The time has come that many professional sports leagues are discussing their return after the coronavirus suspension. Much of what has been allowed is going to be up to each state and its guidelines.
Several states have started to allow sports facilities to open in states for professional and collegiate teams. Before play can resume for any league, these athletes need to practice together again.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has announced that teams can return to practice, and even hold games in the state.
“We have been in constant discussions with teams about necessary protocols to protect the health and safety of players, coaches, and personnel,” Murphy tweeted Tuesday morning.
The Giants and the Jets both hold their games and practices in New Jersey. Fans in the area are hoping that football is not added to the list of sports that have been affected by COVID-19.
Both teams are starting to discuss their return to begin practicing, The Giants have said that this could happen as soon as next week.
“With today’s announcement by the Governor, we are finalizing our plans to re-open,” the Giants said in a statement. “We will continue to have as many employees as possible working remotely. For employees who need to return to work at our facility, we expect to begin that process next week, and we will do so in a systematic and safe way that adheres to the state’s guidelines and NFL protocols.”
Competitive Balance
One of the biggest issues for the NFL is re-opening practice league-wide. They can’t allow for only some teams to do so because of the unfair advantage that would be created.
The guidelines for social distancing have been managed locally by governors. Different states are currently in different stages of their re-opening.
The teams are also going to have to abide by strict guidelines from the league once they begin to practice. This might mean all players might not be able to be in the weight room at one time, or contact may be prohibited for a certain amount of time.
Teams such as the Jets are ready to follow the guidelines set to begin play.
“We are working closely with Governor Murphy’s office, the league, and our medical staff to establish prudent, health, and safety measures for our staff and players,” a Jets spokesperson said.
Fans in the Stands
The country, including New Jersey, is still a little bit away from determining how football is going to look in the fall. Some experts have begun to predict if there are going to be fans in the stands, but it is hard to tell.
There is going to have to be plenty of positive changes and declining coronavirus numbers for anyone to watch the Jets or Giants in person in 2020. First, the league needs to confirm play, and then discussion will begin on the likelihood of allowing spectators at these stadiums.
Hopefully, the coronavirus’ impact will be far less than it has been in the spring/summer.