Tag: reopening

NFL proposed 35% of player salaries be held in escrow to manage costs

The NFL Players’ Association is none-too-pleased about the NFL proposal to hold 35% of players’ salaries in escrow to manage costs in 2020.

Despite the National Football League doing everything in its power to prepare for the start of the 2020 season, the NFL is now looking ahead to possible cost-cutting options should the year be canceled altogether due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“The NFLPA informed its board of representatives today that the NFL proposed 35% of player salaries be held in escrow to help manage costs during the 2020 season, per sources,” NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweeted Tuesday afternoon. “It’s one option on the table if revenue is impacted leaguewide by COVID-19.”

The league has already canceled a number of events out of an abundance of caution, including the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game and enshrinement ceremony, both of which have been rescheduled for 2021. However, the NFL is insisting players report for training camps at the end of the month despite all safety protocols having yet been put into place.

The players’ union doesn’t appear all-too-happy about the proposed salary escrow, either.

“How did the NFLPA react to the NFL’s proposal to escrow 35% of player salaries this season?”Pelissero’s tweet thread continued. “NFLPA executive Don Davis told players on a conference call: ‘Basically, we told them to kick rocks.’ Union’s stance is any escrow deal must be collectively bargained.”

This story is continuing to develop.

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How shortened NFL preseason could impact Seahawks schedule

A look at how the shortened 2020 NFL preseason will impact the Seattle Seahawks’ summer exhibition schedule.

In a move that was speculated to happen eventually due to coronavirus cases on the rise, the National Football League has now shortened the 2020 NFL preseason from four to just two games per team. Multiple media outlets, including ESPN, are now reporting the news that is expected to be announced officially in the next couple of days.

“In essence, the league canceled Weeks 1 and 4 of its original preseason schedule,” writes ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, citing a league source. “It had previously canceled its Aug. 8 Hall of Fame game. Most players will still report to training camp on July 28, but the first preseason games won’t be played until Aug. 20-24. The second week of preseason games are scheduled for Aug. 27-31. Each team will play one home game and one on the road.”

As far as the Seahawks are concerned, under this revised schedule, Seattle will likely play the Texans on the road on August 22 at 5 p.m. PT and the Chargers at home on August 27 at 7 p.m. PT. The slated Week 1 matchup against the Raiders and the Week 4 game at the Vikings would be canceled.

This story is continuing to develop.

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Owner also ponders a ‘bubble’ approach to ensure safe NFL season

Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis, like Dr. Anthony Fauci, is pondering a “bubble” approach to ensure players’ safety for the 2020 season.

Sports leagues around the country are scrambling to find ways to put their products on the field amind rising levels of coronavirus cases mounting in numerous states. The NFL has already canceled the preseason opener – the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game – and rescheduled the matchup as well as the enshrinement ceremony for next year.

The league, however, is still anticipating players to report for the start of training camps by the end of July.

Many medical experts in the know, including the National Institue of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director, Dr. Anthony Fauci, have questioned whether or not teams will be able to do that safely without taking some sort of “bubble” approach to keep players as protected as possible.

Now, one NFL owner is also asking whether or not the bubble approach is prudent.

“You can keep players from the fans, but you can’t keep players from the players,” Raiders owner Mark Davis told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “That could be our Achilles’ heel. Without some form of bubble, we may be asking for trouble.”

Davis, who has also expressed displeasure with the idea of covering the first eight rows of seats should fans actually be allowed in stadiums, now raises a bigger question of whether or not anyone should be in the venues at all.

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NFLPA medical director speaks with NFL agents about testing protocols

NFLPA medical director, Thom Mayer, spoke with NFL agents about COVID-19 testing protocols following the news several players are positive.

Before the National Football League becomes fully open for business, protocols need to be put into place for the safe reopening of team facilities and stadiums around the country.

Training camps are slated to start in six weeks for most clubs and the NFL must figure out how to handle those players and staff who ultimately test positive for COVID-19.

Following the news that players from both the Texans and the Cowboys have tested positive for the coronavirus, NFLPA medical director Thomas Mayer spoke with NFL agents, per Tom Pelissero.

“In a call with agents today, NFLPA medical director Thom Mayer said the current plan is to test players for COVID-19 about 3 times a week, isolating those who test positive,” Pelissero tweeted Monday afternoon. “Per Mayer, there’s a 90% chance reliable saliva testing is available before players return to facilities.”

Pelissero also noted that NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said the union and the NFL are expected “to make headway on overall protocols going forward in the next 30 days or so.”

More testing will inevitably expose more cases, however, the NFL must find a way to safely handle any potential outbreaks before players are allowed to report for duty.

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Watch: Alterations being made to Lions facility for reopening

Watch how the Detroit Lions are updating and preparing their facilities for fall football in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Neither coaches nor players are allowed in the Detroit Lions Allen Park training facility at this stage but the organization is updating and preparing their buildings for fall football in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Wednesday, the Lions began introducing key staff members back into the facility and Kevin Anderson, the Lions Chief of Staff, explained that the Lions organization has developed two teams to execute the precautionary actions the team is making.

The “infectious response team” is in charge of medical decisions and screening protocols, while the “return to work committee” is in charge of building upgrades to maintain a safe environment.

In addition to the video below, Anderson went into more detail on the physical changes being made to the building and some of the challenges that are still in front of them to fully reopen the building, in an interview with Tim Twentyman, the Lions in-house senior writer.

You can watch the entire 2-minute video in the clip below:

NFL, NFLPA discussing shortening of 2020 NFL preseason

In light of the coronavirus pandemic, the NFL and the NFLPA are discussing the shortening of the 2020 NFL preseason to just two games.

