With the sporting world joining the rest of society at home, due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has brought life as many of us know it to a complete halt, and leagues; such as the MLB delaying their start, and the NBA, NHL awaiting to finish their respective seasons, the XFL filing for bankruptcy, and the NFL Draft canceling all fan events while the Draft itself will be virtual, many fans have been left wondering, “will the NFL still have a season?” If things continue, at the rate they’re going now, there is a real possibility that teams could be playing games in empty or partially filled stadiums.
As mentioned previously, the NFL has canceled all draft events that were set to take place in Las Vegas. The NFL Draft is still set to begin on Thursday, April 23rd, as Commissioner Roger Goodell will announce Thursday’s 1st round selections from his basement (yes, his basement) with the draftees and teams all meeting virtually. The Draft will be broadcast via NFL Network, ABC, and ESPN at 8 PM EST.
What does this mean for OTA’s, Training Camp?
Still, with so much uncertainty surrounding the virus, the league has a tall order ahead of them. Assuming the league office is already on this path anyway, it’s going to be interesting to see where things will be this summer when teams would normally be opening up the facilities as OTA’s and Training Camp draw closer. That may not be the case though in 2020, as league officials must come together with teams and the NFLPA reps to find a solution as teams may be preparing to do virtual workouts and camps
Could the NFL experience football without fans?
If the NFL is able to kick the 2020 season off on September 10th, there could very well be major changes. One change that would leave many fans, including those season tickets out of the stadium, which yes, means NFL games without fans. Over the weekend of April 4-5, many witnessed at the WWE continued to produce their Wrestlemania event from a closed set in Orlando. And as of Monday, April 13th, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared the WWE an essential business, which means it will continue its live events from their closed set at the Performance Center in Orlando. Could the NFL follow the same path come football season? If that were to happen, could the NFL continue some of these methods once the virus is over?
Although it is still unclear what the future holds for the NFL season, one thing is certain. NFL fans everywhere are getting restless as this pandemic has seemed to take over the very life we know it.
Stay tuned to Bucs Life Media as we will continue to cover the development involving offseason activities, including schedule release and predictions.