Cowboys, NFL react to coronavirus pandemic; McCarthy cancels Oxnard trip

The Coronavirus continues to disrupt the sports landscape as the Dallas Cowboys and the rest of the NFL continue to adjust.

The Dallas Cowboys and the NFL are very rich and powerful American-based organizations. As the Coronavirus, Covid-19 pandemic warrants response and care across the country, sports leagues are adjusting, with the NBA and NHL suspending play in the middle of their regular seasons. The NCAA has cancelled March Madness. MLB is in their exhibition schedule, and seemed conflicted between reports that games are being cancelled and still admitting fans into some ballparks in Florida. Now, they’ve delayed the start of the season two weeks.

The NFL is in offseason mode, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have to react, they just have more time to make their decisions.

With the draft approaching and the new league year less than a week away, teams are still conducting their business. For now, though, the league is not completing shutting down operations as they have declared they are not going to postpone the beginning of the league year.

The major impact with that decision is that theoretically, free agent visits will still be allowed. Although decisions are now more often made without in-person visits, touring facilities and meeting with coaching staffs and front offices, being given the red carpet treatment has always been a staple of early free agency when the biggest targets are signed to the biggest deals.

For now, that appears to be left to the discretion of teams, players and their agents. Meanwhile, many of the clubs are suspending collegiate prospect visits and bringing their scouts in from the road as the country moves toward social-distancing protocols.

The Cowboys, so far, are not one of them. From Sports Illustrated:

One source from inside The Star tells CowboysSI.com that the medical staff has emphasized “hygiene, as always.” We’re also told that the Cowboys medical staff is well-versed in treatment for MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and is similarly prepared to deal with this coronavirus.

Another team source says there has been no notable change in players’ offseason attendance at The Star.

“Our numbers are always high,” the source said, “and this year is as high or better than ever.”

Meanwhile, a Cowboys source tells us that while other teams are reportedly cutting back on scouting department travel in preparation for the NFL draft, Dallas is not among them.

“Business as usual,” he said.

The pre-draft visits aren’t the only thing being cancelled, as Penn State recently announced their pro day was off. Other schools almost certainly will follow.

Though the league year is scheduled to start on time, business isn’t running as usual. The NFL’s annual meeting that was originally scheduled to take place between March 29 and April 1 has been cancelled.

As far as the Cowboys are concerned, there is some impact. Head coach Mike McCarthy’s plans to scope out the Oxnard, California scene far ahead of training camp are now off. From ESPN’s Todd Archer:

With scouts, coaches and front office personal scheduled to be on the road, the Cowboys are discussing how to move forward with their plans with due to the coronavirus. New coach Mike McCarthy was scheduled to visit the team’s training camp home in Oxnard, California, this week but that plan was changed over concerns.

The Cowboys, and the league, may still have more changes to their modus operandi. It’s probably more than likely, but for now- they are the one professional American sports league that hasn’t uprooted their entire existence.

We are not.

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