Tag: Oakley

Chargers players could be wearing this to help fight spread of COVID-19

The NFL is doing everything in their might to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

With the 2020 NFL season right around the corner, the league is doing everything in their might to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

The NFL unveiled an idea on Monday, the Oakley Mouth Shield, which would be worn on the field to help reduce the spread of the virus.

The league’s chief medical officer hasn’t formally mandated the use of face masks for players just yet, but he is uplifting the concept.

“That’s certainly what we’re going to encourage,” Dr. Allen Sills told ESPN. “And we hope that we’re going to land on a product design that’s something that everyone would want to wear, because they’ll see the value and want that additional protection without any detriment to performance.”

The masks already are being put into practice with the Rams and Chargers, two teams who train nearby Oakley’s international headquarters.

NFL unveils a proposed Oakley face shield in response to the coronavirus pandemic

Will players wear them?

It’s already clear that the upcoming NFL season — assuming it goes on as scheduled — will look different from any football season we’ve seen. And that also goes for the equipment that players may be wearing.

For obvious reasons, playing a contact sport like football presents challenges amid a global coronavirus pandemic that is still surging across the U.S. And in an effort to battle potential transmission of the virus, Oakley and the NFL have designed a face shield that would cover a player’s mouth.

According to ESPN, the league distributed the new face shields to all 32 teams for further testing. The shields were designed with both protection and breathability in mind.

(Oakley via AP)
(Oakley via AP)

As of right now, the face shields aren’t mandated, but the league will encourage players to wear them. Via ESPN:

Safety protocol negotiations are ongoing between the league and players. Currently, there is no mandate to wear a face shield, but the NFL’s medical experts are advocating for the use of the protective equipment.

“That’s certainly what we’re going to encourage,” said Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer. “And we hope that we’re going to land on a product design that’s something that everyone would want to wear, because they’ll see the value and want that additional protection without any detriment to performance.”

And though there are holes on the shield for airflow, the chair of the NFL’s engineering committee, Dr. Jeff Crandall, said those openings were placed strategically to allow breathability while blocking viral droplets.

It remains to be seen, though, if players will actually wear the shields … or if they will even make a difference in a close-contact sport where social distancing isn’t possible (unless you’re the Bengals’ secondary).

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Oakley accepts ‘All In Challenge’ from Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes offering Super Bowl LV trip

You can win a trip to Super Bowl LV via Oakley and do some good at the same time thanks to Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes.

Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes recently went all-in to support COVID-19 relief efforts, offering up an exclusive experience to Chiefs fans. That experience included being the pre-game drum leader at a game at Arrowhead Stadium. There are still seven days left to bid on that prize package, which has already earned $60K toward COVID-19 relief. In total, the “All In Challenge” by Fanatics has raised over $33 million in donations to organizations striving toward eliminating food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Part of accepting the “All In Challenge” is to nominate others to participate in the challenge. Mahomes chose three of his partnered brands in Oakley, State Farm and EA Sports. Oakley has become one of the first brands to accept Mahomes’ challenge, announcing details for a contest offering what they describe as an “Ultimate Oakley Sports Weekend.”

The contest winner will earn a trip to the Phoenix Open to watch some of the best golfers compete. They’ll also finish the first weekend in February watching the 2020 AFC and NFC champions during Super Bowl LV in Tampa Bay. The package includes round-trip airfare to Phoenix, Tampa Bay, and hotel stays in both cities. The brand will also throw in some exclusive swag, like a signed Mahomes helmet, and two Oakley gift bags with apparel, eyewear and accessories.

Fans can enter to win a free trip to the Super Bowl in Tampa Bay and the Phoenix Open here. Oakley has also nominated skateboarder Ryan Sheckler and snowboarder Chloe Kim to be the next Oakley athletes to go all-in.

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