even a limited number like NASCAR is going to start with 5000 at Taladega and see how that works. I know it's not the same ( one race at a time vs 16 a week for the NFL) but I just can't see them allowing fans for some teams and none for others.

Games without fans would be weird that's for sure, but more for the players and TV, not the fans.
It's also not unprecedented in sports. Soccer, in Europe and South America has been forced for various reasons to do this and they survived. For most of us who only watch it on TV it really doesn't change my outlook or desire for the game. Bring it on.

[RiverDog]

The NFL (so far) has kept all teams on equal footing as far as opening up their facilities, access to meetings and team sponsored events and I don't see any reason they would all of a sudden decide not to continue that through at least the beginning of the season.

This in mind, I don't see any fans at any stadium until ALL teams can have fans, even a limited number like NASCAR is going to start with 5000 at Taladega and see how that works. I know it's not the same ( one race at a time vs 16 a week for the NFL) but I just can't see them allowing fans for some teams and none for others.

Games without fans would be weird that's for sure, but more for the players and TV, not the fans.
It's also not unprecedented in sports. Soccer, in Europe and South America has been forced for various reasons to do this and they survived. For most of us who only watch it on TV it really doesn't change my outlook or desire for the game. Bring it on.

That was my assumption, too, when the league started throwing around words like "competitive equity" as the shutdowns started going into effect. At this point, it would seem likely that all the teams would be able to play in their home stadiums without fans, but there's still a long ways to go until September.

I'm not sure how good the template from NASCAR would work for the NFL to follow. They were watching MLB to see how they handled their season but they're having a lot of difficulty coming to an agreement with their player's union.

It's going to be a very strange season. It would be nice if they came up with a vaccine by the time the playoffs start.

[RiverDog]

I hate always being the Debbie Downer, but it's looking less and less likely that the NFL season will start on time, and any hope of being able to attend any games in person is fading fast:

The NFL, along with some of its clubs, has largely remained confident that fans could attend games this season. However, with states like Florida, Texas and Arizona reporting daily record-high COVID-19 cases and other states experiencing outbreaks, things look less promising.

It is already expected that NFL fans won’t be permitted to attend team training camps this summer. After seeing the COVID-19 pandemic only get worse in recent weeks, it seems the NFL is starting to sense a new reality settling in.

“I was told the league is still highly optimistic that games will be played,” Mike Florio said, via "The Rich Eisen Show." “There’s less optimism that fans will be in the stands than there was in early May.”

https://sportsnaut.com/2020/06/report-m ... n-delayed/

Just a month before players are scheduled to report for training camp, the NFL is experiencing a significant increase in cases of the coronavirus. As of Sunday, nearly a third of NFL teams reported at least one positive COVID-19 test.

If the NFL ultimately decides to push back its schedule, the move would likely eliminate several preseason games and also push back the Super Bowl.

The league is already contemplating shortening the preseason significantly to give players more time to prepare. However, if Week 1 of the regular season is pushed back, then the NFL could alter its training camp and preseason schedule even more.

https://sportsnaut.com/2020/06/report-m ... n-delayed/

If that happens, Super Bowl LV could be played in March. The NFL has the option to pick a different date for this year’s Super Bowl at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

[jshawaii22]

According to this one NFL source, it looks like whenever they start, cities that allow fans at any level will be allowed to have them come to the games. Teams that don't, don't. That's the first time that the NFL has now declared "fairness" to no longer be a factor in the restart.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/06/23/nfl-attendance-will-be-determined-state-by-state-county-by-county/

[RiverDog]

According to this one NFL source, it looks like whenever they start, cities that allow fans at any level will be allowed to have them come to the games. Teams that don't, don't. That's the first time that the NFL has now declared "fairness" to no longer be a factor in the restart.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/06/23/nfl-attendance-will-be-determined-state-by-state-county-by-county/

I don't believe a word in that article, and won't until I hear it from something better than an "unnamed NFL source." I'm surprised that PFT ran with a story that's completely contrary to everything we've heard regarding competitive equity with such a shaky source. I know that as a fan I'll be completely outraged if some teams are allowed to have fans in attendance while others are not.