Tag: global pandemic

Will Ferrell, disguised as Greg Olsen, crashed Seahawks meeting

Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll invited comedian Will Ferrell to crash the team’s zoom meeting, disguised as tight end Greg Olsen.

The Seattle Seahawks, like the rest of the NFL, are forced to hold their initial team meetings of the 2020 season virtually thanks to COVID-19.

While the team would surely prefer to be together in person, that doesn’t mean they can’t find ways to have a little fun on their virtual meetings.

Coach Pete Carroll began introducing veteran tight end Greg Olsen, who the team signed back in February, on a call with the team Thursday evening.

However – the team was instead introduced to comedian Will Ferrell, who was impersonating Olsen by wearing backward Seahawks hat and a number 12 jersey.

“Coach, thanks so much I’m so excited to be here,” Ferrell deadpanned, while the players who were unmuted laughed in the background.

Ferrell went on to praise Russell Wilson, told Luke Willson he needs to cut his hair, and told offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer he has designed some of his own plays – one that he called “90 Go Flywheel Kanye Starburst.”

Ferrell and Olsen do look similar, hence the video-bomb, and Ferrell is an alumni and super fan at USC where Carroll coached before joining the Seahawks – perhaps explaining the cameo.

Carroll tweeted the video, thanking Ferrell for “zoombombing our team meeting”.

Olsen and the rest of the Seahawks will continue to hold their team meetings virtually, at least for now, while the league continues to determine their next steps during this global pandemic.

At least they can find ways to laugh.

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XFL: Seattle Dragons player tested positive for COVID-19

The Seattle Dragons had a player test positive for COVID-19, aka the coronavirus, after he played in the team’s final two games.

The XFL, which has shut down operations for the 2020 season, announced that a player on the Seattle Dragons tested positive for COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus.

The player, who remained nameless, played in both of the team’s most recent games on February 29 and March 7. They self-reported symptoms on Tuesday and have been in quarantine ever since, and the results came out on Friday.

It’s unclear if this player’s symptoms played a part in the league’s decision to cease operations. However, considering the decisions made by the NCAA, the MLS, the MLB and the NBA, it’s unlikely the XFL would have continued playing regardless.

Playing in their first rebooted season since 2001, Vince McMahon’s XFL was enjoying a successful campaign, with lucrative tv deals and rule changes that had many fans interested in the product on the field.

However – recovering from a partial season and all the lost revenue from ticket sales, concessions and tv will be difficult, especially with the league pledging to pay their players in full despite not completing the season.

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NFL business as usual despite rampant COVID-19 concerns

The NFL does not plan to halt the start of free agency this week, despite the rapid spread of COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus.

The NFL season officially kicks off on Monday, March 18 at 1:00 p.m. PT when teams can officially begin signing unrestricted free agents, after a two-day negotiation period.

COVID-19, more commonly known as the coronavirus, has absolutely decimated the sports landscape over the last week, officially bringing about the cancellation or postponement of the NCAA tournament, the NBA season, all NCAA spring sports, the MLS, the XFL and the MLB in less than a week’s time.

The NFL has remained largely unchanged, although the league did prohibit draft-related travel, which shut down college Pro Days and a lot of potential visits with draft-eligible players.

However – despite the global pandemic and the draft-related travel ban, the league is planning to operate as usual this week, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The decision has spawned concern and skepticism among league officials, who have a hard time believing the amount of travel and human contact that is required for free agent signings can reasonably occur while the disease is still spreading wildly.

With a few days until free agency officially kicks off, it’s worth paying close attention to the news cycle, as things could change in an instant.

As one of very few sports that hasn’t completely shut down operations – it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if free agency and/or the NFL draft are put on hold while the pandemic continues.

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