Thread: Will there be a 2020 NFL season?

So, I think the NFL will have some semblance of a season. I don’t really think that’s in question. Will they finish whatever it is they start, is probably a larger question, IMO. But there’s too much money involved for them not to try. I do think they’ll have to expand rosters. Players will test positive, they will have a minimum two week out time.

The NFL’s season I think does hinge on how MLB does.

I think the NBA is an outlier among the three. Less moving pieces is always going to be an advantage here. I think the league is allowing 30 people per team in the bubble, which is three hotels at Disneyworld. The courts are physically smaller and indoors. From photos I’ve seen, they’re literally able to build the team’s own home floor inside the ballrooms on this bubble/campus.

That would be physically impossible for both NFL and MLB. Even if they played in specific locations, which MLB proposed and was rejected by the MLBPA, they’d have to have a much larger “bubble.” What would be the minimum number of people for a team’s NFL bubble? 100?

Also a major difference is NBA is finishing a season and not try to start a whole new one. They’ve only invited 22 teams to complete the season. By my math that’s probably around 800 people in the bubble. With football we’d be talking like 3,500-4,000 minimum?

College athletics? I don’t know how the hell they happen.

I’d be shocked, this entire COVID shitshow has been an indictment on the lack of leadership, Goodell (who I’ve always defended) apparently thinks he can just strongarm his way into playing this season ... but there’s been rumblings (From GM’s and coaches) of a complete lack of leadership and coherent plan.

Basically he’s telling teams “We’re playing this season, you figure out how!”. That’s not leadership, that’s the opposite of leadership, “we’re playing” isn’t a plan.

If rumblings are true this shitshow is just getting started ... if the NFL pulls it off it will be in spite of the lack of leadership, preparedness and planning.

I think they will get it done because they only have to play once a week and they realize, unlike baseball, that the tv revenue is what is really important. If they have to move a game out of an infected city and play before no fans, they will do it. Plus, there are a ton of college stadiums in small towns that would love to get some extra revenue hosting NFL games since college football probably won't play this fall. The NFLPA genuinely rolls over for the owners. So long as some decent player protection measures are used, they'll play. The NFL is used to "next man up" so if any player pussies out and refuses to play, the teams will adapt and soldier on.

Originally Posted by OrangeHoof

I think they will get it done because they only have to play once a week and they realize, unlike baseball, that the tv revenue is what is really important. If they have to move a game out of an infected city and play before no fans, they will do it. Plus, there are a ton of college stadiums in small towns that would love to get some extra revenue hosting NFL games since college football probably won't play this fall. The NFLPA genuinely rolls over for the owners. So long as some decent player protection measures are used, they'll play. The NFL is used to "next man up" so if any player pussies out and refuses to play, the teams will adapt and soldier on.

You came so close to making a good post. There are plenty of reasons not to play that don't equate to "pussying out". A player could live with someone with health issues. They could have their own health issues that make them have a higher risk of complications. They could simply not want to contribute to possibly spreading it to strangers. There are plenty of valid reasons not to want to play during this.

This a great poll question. After 12 votes, all six choices have at least one vote. Good work, Dog.

There’s the first domino for college. Ivy League won’t play athletics until 2021, with a scheduled football season in the spring.

Now, they don’t play postseason football in FCS, which is why they could do this easily, but according to the guys in the know (Feldman at the Athletic is the one I pay most attention to), the big conferences were watching this.

As many have said, money. There is just too much to lose for them not to try. Again as echoed before, they likely will start and likely come winter will have to stop again.

The thing that is going to piss me off is they are going to have some small crap season and the pats are going to lose a lot of games, the season will be called and the pats are going to be in line for the 1st pick and get trevor lawrence. I can already see this BS happening.


Back to topic, I bet this thing comes back real ugly this fall. Real ugly. I do not see the season lasting, which sucks because I am not sure I can make it through an entire year without hockey or football or a job and having to be locked up at home.




The only hope imo, is to have the same everything. No freetime for the players, same private flights no cabin service, empty stadiums, no press in the LR, total 10ft isolation.

Originally Posted by Tned

I really fall somewhere between "Yes, at least I think so" and 50/50. I guess the reality is that probably means it is a 50/50 coin flip type situation, but the reason I didn't go with that is that I think that assuming the union doesn't veto them, I think the owners will do everything in their power to have a season, even if means nobody in the stands.

Too much money at stake with television rights, not to mention the fact that after several years of decline, the NFL saw an uptick in viewership last year. When you already have more apathy about the NFL than you've had in decades (or far longer than that), the league doesn't want to have no football this year and hope fans that were already tiring of the NFL would show back up after a year of no football.

Basically this. I'm hopeful for some kind of season, but I would not be comfortable betting on having one at this point.

Originally Posted by OrangeHoof

I think they will get it done because they only have to play once a week and they realize, unlike baseball, that the tv revenue is what is really important. If they have to move a game out of an infected city and play before no fans, they will do it. Plus, there are a ton of college stadiums in small towns that would love to get some extra revenue hosting NFL games since college football probably won't play this fall. The NFLPA genuinely rolls over for the owners. So long as some decent player protection measures are used, they'll play. The NFL is used to "next man up" so if any player pussies out and refuses to play, the teams will adapt and soldier on.

You’re a meathead.

Wow. I'm just devastated. Such irrefutable logic.

Originally Posted by OrangeHoof

Wow. I'm just devastated. Such irrefutable logic.

When I refute something you’ll know, that post was just an insult.

From what we know today it's doubtful they will have a season. The virus is worse that it's ever been. We managed to flatten the curve for awhile but now it's rising higher and higher. Take in that it's best not to breath other people's air and think of 2 lines up against each other and the breathing at the bottom of those piles, well it just doesn't social distance well. On the plus side it is outside in some stadiums which helps. There's financial concerns but huge costs in opening a stadium that doesn't allow fans. As of today I wouldn't show up to breath that air even if allowed. It's a big mess and no plan to right the ship on the national level, football aside.

maybe....

Big Ten has announced a conference-only schedule. Any non conference games in any fall sport are canceled.

Originally Posted by OrangeHoof

This a great poll question. After 12 votes, all six choices have at least one vote. Good work, Dog.

*tips cap*

Back to topic, I bet this thing comes back real ugly this fall. Real ugly.

"comes back?" when did it leave?

Originally Posted by MOtorboat

There’s the first domino for college. Ivy League won’t play athletics until 2021, with a scheduled football season in the spring.

Now, they don’t play postseason football in FCS, which is why they could do this easily, but according to the guys in the know (Feldman at the Athletic is the one I pay most attention to), the big conferences were watching this.

Originally Posted by MOtorboat

Big Ten has announced a conference-only schedule. Any non conference games in any fall sport are canceled.

Shortly after the Big Ten’s announcement, Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith held a video call with reporters. Once “cautiously optimistic” about a college football season this fall, Smith no longer is.

“I’m really concerned,” Smith said, via Ari Wasserman of TheAthletic.com. “When you look at the behavior of our country and in may we were on a downward trajectory, now, if we are not the worst in the world, [we are] one of the worst [countries] in the world.”

In May, Smith said he was hopeful of crowds of 50,000. Two months later, with the coronavirus “at a spike again,” Smith now has doubts his school will play at all.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...-about-season/