Training camp for all 32 teams is still scheduled to start on July 28, and rookies, QBs, and injured players are slated to report this week. However, unanswered questions remain regarding, among other things, preseason length, opt-out rules, and economics, and a number of prominent players launched a social media blitz today to highlight their concerns.
Using the hashtag #WeWantToPlay, players were very blunt. Saints QB Drew Brees said, “We need Football! We need sports! We need hope! The NFL’s unwillingness to follow the recommendations of their own medical experts will prevent that. If the NFL doesn’t do their part to keep players healthy there is no football in 2020. It’s that simple. Get it done @NFL“
49ers CB Richard Sherman said, “The NFL has ignored the safety recommendations from the experts that THEY hired. We all love this game and want to go out and compete with our brothers. The NFL needs to provide a safe work environment for us to do that.”
Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network notes (via Twitter) that the tweets are primarily aimed at disputes over the acclimation period and preseason schedule. The joint medical committee recommended a 21-day acclimation period, and the NFL originally proposed early report dates to accommodate that. The union rejected that, but they do not have the right to reject the originally-scheduled training camp start date of July 28. And, as of now, the plan remains for there to be two preseason games, which the NFLPA has opposed for some time.
Pelissero says in a separate tweet that the players could file an unsafe work environment grievance, and today’s social media blitz suggests that they are considering exactly that. Union president J.C. Tretter joined the barrage with the following tweet: “What you are seeing today is our guys standing up for each other and for the work their union leadership has done to keep everyone as safe as possible. The NFL needs to listen to our union and adopt the experts’ recommendations.”
For all practical purposes, the league and the union need to get safety matters resolved tonight, as Dan Graziano of ESPN.com opines (via Twitter). With Texans and Chiefs rookies and QBs scheduled to report to their respective teams tomorrow, Graziano says a grievance could certainly be in the works if the union has not approved all safety protocols.
Are you positive, Mr. Brees? You aren’t going to change your mind and apologize for your comment?
Lol. I like that
Nah this time it goes with the blue agenda!
The joint medical committee recommended a 21-day acclimation period, and the NFL originally proposed early report dates to accommodate that. The union rejected that, but they do not have the right to reject the originally-scheduled training camp start date of July 28. And, as of now, the plan remains for there to be two preseason games, which the NFLPA has opposed for some time.
Union sounds like the issue not the NFL. Players are going to screw themselves royally.
Poor guys are so scared of a virus that has a 99% survival rate. What a sad existence.
Make sure you’re doing your part everyone! Those cloth masks we’re all wearing are very effective!
Please keep in mind that it’s being discovered that there ARE long term negative effects for some who contract the virus. More and more reports of long term heart and respiratory damages are being reported. I’m certain you can understand why that might be of concern to a professional athlete.
And 100% chance of spreading it.
False. I have been around a few people that have had it and I tested negative
Disease is a part of life. The sooner we accept that this thing isn’t going away and we need to develop our own immunity to it, the better off we’ll all be. We have flu vaccines and people still get the flu. Accept the fact that this life involves all kinds of risks and move on. Football is not a safe sport, and they risk career or life-altering injuries every day.
You sound like a complete moron. I bet your parents are so proud of you.
Wow, you went from ‘the virus has a 99% survival rate’ to ‘disease is a part of life’ in two seconds.
Someone else already said it, but you are a complete moron. You’re downplaying how serious it is, totally ignoring how easily transmissible it is, and making fun of mask-wearing (which drastically cuts down on transmission rates), all while seemingly wanting football to happen.
If you’d like sports to happen and for things to go back to normal, then shut up, stop downplaying the virus, wear a mask, and socially distance yourself. You are not smarter than medical experts. We have dozens of countries as examples of what to do to contain the virus and people like you, who contribute to the virus remaining a problem with your dumb, uneducated, selfish attitude have made us a laughing stock on the international stage.
I wonder how many people are buying masks of their favorite teams on Fanatics or similar sites while arguing their effectiveness? Meanwhile, you scroll down to the description of the product and it says this: “This product is not a medical device. It is not intended to be personal protective equipment….This product is not intended to prevent or protect from any form of illness or disease (or otherwise).”
Cloth masks are USELESS, but that’s what most people wear. But yeah, I’m the moron.
“There are already dangers in the world, therefore you should PURPOSELY expose yourself to even more dangers.”
You purposely expose yourself to germs, bacteria and viruses every single day of your life just by living. Not a great comeback.
Yeah you are the moron.
Your not just just a moron but a SUPER DUPER MORON!!!!!!!!
*You’re
Cloth masks aren’t as effective as masks with filters, but they DO slow down what comes out of people’s mouths and noses when they cough or sneeze, which DOES slow down the transmission rate. If you won’t use common sense and listen to reason, I would tend to agree with what the others are calling you.
There seems to be this notion that I’m supposed to care if random people on the Internet think I’m a moron. I don’t. I’m not a wuss that caves to peer pressure. Cloth masks aren’t effective and by their own admission they aren’t intended to be effective. It’s just people making money off you with useless products. If you’re someone that does care about what other people think of you, I think you’re all suckers.
does social distancing and mask wearing protect me from idiots like him? I don’t want to catch moron virus. People can really be stupid
IUFB Fan longs for the days before measles and polio vaccines. Those were the glory years guys. Probably misses head hunting in the NFL and guys playing through concussions.
