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Thursday 3 december 2020

Goodell: NFL committed to finishing regular season on time

By BARRY WILNER There’s also been disrup-
AP Pro Football Writer tion to the Week 13 sched-
NFL Commissioner Roger ule because of the Ravens’
Goodell said Wednesday situation.
the league remains com- Goodell said NFL protocols
mitted to finishing the regu- do not call for postponing
lar season as scheduled. a game because one po-
Goodell also said on a con- sition group is impacted by
ference call that while the COVID-19, as happened
NFL is considering a bubble with the Broncos.
format for the playoffs, it “We will not postpone or re-
wouldn’t necessarily re- schedule games because
semble what the NHL and of COVID-19 in a specific
NBA used in successfully in position group if we are
completing their seasons. comfortable the rest of the
“It will take partnership and team is not at risk, which
discipline to complete this was exactly the case in
season. I’m confident we’ll Denver,” he said.
be able to do it,” Goodell “Let me be crystal clear,
said, referring the NFL Play- as we have been with our
ers Association, the clubs clubs since last March.
and the players. Health and medical take
Added Dawn Aponte, the precedence. We follow
league’s chief football the facts, the science, and
administrative officer: “In In this Jan. 29, 2020, file photo, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell answers a question during a news recommendations of our
terms of the guidelines we conference for the NFL Super Bowl 54 football game in Miami. Associated Press medical experts are first
have used, our guiding and foremost the bedrock
principle is medical and tional steps. But I don’t see Sills also stressed that the sider that. We are in no way of our decisions.”
we are trying to ensure us doing the bubble in the NFL won’t be seeking any going to ‘cut the line.’” The most recent corona-
we are playing all games sense that the media fo- preferential treatment For Week 12, the NFL was virus testing showed from
safely. Providing we can cuses on it.” when vaccines become forced to reschedule the Nov. 15-21, 42,809 tests
do so within 17 weeks, that Sills pointed to the need readily available. He em- Baltimore at Pittsburgh were administered to a
is what our objective is and “to recognize whenever phasized that vaccines game from Thanksgiving total of 7,886 players and
will continue to be.” we think about structuring must first go to the front-line night to Sunday, then Tues- team personnel. There
Goodell and Dr. Allen Sills, something for the teams, health workers. day and finally Wednesday were 28 new confirmed
the NFL’s chief medical of- look at the risks and ben- “We want to obviously because of a COVID-19 positive tests among play-
ficer, noted that a bubble efits. There is no plan that work with authorities,” Sills outbreak among the Ra- ers and 42 among other
concept can have many will be completely risk free. said. “We never want to do vens. personnel.
iterations. We have to make what we anything that hinders the Also, the Broncos played For Nov. 22-28, a total of
“We don’t see the bubble think is the best and safest public health effort. If it be- their regularly scheduled 42,264 tests were adminis-
as most refer to it in one lo- decision. comes appropriate for us game with the Saints on tered to 7,819 players and
cation,” Goodell said. “We “All options remain on the to have vaccines available Sunday despite having no team personnel. There
feel strongly that our pro- table and will be driven by for coaches and players experienced quarterbacks were 33 new confirmed
tocols are working. We’re what the data show us. We and staff, and not hinder due to violations of the positives among players
willing to adjust and adapt have adjusted our proto- the public health effort ... league’s coronavirus pro- and 53 among other per-
those protocols, take addi- cols nearly every week.” then certainly we will con- tocols. sonnel. q

Colts punter says surgery for cancerous

tumor ‘went well’

berto Sanchez said surgery lost 45-26, falling one game the pain tolerance.”
to remove a cancerous tu- behind the division-leading Among those offering sup-
mor went well. Titans. portive messages was
The four-year veteran, who Sanchez punted five times, former Colts coach Tony
doubles as the Colts’ kick- but turned over his usual Dungy, who led the Colts to
off specialist, made the kickoff chores to rookie Ro- their only Super Bowl title in
announcement in a Twit- drigo Blankenship. the Indianapolis era.
ter post Tuesday night, one Special teams coordinator “That is awesome to hear,”
day after he revealed the Bubba Ventrone said that Dungy wrote. “Please keep
diagnosis on social media. was because Sanchez was us posted on your recovery
“Surgery went well,” he having discomfort with his and we will@keep pray-
wrote. “Overwhelmed by leg swing on kickoffs. The ing!”
all the love and support ev- Colts also made accom- Sanchez is one of the most
eryone sent my way.” modations for Sanchez’s popular players in the Colts
Sanchez first learned he punts. locker room and is averag-
Indianapolis Colts punter Rigoberto Sanchez punts before an had a cancerous tumor “Some of the ball place- ing a career-high 47.2 yards
NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Nov. late last week, and after ment things we would nor- on punts this season.
29, 2020, in Indianapolis. consulting with doctors de- mally do in a game, we The Colts have not said
Associated Press
cided to play Sunday in a were unable to do this past when they expect San-
key AFC South showdown game, because of the in- chez to return. Indy plays at
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indi- anapolis Colts punter Rigo- with Tennessee. Indy (7-4) ability to do it because of Houston this weekend.q