This article was written as of October 15th, 2020
The NFL and their current battle with COVID-19: Maxwell Fiedorczyk. Trumpet Issue 6
With the conclusion of leagues such as the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League, many sports fans have turned their attention to football, specifically the NFL. In a year like no other, many sports leagues have implemented strategies to help ensure play will continue amidst the ongoing battle against COVID-19. Whereas the NBA and the NHL had seen massive success as their seasons concluded, reporting zero positive coronavirus cases from the beginning of their league restarts, it is a different story when it comes to the NFL. Part of the reason why the NFL is experiencing these troubles is that, unlike their two other rival sports leagues, they do not have a league “bubble” which limits the contact of players from the outside world.
The National Football league has been quick to feel the impacts of this failure, as the Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots, and Atlanta Falcons are just three examples of franchises suffering setbacks of positive coronavirus cases. As a matter of fact, the NFL had just announced this weekend that any Pro-Bowl activities, including the game itself, would be canceled due to the fear of COVID-19 outbreaks amongst players.
The NFL is not against implementing a bubble of their own, however, league executives suggest it would only be for the playoffs. One point that must be addressed when talking about an NFL bubble compared to the NBA and NHL is that the National Football League is far larger in regards to roster size compared to the other two leagues, making a bubble potentially more difficult to implement across 32 franchises. However, there has to be a question lingering in the back of every fans’ mind, will the failure to implement a bubble be the downfall to the NFL, or the right choice moving forward?