John you may want to check yourself for a concussion after all that nonsense you just spouted off.
You mean about the same speed that Fauci (who is supposedly the world expert in these things) changed his mind from “there is no need to wear a mask” to “everyone should wear a mask”. If masks work so well, why do we need to social distance? If social distancing works, why do we need masks?
Well, for what it’s worth, the actual number is 96.4%
Athletes have 100% survival rate.
The people they may come in contact with and spread it to do not, however.
And yet there isn’t a single confirmed incident of an athlete “killing” someone by transmitting a virus. The sheer illogic some of you have been scared into believing knows no bounds.
yet. I think you meant to add that at the end. Also… keep in mind there has been no major sporting events played as of yet due to COVID.
Never say never.
Athletes are just people. If they have Covid, and give it to someone else, the person they give it to has as much of a chance of dying from it as if they got from Joe Blow down the street. Use your brain
Let them opt out of playing then. Sounds like a load of crap. The NFL has offered every thing they are bitching about and they’ve rejected. In my opinion – players just don’t want to play any pre season games and are using COVID health scare as there excuse.
Let them stay home with no pay. They may want to look at what happened to MLB in there negotiations before doing this public arguing stuff. Whiners. I don’t care if there is a football season or not. We’ve survived without sports for how long now??? Don’t need it, won’t spend a penny on it.
A virus so bad you have to be tested everyday to make sure you don’t have it.
A virus so *virulent* you have to be tested everyday to make sure you don’t have it.
It’s a contact virus, so if you’re pretty loose with touching other people, being touched by random folks, not washing your hands, touching your face constantly like children do, converse with people up on top of them so spittle can fly into your mouth/eyes/nose — then yea, you can easily contract/spread it.
Other than that, the virus is pretty benign (outside of a host).
You could theoretically stand 6-feet away from someone with the virus (without a mask) for 10 min straight & come away from the situation clean if: 1) you don’t let them talk into your mouth (6-feet apart, gravity takes over and spit falls to the ground); 2) if you don’t touch your face before thoroughly washing your hands; 3) once home, remove your outerwear, sit it aside out of the way, thoroughly wash your hands immediately after.
I mean, it’s not a flesh eating bacteria on contact. We’ve gone full-on crazy with the hysteria over something you literally will not catch if you practice social distancing & good hand hygiene.
Yet you’re posting on a niche forum about the NFL. Seems like sports are living rent free in your triggered brain.
what is a “social media blitz”?
They coordinated with each other to all post similar things to their social media accounts at roughly the same time.
Idk what’s worse, the teachers complaining about going back to work or professional athletes, both unionized btw… delivery drivers, post officer workers, medical professionals, construction workers, pot distillery workers/businesses, banks, grocery store workers, senior care living facilities, Police, firefighters, etc. did not shut down and there was very little complaining along the way. it’s sad that this stupid ass debate/schedule commands any of our attention.
What’s worse is morons like you who downplay the seriousness of the virus, which allows it to continue to rage on when we could have contained it months ago.
Why do you have to be rude to everyone? Everyone has their opinions, just because they don’t line up with yours doesn’t mean they are a moron. If anything it shows you to be intolerant of anyone that disagrees with you.
@rct, yea, the virus isn’t deadly. I’ll go on record with that while the virus “rages on”.. I wear a mask btw, I don’t think it does a damn thing other than appease one side of the debate. So you’re welcome for that.
Hmm…I guessing that the families of the 144,000+ people who have died from it so far, think it’s deadly…if it was your parents or grandparents contracting it, you might think differently.
Brees needed to stand by his option and not crumble like a cheap suit..
The country needs the NFL about as much as people need a second right foot.
I would agree with that
Drew was given an approved script to read from this time. He didn’t veer off talking points. He’s woke now-he knows better
@rct is easily the rudest poster on here. Seems that every post triggers him.
Dude, let it go. We get it, you have your internet Ph D in infectious disease control and disease pathology. And you’re always right.
Rct must stand for “Really Crappy ‘Tude”
I think players should opt out if they are worried, I firmly do. I don’t think it’s reasonable to say you want to play and then expect 100% health for your family knowing that a big factor in contracting it could be contact with a lot of people.
Opt out, collect a fraction of what you would have made and get your salary the following year.
Just cancel the season. Players don’t want to play or get paid.
Y’all can make whatever argument that you like and call everyone morons until you can’t breathe, but the point that remains is that you can’t tell someone else what risks they should be comfortable with. Most people survive the virus. You still can’t tell someone that they should just be comfortable getting it. The players might be wrong or right about how they want to go about doing this, but we certainly can’t tell them to just be okay with getting it.
NFL wants to get things done. It’s the players union that doesn’t want to play the preseason games or report to camp earlier to get acclimated.
Conducting a “social media” blitz just days after Twitter was the victim of a major hacking attack sounds like a brilliant idea. lol.
I’m pretty sure that Twitter is always the target of a major hacking attack. We only hear about a few of them. Unlike Yahoo, who apparently gets hacked once a year.