Nflers urged to keep a social distance
Heavy fines and suspensions for violators
Any NFL player who doesn’t plan to spend the next half- year or so in strict social isolation ought to disable the selfie function on his smartphone now.
And never pose for a photo in private, let alone in public.
That’s because one of a slew of special new rules for NFL players to abide by for the remainder of the year/ season — now in effect because of the coronavirus pandemic — would slap a steep financial penalty against any player who recklessly exposes himself, and by extension his team and in turn other teams, to COVID-19.
NFL teams are not and will not be sequestered in mandatory bubbles.
By league and players union agreement, finalized this week and revealed by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, an NFL club may slap any player with a maximum fine of a week’s salary and/or suspension without pay (not to exceed four weeks) for conduct detrimental to the club — specifically, for engaging in such high-risk social activity relative to COVID-19, as follows:
❚ ❚ attending an indoor night club, unless a player is wearing personal protective equipment and there are not more than 10 people in the club;
❚ ❚ attending an indoor bar ( other than to pick up food, and excluding food-first restaurants that might have a bar area) unless the player is wearing PPE and there are no more than 10 people in the bar;
❚ ❚ attending house gatherings of more than 15 people without the player and all guests wearing masks or PPE, or where social distancing for more than 10 people is impossible;
❚ ❚ attending an indoor music concert or entertainment event;
❚ ❚ attending another pro sports event, unless seated in a separated seating section such as a suite or owner’s box, while wearing PPE, and provided there are no more than 10 people in that separate seating section;
❚ ❚ attending an event prohibited because of COVID-19 by state and/or local regulation, executive order or law.
Many top NFL players already try to avoid such public settings during the season. But those who enjoy the nightlife, occasionally or a lot, really ought to think twice about it.
For instance, what if a player properly and responsibly enters a bar containing fewer than 10 people, but five people suddenly show up to put the number over 10 — and some fan snaps a photo of said player in that instant, and then the image goes viral?
What’s the NFL going to do? Not fine or suspend that player, when the photographic proof is incontrovertible, even if the player — upon counting patrons — instantly bolted the establishment?
Better to not go in the first place.
San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman said he believes players “have adjusted and adapted in a way they needed to,” protocols-wise. Besides, as a 49ers captain, he pointed out that “at the end of the day, these are grown men and these are pros. If they’re going to (mess up), they’ll get quarantined. They’ll get replaced.”
But it sure helps, he added, that the Niners are based in the quiet San Jose suburb of Santa Clara, where nightlife is practically non-existent.
For those who break the new rule? Well, getting docked one week’s pay even for the poorest- paid rookies in 2020 is US$ 35,882. For the longest-serving veterans it’s $ 61,765. For a star earning $ 10 million per year it’s $588,235. Serious coin.
Including practice- squad players, there’ll be some 2,200 players on NFL rosters after cutdowns on Labour Day weekend. Is it asking too much of that many young men, over five to six months, to avoid all of the above social settings?
Probably. But hopefully not.