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https://www.brownszone.com/2020/05/19/nf...ins-a-ways-out/

NEWSNFLPA president JC Tretter says agreement with NFL to return during pandemic faces “long list of hurdles,” remains “a ways out”by Scott Petrak May 19, 2020

JC Tretter spoke to reporters for more than 20 minutes Tuesday. He needed three seconds to encapsulate the challenge the NFL faces as it works to play during the coronavirus pandemic.

“This is a contact disease and we play a contact sport,” the Browns center said on a Zoom call with area media.

Tretter’s comments matter more than most because he was elected president of the NFL Players Association in March. He’s deeply involved in discussions with the players, the union and the league.

He wouldn’t characterize his optimism that there will be a season, noting how the understanding of the disease changes constantly, the season is months away and living in a heap of hypotheticals can be paralyzing. He believes there’s a long way to go before players will be comfortable taking the field.

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“So there’s probably not one, two, five things, there’s a long list of hurdles we have to get over and things we have to watch and check,” Tretter said. “So we’ve stayed really up to date with everything and made sure that we’re always looking through the lens of how do we keep our players safe and healthy as well as their families.”

Although minicamp in June hasn’t been ruled out, Tretter was focused on training camp in late July as the next deadline for resolution. He said the league and union could need all that time to reach an agreement on safe working conditions.

“I think that’s still a ways out,” he said. “I don’t think we’re there at this point. I think we continually just keep looking at what new information comes out, and in the end, we’ve just got to make good decisions and safe decisions.

“And we have, I guess what you would call an advantage, of we still have time before our season is projected to start. A lot of other leagues are trying to figure this out right now and trying to piece it together, and we still have time. We’re going to keep sitting back and making sure we’re making the right choices for our players.”

Dr. Allen Sills, the league’s chief medical officer, gave an update Tuesday from the NFL’s perspective.

“We are not putting dates on the calendar at this point,” he said of a potential return.

Tretter won’t stop looking out for the health and safety of his fellow players but realizes playing the season won’t come without danger. Sills said “we fully expect” positive cases of COVID-19 will arise once teams reunite.

“There’s a level of risk to everything. You’re facing a level of risk right now going to the grocery store. There’s always going to be a level of exposure that people are going to face in this,” Tretter said. “That’s never going to be down to zero. Our job is to try to get that as close to zero as possible. And that’s why you have to kind of look at everything. In every little thing you can find a little dip and fix one issue, that just decreases the level of exposure you’ll face.

“That’s why the conversations are so long and there are so many ideas and thoughts and kind of re-evaluations. ‘Do we have to do this? Who has to be present?’ Everything is being talked about.”

Tretter said the union is having biweekly calls with players and their wives to answer questions about what playing in the NFL in 2020 could look like, as well as proceeding safely in everyday life. The reality is there are many challenges to a safe return to football.

“So the way this thing passes along is through contact, and that’s what we do for a living,” he said. “And the way we interact with each other at the facility, at practice, weight lifting, at the meal room, it is shoulder to shoulder, standing by each other, passing things around.

“So there is a long list of ideas we need to come up with on how to make this environment safe for us. And that’s why it’s going to be a lot of thinking involved in that. That’s why we have conversations and calls and we’re looking at that every day.”

Tretter is concerned about players with preexisting medical conditions and stressed the importance of testing if players are to return. Thom Mayer, the NFLPA’s medical director, told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that league engineers and sports equipment company Oakley are testing prototypes for face masks that could include N95 material.

“There’s no bad idea at this point, and you kind of have to think outside the box,” said Tretter, who hadn’t seen the prototypes. “And the way coronavirus has kind of changed how every industry is working, you can’t expect just to throw football back in and think that the virus is going to kneel down to almighty football. You have to look through different ways of making sure people stay healthy and there’s going to be new ideas, and it’s probably going to look a little different this year making sure people stay healthy.”

As long as social distancing is the recommendation from health departments, I don't see how the games can be played or have fans in the stadium.

