As the NFL gets set to kick off its season on Thursday, Roger Goodell, the league’s commissioner, is urging fans to be prepared for changes as a result of the pandemic.
Goodell made his comments in a Wednesday column he co-authored for The Washington Post with Allen Sills, the league’s chief medical officer.
"The league’s eagerness to return in full force has been modulated by our primary concern: the health and safety of players, coaches, staff and the public," they said.
"We have worked with players, teams and medical experts to build a comprehensive game plan. Our hope is that transparency about our operations will contribute knowledge and insights that will aid the country’s pandemic response."
They noted: "Players and personnel are required to wear lightweight, electronic proximity-tracking device on a wristband or lanyard that collect information throughout the day about their close contacts, including on the football field, where the devices are sewn into their uniform. Data collected in daily downloads allow an independent group of epidemiologists to perform quick and accurate contact tracing."
They also noted daily COVID-19 testing will continue through the regular season. And, they said, electrostatic sprayers will "provide wide coverage over high-touch surface and equipment."
"Coaches will be required to wear face masks on the sideline; and players will be urged — required, in some cities — to do the same," Goodell and Sills said.
And some stadiums will permit a limited number of fans to be seated — depending on guidelines by cities.
They acknowledged: "The NFL is not any more immune to the virus than are our colleagues in other sports or the rest of society. This will be hard."
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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