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https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/20...son/5413210002/

Buccaneers' Donovan Smith: NFL players' return to action amid coronavirus pandemic 'does not seem like a risk worth taking'

In an Instagram post Friday, Tampa Bay Buccaneers left tackle Donovan Smith expressed concern over the NFL's return plan and the risk of playing football amid the coronavirus pandemic.

While Smith did not say whether he would opt out of the upcoming season, he questioned the safety of returning to play.

"To continue discussing the many UNKNOWNS do not give me the comfort," the post read. "Risking my health as well as my family’s health does not seem like a risk worth taking."

Smith, who has a baby due in three weeks, worried that because his position requires contact on every play, he would not be able to take proper precautions to ensure he did not bring the virus back to his household.

The NFL recently proposed to the NFLPA that 35 percent of players' 2020 salaries be placed in escrow for the upcoming season. Smith took issue with that proposal, saying, "That should at LEAST warrant a pay raise due to the risk, not a cut."

Last week, JC Tretter, a center for the Cleveland Browns and the president of the NFLPA, criticized the NFL's health and safety protocols, saying the league was "unwilling to prioritize player safety." The NFLPA has also asked for no preseason games to be played to minimize health risks.

With just over two weeks until training camps start, the continued fight over health and safety protocols between the league and its players remains a significant roadblock.

Smith, a second-round pick out of Penn State in 2015 who has been a five-year starter for the Buccaneers, ended his post with a strongly-worded sentiment.

"I am not a lab rat or guinea pig to test theories on," Smith said. "I am a man, a son, brother, soon to be father, and I deserve to be safe at work."

To each their own. I have feeling if they actually go through with trying to have a season, by the middle of the season it will look like a rerun of the movie "The Replacements".

But each person has to do what they feel is right for their family and loved ones. As of now this virus is worse than it's ever been. I won't get into the reasons why because this isn't the forum for that. But let's just say that compared to the rest of the globe, we couldn't have botched this up any worse if that had been the actual goal from the start.

I won't blame anyone who doesn't play. No matter what any of us feel about missing sports, here's the one most important thing that should ring true for all of us...

Bound to happen. The number of players who agree with this will grow. It's their right.

Another reason we will not see true, unfettered professional football until 2021.

That’s my thing with HS sports in PA ... like, this is the plan ... until it’s not the plan ... so then what’s the plan?

They should just freeze this season, and start again when there is a vaccine, or this has passed.

Both of these could be many, many years down the road. Sports leagues will have folded by then.

What happened in 1918 during the Spanish influenza? That pandemic was 50 times worse than this one (looking at deaths).

I haven't heard anything about major sports shutting down during those years.

Were there a number of players who got infected then?

I’m not sure at all. I know I’ve seen pictures of baseball games being played

I think all eyes are on MLB and NBA right now, especially nba, they are the easily the most vulnerable to spread. If they are able to ok, I think other leagues will take away and develop ways to make their league work

The season isn't going to happen.


Let's quit the charade.

j/c

https://www.bbc.com/sport/live/cricket/51415541

CRICKET - England, Australia, West Indies, India

https://www.bbc.com/sport/live/football/53137965
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/53377081

SOCCER - England, Italy, Germany, Spain, France, Portugal, etc

https://www.bbc.com/sport/live/formula1/52891706

F1

https://www.bbc.com/sport/live/tennis/53139785

TENNIS

https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/53362990
https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/harlem...42b34b7eba0a519

RUGBY - England, Australia, NZ,
---------------------------------------------------------------
Something very wrong with the USA if we can't muster the procedures, will and compromise needed to play Pro Sports this fall.

In come states, where would you put say a dozen players. Not enough beds in multiple places for ICU right now. If we open schools, expect more numbers and casualties than we can imagine. I want sports again, but not at any price. I do not trust a bunch political decision makers or big money reps. It is headed out of control. No preseason seems valid to me. Larger roster and PS may well be needed. Maybe a conditional 6-week player opt out?
I respect everybody waving off playing in this current situation. Seems confounded by a coordinated confederacy of dunces. Just the old saw as I see those pushing for opening/playing/etc. being at lessened risk than those they are "requiring" to perform:

What is right is not always popular, and what is popular is not always right."

Be safe dawgs.

That is what I have been saying. You could have entire teams out of action for 2 weeks. You could have teams down 5-6 starting players. That isn't competitive balance. You can't make up games. You could have states or at least cities with quarantine orders in place.

