What will the 2020 NFL season look like?

[Eich]

Maybe I missed a thread/discussion but I don't recall all lot of discussion/speculation on what this season will look like.

I can't imagine people filling stadiums this season, masks or no masks - even if they tried something like every 3rd seat. I'd have to guess that teams will play to empty stadiums.

Will the NFL make watching/streaming all the games available to everyone? Clearly blackout rules go out the window.

What if a player tests positive for the virus and was recently around his whole team?

Nothing will be straightforward about the 2020 season.

[Shawn]

I was very pessimistic in early March about us having football. But, I do believe now we will have a season. A few reasons I believe that. One is America's insatiable need for football. Second, is I see a speedier course of this disease than I originally thought. We have antibody studies that are indicating 50x the amount of people reported positive have been exposed and have some immunity. That's around 40 million people. With states lifting restrictions for economic reasons that will spike it again. We have around 300 million people in this country. Lets just say it doubles every month that's three months until basically everyone in America has been exposed. But, that's not needed for herd immunity. Third emergency vaccine is slated to be ready for first responders by fall, who knows if the NFL would also be able to get ahold of the vaccine. Also, I think the government is going to see that covid is about as lethal as seasonal flu, fatality numbers go against the total number of cases, well if that shoots up 50 fold, that completely changes the game. If this plays out correctly, America will be open for business in all sectors and that includes the NFL. Of course social distancing will still be in place and I see half filled stadiums.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

antibody studies that are indicating 50x the amount of people reported positive have been exposed and have some immunity.

Hey Shawn, maybe not the place for this discussion but I saw one study stating the same thing. It has been maddening watching the numbers coming out while it is acknowledged that only those with extreme symptoms are being tested. How can anybody stand in front of the cameras with a straight face and say that these are the numbers without the disclaimer of how many more there must be who are asymptomatic and were never tested?

The problem is that it is therefore a political situation and not a medical situation so more difficult to use science to determine the outcome. This was not meant as a pro-Trump/anti-Trump or Republican vs. Democrat comment, it is more a "anytime you get politicians involved things will get messed up beyond recognition" comment.

[whisper]

I (try to) follow sports to give me a break from all this crap.

[skyhawk]

I (try) to follow sports to give me a break from all this crap.

If you don't think politics/this crap is part of sports well......

It's precisely this type of discussion that will show that we will not have a 2020 season. Bank on it. These big franchises and stadiums will do nothing but cover their asses. The city of New Orleans has ALREADY shut down the entire city to sports through Dec 31.

[whisper]

If you don't think politics/this crap is part of sports well......

It's precisely this type of discussion that will show that we will not have a 2020 season. Bank on it. These big franchises and stadiums will do nothing but cover their asses. The city of New Orleans has ALREADY shut down the entire city to sports through Dec 31.

Something like this is a pre-planned event, with a specific hidden agenda, full of propaganda, half truths and outright deceptions, so of course it bleeds into our sports media. They want this plastered into our faces at every possible turn. Don't forget to sh-t your pants. A scared populace is one that can be manipulated and controlled, truth be damned.

[Steel Maniac]

Something like this is a pre-planned event, with a specific hidden agenda, full of propaganda, half truths and outright deceptions, so of course it bleeds into our sports media. They want this plastered into our faces at every possible turn. Don't forget to sh-t your pants. A scared populace is one that can be manipulated and controlled, truth be damned.

exactly...right now, they have the populace in a mental position to go for whatever fried ice cream the government wants to throw at them.

[NorthCoast]

Negative news on covid gets a lot more clicks than anything positive.
Headline this morning "anti-malarial drug shows no effect". But if anyone bothered to click on the link to the study and read the 'Discussion ' it basically invalidated the whole thing because the drug was given to mostly people that were on death's doorstep vs earlier. So of course the death rate would be higher.

Sorry... now back to football.

I am on the side that there will be a season and I plan on attending a game or two.

[Buzz]

I forsee a shortened season, with games played in empty stadiums for 2020.

Hopefully by the 2021 season, the NFL can have a full slate, with some kind of actual audience on site for games.

[Northern_Blitz]

Hey Shawn, maybe not the place for this discussion but I saw one study stating the same thing. It has been maddening watching the numbers coming out while it is acknowledged that only those with extreme symptoms are being tested. How can anybody stand in front of the cameras with a straight face and say that these are the numbers without the disclaimer of how many more there must be who are asymptomatic and were never tested?

The problem is that it is therefore a political situation and not a medical situation so more difficult to use science to determine the outcome. This was not meant as a pro-Trump/anti-Trump or Republican vs. Democrat comment, it is more a "anytime you get politicians involved things will get messed up beyond recognition" comment.

Breaking radio silence for this post...

I think that Peter Attia has had some good coverage about COVID and testing in particular.

He's got a pretty good back story too. Grew up in Toronto (like a certain Steelers fan...and me too at least the GTA). Went to Queens for Engineering. Then an MD from Stanford. Then Hopkins for residency (and NIH too). Then worked in finance for a bit analyzing medical tech.

Now does concierge medicine focused on longevity / health span (presumably for very rich folks). I think he's also an investor in a bunch of medical tech companies.

I think he communicates scientific info pretty clearly. I also like that he has longform interviews with some very interesting and "famous" people in the biological community. It's great that he knows what he's talking about, so he asks really interesting questions in these long interviews.

His youtube channel has a bunch of good short videos on Corona testing (including one that demonstrates an antibody test developed in China). https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8k...ygSX9nkBcBH1Sg

He's also got a good podcast that I listen to for interesting health / longevity stuff (although it can get pretty technical sometimes). https://peterattiamd.com/podcast/

Another podcast that's similar is Found my Fitness with Rhonda Patrick. Although she hasn't done much COVID stuff (maybe to subscribers, but I'm cheap). https://www.foundmyfitness.com/

Re: NFL. I think we get a season, but I don't think they'll have fans at the stadiums...or at least that they'll probably still be significant restrictions on how many people in stadium / how close together they can be.

Also, (1) drafting a RB in the 2nd round seems foolish to me and (2) I'm thankful and surprised that the *'s didn't get more for allowing Gronk to come back.

[NorthCoast]

Make the seats free for the season and I guarantee they will be filled.

[Eich]

Make the seats free for the season and I guarantee they will be filled.

And so will the hospitals unless there’s a vaccine or a lot more immunity than we know of.