Arkush: Full NFL season seems like just a fantasy
The harder professional sports leagues try to get started the less likely it seems the NFL says game on, but it's buried in questions and has very few answers
Ask NFL commissioner Roger Goodell or any of the 32 team owners and they will tell you there is absolutely going to be a 16-.game NFL season this year and that training camps will open in three weeks on July 28th.
Unfortunately, the other shoe began dropping earlier this week, and by Wednesday it was becoming eminently clear that as of this moment the league has no idea exactly how it's going to pull this off. And the players are unhappy and extremely concerned, to say the least.
In an open letter penned by the National Football League Players Association's new president, Cleveland Browns center J.C. Tretter informed us, "As a preventative measure during the COVID-19 pandemic, the NFLPA and NFL formed a Joint Committee of doctors, trainers and strength coaches to develop protocols designed to bring players up to full speed in a healthy way when they return.
"The NFL initially accepted and implemented the Joint Committee's suggestions, including items like no joint practices and no fans at training camp. However, the NFL was unwilling to follow the Joint Committee's recommendation of a 48-day training camp schedule. Despite these experts' assessment that teams face a serious risk of player-injury spikes this year (based on past NFL data and recent findings from sports leagues that have already returned to play this year), the NFL is unwilling to prioritize player safety and believes that the virus will bend to football."
According to Tretter. of major concern here is the reality that, "We did our due diligence and reviewed the impact of returning to play football after an unusually long period away. For example, following the extended break after the 2011 lockout, injuries increased by 25%. Achilles injuries more than doubled and hamstring strains went up 44%."
And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Tretter also explained, "The NFL has recently stated it wants to play two preseason games. When we asked for a medical reason to play games that don't count in the standings during an ongoing pandemic, the NFL failed to provide one.
"With no medical reason provided for holding any preseason games and the desire to follow the Joint Committee's recommendations, the NFLPA Board of Player Representatives unanimously voted against any preseason games."
At the end of the day, the crux of Tretter's message to the league is, "It has been clear for months that we need to find a way to fit football inside the world of coronavirus. Making decisions outside that lens is both dangerous and irresponsible."
It is unclear at the moment just what the NFL's options are should the players refuse to play exhibition games, and frankly folks, that's nowhere near the biggest issue this NFL season is facing.
The real bomb dropped Wednesday when the NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported owners have proposed to the NFLPA placing 35% of players' salaries this year in escrow to manage costs during the 2020 season.
What the league is really saying is it wants a hedge against lost revenue - and that went over like a lead balloon with the players.
The PA's position is that would absolutely have to be collectively bargained, and it's very likely to be a short bargaining session. The owners are actually telling the players we want you to play all 16 games your contracts call for, we're not going to protect you in all the ways you and medical experts believe are necessary, and we want to withhold and possibly keep as much as one-third or more of your salary if we make less money or lose a little.
This might be understandable if it was a hedge against the season ending up being less than 16 games, but that's not what the owners are saying.
We already know stadiums will either be empty or only partially full, so there is going to be significant lost ticket, concession and parking revenue, and apparently the owners think the players should cover at least part of that cost.
Can anyone remember the last time the owners offered the players bonuses over and above what their contracts called for because they had a particularly good year? No? That's because it's never happened and never will.
Right now the reality of a 16 game 2020 NFL season feels light years away.
• Twitter: @Hub_Arkush