In 2020 there are many uncertainties, but the beginning of fall football is not one of them. The first of the National Football League (NFL) games happened Sept. 10 at 8:20 pm eastern time between the Houston Texans and the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs won 34-20.
The NFL is handling Covid-19 differently than other sports leagues as they are not participating in the group isolation method that is referred to as the “support bubble.” The support bubble is a nickname for group quarantining practices. They are, however, taking precautions to limit the spread within the team if a player gets Coronavirus. They are testing players regularly, monitoring symptoms, sending sick players home and alerting authorities of positive cases. If a player is not taking isolation and precautions seriously, he may get fined due to the fact that his reckless behavior could potentially bring harm to the other players.
Although you may be eager to cheer on your favorite team in person, only a limited number of teams have deemed it okay to allow fans into stadiums. If a team has chosen to allow fans into the stadium, the permitted number is minimal and social distancing is enforced. The good news is, even though you may not be there, the players will still hear your support. The NFL plans to have artificial crowd noises in the stadiums to make it a more normal game experience for the players.
The NFL will still have plenty of fans this year and Northwood students are excited for this season.
“I’ll definitely be watching the 2020 season because the teams this year are stacked and more balanced,” Chris Lawson, a sophomore at Northwood and a varsity football player, said. “I’d rather watch from home because I like hearing the commentators call the game from the comfort of my own home. I agree with their decision to play because their platforms give them [the] opportunity to bring more attention to social change.”
Northwood junior Savannah Bowden agrees.
“I am going to be watching the NFL season online this year… I am a little concerned about them playing this year, but I am still excited to watch!”
“I agree with the decisions the NFL is making and I think it is nice that they are able to play again,” said Adam Laros, another Northwood junior.
Despite the fact that it may be different this year, the NFL is planning to do as much as possible to make a full season happen and the fans are ready. North Carolina’s hometeam, the Carolina Panthers, is playing on Sunday, Sept. 13th at 1:00 pm eastern time against the Las Vegas Raiders.