I wonder if they will come up with some sort of helmet shielding that incorporates a respirator of some sort. It seems to me that this would be a solid step towards protecting the players.

What happens when the respirators fail due to all of the helmet2helmet hits?

I’ll try to find the article, but I read that this is in the works (or at least being discussed)

No problems with the ticker, but I had/have type 2 diabetes and have put some weight back on.

About 12 years ago I was on diabetes meds and weight 280-285. I was in my mid-late 50's. I decided I needed to do something if I wanted to stick around and lost pretty much 100 lbs. I leveled out at 190 for 7-8 years. Slowly put on 15-20 the last few years, then this hit and add another 10-15 in a hurry. So, I am at 230.

That was my tipping point with the diabetes. My A1C was 6 the last time check a month or so ago. That is the borderline number. It had been holding around 5.6 for a good number of years.

I have to get after it, but as you know, it isn't as easy as it was when we were 10-15 years younger.

It is what it is. Father Time stops for nobody.

All is unknown at this point. They can't not sell tickets.

Tickets are on sale now. They simply say that they cannot guarantee when/if games will be played.

Cleveland Browns Tickets | 2020 NFL Tickets & Schedule | Ticketmaster
https://www.ticketmaster.com/artist/805920?camefrom=CFC_BROWNS_WEB_TICKETS

What You Need to Know About Potential Schedule Shifts
Questions about how COVID-19 might impact your tickets to upcoming games? See our FAQs here for answers on how we’re working with the NFL, individual teams and venues to make sure you’ve got the most up-to-date information. Full refunds will be available if the NFL or the team cancels a game and it cannot be replayed, or if it is played under conditions that prohibit fans from attending. If a game is postponed or rescheduled, your tickets are valid for the new date, so hang onto them and we will keep you posted. In addition to our standard Purchase Policy, our Supplemental Terms apply.

Like I said, they have to sell as if things will be good. They are in a ticket selling business.


What happens down the road, who knows?

Refunds for singles will be given. For us season ticket holders, a refund or credit towards next season will be given.

I am at the age and health factor, I'll probably take the refund, then again, maybe one last gift to my Browns fan son. Let him decide if he wants to keep the PSL.

I really don't see the NFL being ready to play without fans. Remember, they have a few months to make that call. And honestly, it would be fairly easy to just delay the start of the season and place the first 4 games at the end of the schedule and play later. In fact, I would bet that that's the move they make instead of playing without fans.

However if would be the most "Browns thing" ever to have a season of a lifetime with no one there to watch it in person.

Season ticket holders were told that if they cancel games or play games without fans you will be refunded or credited for next season (only reason I went through with buying tickets this year).

I just got season tickets about a month ago. They have to still try to sell them. They will refund or credit the tickets if any games are cancelled or played without fans.

Also we have to consider, there are teams in OTHER states. So even if say Ohio clears to have full games and participants, California may not. So do yo move the Rams home game to another state?

The NFL wont open up to fans until EVERY team can have fans.

Yep, my neighbor was able to upgrade his seats down by mine in the club seating area. Worst case scenario is you already have your tickets paid for next year.

Several teams, including the NYJ and NYG are not selling any single game tickets at this time. The Steelers announced today they are only selling 50% of their single game tickets.

If most of the states with teams open up enough to host games, then I think teams from places that aren't there will have to play elsewhere. I'm sure there's plenty of college stadiums available.

Right now we'll hear about the players being unified in wanting the best conditions possible. No problem with that. But its also easy to take that position at a time where the NFL hasn't announced any delays OR worst case a cancelled season. It's one thing to shave a game here or there off the schedule, but there's got to be a point where the loss in pay to the players will get considered.

For argument's sake let's say the League starts talking about cancelling the season for whatever reason. Would the teams be on board with paying out a $120 million dollar payroll for no one to play a single down? How much of a reduced rate would the players be willing to accept if offered for consideration? If compensation changes hands, will it be considered an accrued season? Or will all contracts be frozen for a year? I can't imagine many players qualifying to be a FA would be on board with that considering how many of them are older than would have to deal with any stigma about the impact on their ability to play a year older and a year away from football?

