If a large part (or all) of CFB doesn’t play, it brings up an interesting possibility with the NFL.
It’s become pretty clear that the hockey and basketball bubbles are working. It’s also becoming clear that baseball is more at risk with no bubble. And while most of the players will be “OK”, the uncertainty of long term impacts makes it more than just assuming they recover. And as much as I want CFB, I’m on the fence with how you keep that many in that many places “clean”
If you are the NFL, you are playing. It’s too much money and the other 3 major US leagues are playing. Football has more contact, but also the ability to offer more protection. A gaitor with a full shield would offer more protection than the typical yinzer going in Gian Iggle.
So that brings me to my point. Could you see the NFL bubbling and using the time vacated by CFB? They could in theory take the full Thursday to Monday window, one game at a time. Yes it screws up the fantasy/red zone experience, but having every game televised during a time with little entertainment options could work.
Of course the problem is that you have to do this for 1) the full season, 2) until there is a vaccine, or 3) mitigation worked to the point where cases are truly isolated.
Not sure that could be pulled off for 4 to 5 months - but baseball is showing that it would otherwise be *very* dicey to keep teams clean and playing all games
It’s become pretty clear that the hockey and basketball bubbles are working. It’s also becoming clear that baseball is more at risk with no bubble. And while most of the players will be “OK”, the uncertainty of long term impacts makes it more than just assuming they recover. And as much as I want CFB, I’m on the fence with how you keep that many in that many places “clean”
If you are the NFL, you are playing. It’s too much money and the other 3 major US leagues are playing. Football has more contact, but also the ability to offer more protection. A gaitor with a full shield would offer more protection than the typical yinzer going in Gian Iggle.
So that brings me to my point. Could you see the NFL bubbling and using the time vacated by CFB? They could in theory take the full Thursday to Monday window, one game at a time. Yes it screws up the fantasy/red zone experience, but having every game televised during a time with little entertainment options could work.
Of course the problem is that you have to do this for 1) the full season, 2) until there is a vaccine, or 3) mitigation worked to the point where cases are truly isolated.
Not sure that could be pulled off for 4 to 5 months - but baseball is showing that it would otherwise be *very* dicey to keep teams clean and playing all games