The National Football League and the players’ union are still trying to come to terms on the exact protocols teams will have to adhere to in order to reopen their facilities on the heels of the coronavirus pandemic that is still sweeping the nation.

While coaching staff are now permitted in the buildings, the two sides have yet to agree on when exactly the players will be able to return.

As a result of an offseason with no OTAs or camps, one option to speed along the return of football this year is to do away with a couple of this summer’s exhibition games.

“The NFL and NFLPA are discussing the possibility of shortening the 2020 preseason, per sources,” NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweeted Wednesday morning. “Nothing finalized or imminent, but multiple team executives informed of talks currently believe they could end up playing two preseason games, rather than four.”

Pelissero also noted that shortening the preseason would allow for a longer “ramp-up” period and provide extra time for medical experts to finalize game-day protocols for testing, and the like.

This story is continuing to develop.

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NFL and players union agree to reopening plan for team facilities

The NFL and NFL Players Association have agreed to guidelines for reopening team facilities to all players.

The NFL and the players union have agreed to a set of terms to provide for the safe reopening of team facilities during the coronavirus pandemic.

A four-part memo was sent to all 32 teams which detailed protocols for clubs, per the Associated Press. Screening, testing, infection prevention and COVID-19 treatment are all addressed at length. Guidance on accessing facilities, cleaning, hygiene and team travel are also discussed.

Team facilities were closed in late March at the outset of the pandemic.

“Clubs will be required to certify that they have made the arrangements necessary to meet their obligations under these protocols,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell wrote in the memo. “And, in certain instances, to provide the details of those arrangements to be reviewed and confirmed by the jointly retained infectious disease experts at (Duke University).”

A tiered approach to return must be followed and presented to the league for approval at least seven days before the reporting date for training camps later this summer.

“No set of protocols can eliminate the risk of contracting COVID-19, nor ensure that the disease itself will be mild,” Goodell stated. “And we should expect that these protocols will change as medical and scientific knowledge of the disease continues to grow. But we believe, along with the NFLPA, that these protocols offer a sound basis for bringing players back into the facilities and moving forward with our planning for the 2020 season.”

This story is continuing to develop.

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‘Golden month’ for professional sports could be coming this fall

The resumption of professional sports following the coronavirus pandemic could provide a “golden month” of programming for fans this fall.

The coronavirus pandemic led to the closures of millions of businesses around the nation and professional sports came to a screeching halt. Now, with the gradual reopening of the country, sports fans may have something to truly look forward to this fall.

Most major sports leagues and college conferences are preparing to find ways to take to the fields and courts in the upcoming months, which could provide for some of the most prolific sports broadcasting in recent history.

“We may be going into a unique golden month in the annals of broadcasting,” Marc Ganis, president of SportsCorp, a Chicago firm that consults for MLB, the NFL and NBA, told Gabe Lacques of USA TODAY Sports. “Ad buyers have been saving their buys. There’s no new programs with Hollywood being shut down.”

“Come November, there will be very little new programming available, both for broadcast networks and streaming services,” Ganis continued. “You’ll just have to coordinate so you don’t have World Series games going up against NFL games.”

If sports leagues can truly find a way to safely reopen by the end of summer, fans around the world could be in for a real treat this autumn and a “golden month” could prove to be well worth the wait.

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Professional sports begin reopening plan in Washington State

Under the governor’s proclamation, indoor and outdoor professional sports can begin to reopen in Washington State under certain guidelines.

The Washington state governor’s office has now issued guidelines under the “Safe Start” program which allow for the gradual reopening of certain businesses, including professional sports, as King County moves into Phase 1.5.

The Seahawks, who practice the Virginia Mason Athletic Center, must adhere to the mandates below that apply to all professional indoor and outdoor sporting activities.

As of June 5, the National Football League has also provided that coaching staff may return to club facilities.

RESTART COVID-19 REQUIREMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

“All professional sporting activities, including back-office operations of up to 50 people, unless a county’s then-current phase permits a greater number of people, full team practices, and spectator-less games and competitions, can resume on June 5, 2020, regardless of phase, if all of the following conditions are met,” reads the proclamation.

Here are the specific requirements all professional sporting organizations must follow:

• The organization follows both the league-wide and team-specific “return to play” safety plans.

• The league-wide plan is approved by the player’s association or union representing players of the team.

• The team must report in advance to its respective county health department the dates when full team practices and spectator-less pre-season games will occur.

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NFL coaches can begin to return to team facilities as soon as June 5

A memo sent to all 32 NFL clubs provides that coaches can begin to return to team facilities, if local authorities allow, as soon as June 5.

The 2020 NFL season is inching closer and closer to fruition. A memo sent to all 32 clubs Thursday morning provides that coaching staff can begin to return to team facilities as soon as June 5.

“This will advise that, beginning tomorrow, June 5, coaching staffs may be among the employees returning to your facilities,” the memo reads, per NFL’s Ian Rapoport. “As has been emphasized in previous advice for reopening facilities, this may occur only if your club has otherwise received necessary permission from state and local governments to reopen its facility.”

As of this date, King County – where the Seahawks’ Virginia Mason Athletic Center is located – remains in Phase One of the state’s reopening plan. An application for the county to enter a modified Phase 1.5, which could lift some restrictions, is now pending.

The memo does provide a cautionary warning to those who could be more vulnerable to the virus.

“Coaches and other football staff, particularly those who may be in a higher risk category or who have concerns about their own health conditions, are expected to speak with the club medical staff or personal physician about any special precautions or other accommodations that may be appropriate for their particular circumstances,” the memo notes. “In addition, we will work with club medical staffs to implement a program of COVID-19 testing for the coaching staff and other football personnel prior to players returning to club facilities.”

This story is continuing to develop.

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