During this pandemic many sports have decided to take a "bubble" approach with their players. They keep them locked in one location with no visitors coming in and out to prevent the possibility of someone contracting coronavirus. This system has successfully worked for the NBA and NHL, however, the NFL has said no to this idea.
Not having a secure "bubble" will make it easier for their players to contract the virus and infect others. The NFL season extends for over five months long so positive cases are inevitable. We're two months in and they haven't shut down yet, so what's their secret to keeping players healthy?
For starters they, just like many other sports organizations, have daily testing for their players and staff. If anyone were to come back with a positive test they would have to quarantine until they came back with a negative test and be cleared by doctors. They also incorporate contact tracing which will come in handy to help others that may be infected. Over the past two months of the season there have been cases that have come up as expected, but the players wait it out to then return to the field.
As for gamedays the NFL is letting fans come back in significantly reduced numbers. As of right now there are only six teams who have agreed to do this. There is social distancing in place to help keep fans safe while watching the games.
I think that the NFL's different approach compared to other sports is one that was thought out for the players and staff specifically. In doing this the players have the ability to see their families and not feel like they're locked up in a luxury prison. Realistically having thirty two teams with staff members contained in a bubble for over five months sounds like a total disaster and nightmare waiting to happen. Even though the NFL has received criticism from others on how they're handling things I believe they had players personal lives in mind as well.
As the NFL is about to hit mid season I am interested to see how this will roll out. With the weather getting colder and if there are more cases will the league shut down? It's a major looming question. At the end of the day I'm happy to see sports returning and people trying to make the return to normal life.