I think the NFL is trying to make a plan, but this is next to impossible to plan. I promise you that plenty of players are going to sit. All of the players are young. Many to most have young children who might not be able to go to school.

Lucky for them most have enough money to get through. They don't have to punch the time clock (be there a actual time clock or not) to put food on the table and pay the rent like most people. If you don't have to take the risk, why risk it? If you don't have to, minimize your risk by only going to the grocery store a time or two a week. Maybe out to dinner at places that maintain safe standards, or stick the Arby's drive thru window.

I understand we have to remain open as best possible. People need to work, for money and sanity. We can't keep sending out stimulus and unemployment checks, but it isn't safe for sweaty players to be blocking and tackling each other.

If you had a son in high school or college at this point, would you want him playing football in September? I know I wouldn't. Maybe you do, or more likely a grandson.

I know you played center in the leather helmet era. lol

That is a friendly poke in the ribs Mac.....just kidding around my friend, but my point is serious. Why would anybody put their kids at more risk than necessary?

The nation's junior colleges have decided to move fall sports to spring 2021. (NJCAA). https://www.njcaa.org/general/2019-20/releases/20200713l9o7t8
Just start the NFL in January...screw basketball. Super Bowl in June...Yeah baby!

That is what I have been saying. You could have entire teams out of action for 2 weeks. You could have teams down 5-6 starting players. That isn't competitive balance. You can't make up games. You could have states or at least cities with quarantine orders in place.

I think the NFL is trying to make a plan, but this is next to impossible to plan. I promise you that plenty of players are going to sit.


IMO, the NFL and NFLPA should focus on long term plans that focus on medicine and science.

Until there is a long term fix in place that assures the safety of all involved..players, coaches, fans, etc... planning for a 2020 NFL season should be placed on hold.

The NFL and NFLPA should be focused on meeting "priorities" first...they need to wait on medicine and science to do their part...until "A VACINE" is developed that protects all involved, playing football should be placed on hold, imo.

NOW a few drug companies say they'll have a vaccine by the END OF THE SUMMER. And they're already gearing up to have over 100,000,000 doses ready to go.

Impossible unless they started last summer.

Link?

Probably this one?

https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemi...t-new-lockdowns

US Aims for End of Summer Vaccine as Rising COVID Cases Worldwide Prompt New Lockdowns

With the number of confirmed coronavirus infections around the world topping 13 million, including more than 570,000 deaths, the United States says it expects to start producing potential vaccine doses by the end of the summer, even as more and more governments are imposing, or re-imposing, strict quarantine and social distancing guidelines to blunt the spread of the disease.

The U.S.-based cable financial news channel CNBC reported Monday that a senior Trump administration official told reporters the manufacturing process is already underway even though they aren’t sure which vaccine – if any – will work. The official is quoted as saying they are already buying equipment, securing manufacturing sites, and acquiring raw materials.

CNBC says two companies involved in the development of a potential new vaccine, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, are expected to begin late-stage human trials for potential vaccines by the end of the month.

Social distancing

A set of new social distancing measures that took effect Tuesday in Hong Kong includes mandatory face masks for people using public transportation, with violators subject to fines up to $645 ($5,000 in Hong Kong currency). Restaurants are banned from offering indoor dining after 6 p.m., and gyms, movie theaters and karaoke bars are once again ordered to shut down, in response to a new order announced by Chief Executive Carrie Lam that limits group gatherings from 50 people to four.

The new guidelines have forced the closure of Hong Kong Disneyland, which had just reopened last month.

The Asian financial hub reported 52 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Monday, including 41 that were locally transmitted, prompting authorities to issue a warning of a potential large-scale outbreak. The city has reported more than 1,500 total coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic.

Over in Australia, the southern state of Victoria recorded 270 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, including two deaths, pushing the total number of cases nationwide to 10,251 and 110 deaths. Victoria’s capital city, Melbourne, is in the first week of a six-week lockdown imposed due to an alarming spike of new COVID-19 cases. Residents have been ordered to stay home unless going to work, school, medical appointments or shopping for food.

The neighboring state of New South Wales has imposed a strict new set of restrictions on bars in response to a cluster of 21 new COVID-19 cases traced to a popular bar in Sydney. The new restrictions limit group bookings to just 10 people and cap the number of patrons in large venues to 300.

Wearing face masks in supermarkets and stores in Britain will be mandatory starting next week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s office announced Monday.

