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sports Diaranson 30 December 2020

NFL has pulled off improbable task of playing amid pandemic

(AP) - It took playing
games on all seven days
of the week, a wide re-
ceiver starting at quarter-
back, numerous schedule
changes and constant re-
visions to health and safe-
ty protocols for the NFL
to reach Week 17 on time.

That’s a remarkable accom-
plishment during a pandem-
ic.

“Since March, the league,
clubs, coaches, Players As-
sociation committed to a
tremendous medically led
collaborative effort to cre-
ate a safe work environment
that maintained a level of ac-
ceptable equity," NFL execu-
tive vice president of foot-
ball operations Troy Vincent
told The Associated Press on
Monday. "Protocols were dil-
igently developed and modi-
fied based on virus identifica-
tion, isolation, containment
that allowed the flexibility to
adjust schedules when neces-
sary, while at the same time
affording clubs and players
autonomy in a non-bubble
environment. These efforts,
still ongoing, by all the stake-
holders demonstrates the
power of teamwork and sac-
rifice to achieve a season in daily, mask usage became Each team has an infectious Saints were stripped of draft day, it is all around the league
unprecedented times.” mandatory, facilities were disease control officer who choices. and it is just one of the things
shut down at various points, works along with the head that now that it is happen-
COVID-19 wiped out spring meetings were held virtually athletic trainer and team phy- The Denver Broncos end- ing and you understand how
practices, canceled the pre- and the games continued. sician. The trio works with ed up using practice squad serious this thing can be and
season and took 2020 into un- the league’s three-member wideout Kendall Hinton at how quickly it can change the
charted territory, but it didn’t Contact tracers became the team consisting of a contact quarterback in a loss to New tide. Once again, we have to
stop the NFL from conduct- MVPs. The process is ex- tracer, an epidemiologist and Orleans after No. 3 QB Jeff continue to be proactive. ... It
ing business under the most tensive and starts with deter- a physician. Driskel tested positive for the is just something that can’t be
unusual circumstances. mining who was exposed to coronavirus and starter Drew taken lightly.”
someone who tested positive, “They will get all the data, Lock, backup Brett Rypien
The league presses forward the level of exposure and lev- synthesize it all and work and practice squad veteran The NBA and NHL con-
with its goal of playing all 256 el of risk and how to mitigate with the club’s personnel, Blake Bortles had failed to cluded their 2019-20 seasons
scheduled games in 17 weeks risk. and then prepare a report, wear their masks around one in bubble environments and
and the Super Bowl in Tam- which they will bring back another earlier that week. MLB isolated teams for the
pa, Florida, on Feb. 7. What “I almost think of it as almost to our committee that over- postseason, but the NFL has
often seemed improbable has like blocking and tackling,” sees our day-to-day COVID Hinton, who played quarter- managed to avoid that.
become quite achievable. Sills said. “Players can make operations, and then I will back at Wake Forest before
the long runs and great catch- review that report,” Sills said. switching to wide receiver, “We do have some contin-
“Contact tracing is the thing es, but we all know without “So it is multilayered, with became the first non-QB gency planning," Sills said.
people are not talking the outstanding blocking it’s not staff and many other people. to start at the position since "We’ve had it all year, and
most about, but it is foun- possible to execute those On some days we might have running back Tom Matte did they are first driven by medi-
dational to our success,” said plays. That process has to only two to three traces and so for the Baltimore Colts in cal safety. Can we operate
Dr. Allen Sills, the league’s me been really foundational, some days have 14 to 15 go- 1965. in the market in a way that
chief medical officer. “We and a tremendous amount of ing on.” is consistent with what we
have said all along it is almost work is involved with a very The Cleveland Browns lost are doing and have been do-
impossible to prevent single, large number of people. It’s The Tennessee Titans were six players because of proto- ing? Some of our clubs who
isolated cases. Our entire more than the (tracking) de- the first team to experience cols a day before losing the have been operating in areas
protocol and strategy has vices; they are important but a breakout and the Baltimore New York Jets on Sunday, of high numbers of cases of
been built around mitigating not the sum total of our con- Ravens were hit hard last leaving them in a win-or-else the disease, those clubs have
transmission — and the key tact tracing. What’s involved month, forcing them to play playoff scenario this week managed to avoid positive
is good contact tracing.” is interviewing individuals, the league's second Wednes- against the Pittsburgh Steel- tests. That speaks to the hard
gathering all that data from day game since 1949. ers. work they are doing and care
The NFL implemented strict the tracking devices, and they are taking every day.
COVID-19 protocols that watching the video from Several coaches were fined “It can happen just like that,” So we will continue to fol-
were updated throughout the team facilities and practice for violating the mask-wear- Browns defensive tackle low that same road map. It
season as more information fields, talking to an individ- ing mandate, five teams were Larry Ogunjobi said. “The has been a sound game plan.
regarding the virus and con- ual’s friends and family and fined for multiple protocol day before a game, you lose a Have to continue to execute
trolling it was learned. Play- others who may be involved.” violations and the Las Vegas good amount of players and it in the same manner that we
ers and coaches were tested Raiders and New Orleans is like, ‘Whoa.’ At the end of have executed so far.”