I thought I heard on the news a couple days ago that the teams stand to lose an estimated $4 billion in revenue if games are played with fans, with the Cowboys being effected the most (something like $600 million???).

If/when they get to the point where the hit to their wallets is on the horizon, the messages may change.

Good grief! All this money to do nothing while the 'average Joe' or small business is hurting big-time. I have little sympathy...

J/c

I just saw a clip of a soccer game with piped in crowd noise (NFL is rumored to be doing this w/out fans) ... kinda eerie haha

I largely agree with the sentiment, but what's that got to do with the topic at hand?

Let's not forget about what else is at stake aside from the teams and players missing out on stoopid money.

How many Average Joe's rely on the seasonal work from working at the stadium? How much of the Average Joe vendor that supplies stadium operations is reliant on the seasonal order?

What would be fantastic if there were no football for a season is if the players agreed to take the league minimum for their contract or position and the remaining balance of that years salary be distributed to the vendors and such that lost out on that business.

I would be on board with that sentiment...

I hate to say this but in today's society the chances of most of these players (Some Would) agreeing to minimum wage and giving to others is slim to none ... JMHO

Ye of little faith. (JK)

Before the shutdown, I would have automatically agreed. I'm wondering if that proposal might be better received now. It wouldn't be universally accepted, but a little peer pressure might possibly change the tide.

I don't mean to butt in on the convo, lol, but just to add my 2 cents, I can't see players, coaches, etc...taking minimum wage or even a big wage reduction at all. That just soundstoo much like a utopian society that just doesn't exist. imo

games without fans will be very strange, I've been watching wrestling and their weekly shows and ppv's are very strange without fans, I just think sports needs a crowd to set the atmospheric tone. imo

I hope your right and I'm wrong

For me, the game is the draw, but so is the crowd experience at the venue as a destination event. Until we are vaccinated or something wearable and protective is available, we can't safely assemble. We are not yet ready to handle large packed crowds, regardless of political machinations or how many "experts"' opinions you stack up. Predictions and models be hanged. If you are encouraging practices damaging to the public with real potential for real harm, which we have seen, then you are in the wrong side of this until you show better control and judgment. Love sports, but I won't be going soon. Other folks have personal rights, but they are not limitless. Arguing for better management of risk and organized responses.

I don't want to see another wave. If the first 90K didn't matter much, I don't realistically expect the next 90K to hold more sway. That is proof.

Safe crowds. Safe sports. Be a fan when you can.

We will find outy. Now that were are opening up, we will see spikes in cases and deaths. No way around it as long as it is here.

Just because some think it safe enough, it doesn't mean it is.

I dont need to attend games, just seeing our teams play on tv would be a huge leap forward.

Agreed 100 %.

Browns fans headed to games this fall.

we better make those suits orange instead of yellow tho

Looks like the Sept and early October games are going to be uncomfortably warm.

Those are similar to what my girlfriend has to wear to see her COVID patients. It’s brutally hot even in an AC’d nursing facility. I couldn’t imagine being out in the sun in one.

Our new unit need a helmet stripe. At least no Cleveland up your leg. This is the third color alternative, the NFL FutureChillin'Chilluns option.

My prediction is that there will be enough teams who have to quarantine players that the NFL will have to reluctantly come to the conclusion to either postpone or cancel the season. You can't have a legitimate season if 3-4 teams have to quarantine for at least 14 days. It only takes one player or coach from each team.

Or they could just have that individual player quarantine and Get On With It.

Imagine some team playing a ringer or two to get the opponent's star(s) into a quarantine situation. At the right time, a pair off games off could really swing things around.

Now is the NFL that mercenary and cold-souled to manipulate a win or two like that? I must be joking. This is laughable just to imagine. But I would want to know s COVID status on every opposing team member, just like an injury report. Testing accuracy, quarantine time, re-tests, lots of wrinkles on this. Who would try to fiddle the rules?