Face coverings are already required on buses and subways in London and other English cities. Other European countries, including Germany, Greece, Italy and Spain already require face coverings in stores.


In the United States, which posted well over 60,000 new infections on Monday, more than three dozen states are seeing a dramatic rise in new coronavirus cases on a daily basis, forcing many of them to reverse plans to reopen their economies after shutting them down during the initial phase of the outbreak.

California Governor Gavin Newsom extended Monday the closure of bars, restaurants, gyms, churches, and amusement centers from 19 counties to the entire state. The neighboring northwestern state of Oregon has banned gatherings of more than 10 people and mandated face masks for all Oregonians.

Across the Pacific Ocean, Hawaii Governor David Ige announced Monday the state is postponing plans to relax its quarantine requirements for some tourists from the U.S. mainland. The popular tourist destination has subjected all visitors to a mandatory 14-day quarantine since the start of the outbreak. The government had planned to make an exception for anyone who tested negative for COVID-19 in the 72 hours leading up to their departure, beginning August 1.

Gov. Ige delayed the revised rules until September 1 because of the dramatic uptick of new cases in many states, which he said has also caused serious delays in testing.

Ok. So he was misinformed. Shocker.

If they cancel the season, do the players expect to get paid for games that weren't played? I know some of them could keep going, but how about those still on a rookie contract that didn't get the mega signing bonus? Just asking, not trying to instigate a ruckus.

I think that's what a lot of this boils down to. People making the big money aren't financially forced to play. Only those at the bottom of their pay scale will. The question may become of the NFL will decide to put a product on the field nobody wants to watch.

The devil is in the details. " potential launch of coronavirus vaccine".

That's a lot different than, "NOW a few drug companies say they'll have a vaccine by the END OF THE SUMMER."

The media has scared people beyond the reality of this. I'm saying that there will be no season. I know of six people who have tested positive, not one was ever even the least bit sick. I know that people do get sick, but many don't. They are claiming "spikes" in certain states, they are not "spikes", they are results of heavy testing. 2 of the people I know where told that they probably have had it for a couple weeks. The hospitalizations are down and the death rate is going lower. My son works in a clinic that is doing testing, he says very few positive tests lead to hospitalization.

People can believe what they want, and I'm not trying to convince anybody of anything, but this whole thing is being misreported. It has been from the get go. I've been working thru the whole thing and see hundreds of other people working thru it everyday. I have yet seen any of these people getting sick. And most are not wearing masks and have not the whole time.

IMO,the media and the government have created unnecessary panic. The thing is real, and people have died from it. But the risk of death is being pushed beyond the reality of it.

Many of these players will still get paid, so it is easy for them to decide to sit out. Many of us could not sit out, and we received nothing for our effort. Politics are playing to big a part in this whole fiasco.

I agree. If a vaccine is not found, at least a reliable treatment. Right now we are simply making educated guesses....Let try this!

Or China had the vaccine before they released this.

I read the two differently. Encouraging info today from Moderna (I believe) who have entered final or late trial in humans. THEY say safe use and pronounced response with their mRNA (messenger RNA) approach. I hope the scientists find a way out for some of the dunce-like behavior .

Yeah as really the cases are higher and higher and will get only more worse.

J/C Asking someone to risk the lives of themselves and their loved ones for your entertainment is pretty loathesome.

MMA says "Hold my beer."

Are you referring to the part about playing through the virus?

Or the part of football that requires players to wear plenty of padding, to include a helmet due to the high risk of serious injuries that can occur to include paralysis and brain damage on literally any given play?

One is a given of the profession. The other is extraordinary, and really does risk your children and wife.

It's one thing to risk your own health. How much more should you be paid to risk your families health?


I don't know there is any amount for that. A $billion wouldn't do it for me. Risk my kids? No way.

Things certainly look promising but none of them actually know if this thing can be controlled long term. At this point, even if a vaccines is found to work, they're not sure if the antibodies produced will last long term. Some indications show that the antibodies slowly go away over time and a vaccine may only be effective for a period of months. It may be a vaccine you would have to get again in 6 months to 1 year.

There's just a lot of unknowns at this early stage of the game. We all certainly hope for the best.

jc
There is a gentleman who lives around the block from me who is a "contractor" for the military who goes to Afghanistan regularly. Each time he has come back since the corona-apocalypse he stays in his 5th wheel trailer for 14 days before he goes around his family. If he and his family take those precautions, I don't begrudge people playing a game to do the same.