NFL - Random Opinions

Oh and if Miami holds on tonight Ive got a really wacky and plausible scenario to show you guys where the Dolphins vs Patriots game changes a ton.

 

I wasn’t taking into account the Saints still had the Monday night game here… anyway, that’s blown already. saints lose, so the 49ers control their own destiny now.

 

Carson Wentz on Covid list.

 

That hurts!

 

Made the finals in two leagues. Have Taylor in both.

My fingers are crossed, believe me

 

Reports are that he is un-vaccinated, so the new protocol doesn't apply to him. He will be out a minimum of 10 days.

 

Yeah he was immediately reported out this week. I was more concerned that they’re close contacts between him and Taylor. And I’m not sure if everyone knew already, but I’m pretty sure Marlon Mack is already on that list as well. Last week it was just half the OL. So it’s been dancing around him

 

Just got dropped to 5 days. NFL changed to follow CDC recomendations (News & Notes). Wentz can make it back in time now, if chips fall right.

 

He stated pretty clearly he was unvaccinated. He was a bitch about not fielding questions, etc, but at least he was honest. Erin Rodgers couldn't even do that. Just wanted to point that out for no reason at all...

 

For the sake of competitive fairness, these rules should have to stay the same through the regular season. The Browns, Rams and Football Team all had to deal with depleted rosters two weeks ago and two of those teams lost. Both losses are detrimental to the outcome of the season.

Speaking specifically to the Browns, with a 2 point loss to the Raiders having 22 players out and 19 of them that would have been eligible to play under the new rules, it essentially removed them from the wild card contention, while handing the Raiders a tie for that final 7th spot. Not to mention, they are currently 2 games out of the AFC North, where they could be 1 game out without that loss.

In contrast, the Colts hold a 1 game lead over that final wild card spot (currently 5th seed) and now have a competitive advantage to keeping it with the new rule change.

Same goes for the WFT. They are still mathematically in it, but with their COVID loss, they would only be one game out of the wild card with two to play. Now, even if they win out, they would need a shit load of help to make it.

This rule change, more specifically the timing of it with two weeks to go, creates an unfair advantage/disadvantage to the teams on the bubble.

The Colts will definitely benefit more than any other team in the league by this change. I want to know how the symptoms are being policed. If Wentz shows any symptoms whatsoever, he should still be benched, by rule.

 

It's not a fairness thing but a health thing getting updated. The protocols were already being discussed to match with the CDC recommendations. Wentz was just a coincidence. He's lucky he didn't get tested positive a day later. Still if he was positive odds are he WON'T be cleared on Sunday. It being retroactive would also make sense.

If you want unfairness leaning on corruption look at what the CFL did. Toronto was hosting the Conference Final vs Hamilton and sent their QB and other players to the Raptors game (which they own) to promote the game. However league rules prohibit players from going to large gatherings. By rule all should be forced to quarantine and suspended through the game as there wasn't enough time to play. The league pulled an emergency BS excuse saying the rules are there to be flexible as the situation changes. Fair BUT this was made during WORST spike in cases since covid started. What a joke. They lost the game eventually and their players fought some fans when it was all said and done but all players at the NBA game should have been ineligible to play, the team receive a massive fine and pay their suspended players and the boneheads who thought up the whole Raptors thing fired.

 

We will have to agree to disagree on this one. The rules change is pretty damn different, which is fine, if it didn't occur in season AFTER the same scenario has affected multiple games already.

You can call it coincidence or luck, but if he plays and they win, the season could be tainted if it comes down to a tie breaker or a single game advantage for the final spot that would have otherwise went to another team under tie breaker.. Same could be said if the Raiders get the last spot under tie breaker after being handed a win while their opponents played without 18 players that would have been eligible under the new rules.

As for Wentz, he tested positive under the old rules, so they should still apply. The NFL changed the rules on THC testing in the middle of a Josh Gordon suspension and he had to complete his suspension under the old rules, since that is when his positive test was taken. Why should this be any different?

Leonard, un-vaccinated, tested positive under the old rules which would make him ineligible for this weeks game, Wentz tested positive BEFORE the rules change in the afternoon, which would make him ineligible... Now they make a rule change after the fact and suddenly they could be eligible. The only criteria they need at this point is no COVID-19 symptoms on game day. A good IV the night before and then another the day of the game will take care of all symptoms for the day.

This weeks game is especially problematic for the fairness rule... as it once again involves the Raiders. They already own one win due to COVID issues from their opponents, now it could have worked for or against them again facing the Colts on Sunday.

By rights, I should want the Colts to win as it would technically help the Browns eliminate one team above them if they continue to win and the Raiders lose both of their final two games. It just doesn't seem right that they can change a rule on the fly that helps a team after they had already tested positive under the old rules.

This is a totally unrelated issue. I admittedly was ignorant on CFL rules.From what I can find, they bent the rules slightly since they were sent there by the club and didn't act on their own. They wouldn't have been suspended anyway, they would have had a 4 day quarantine. Instead of the 4 day, they went through a more stringent 2 day quarantine, then on the 3rd day, which was gameday, had to pass a 4th test, so in reality, they only lost 1 day of testing off of what would normally have happened. Though, this is still bending rules so..

I'll stay out of this argument.




I will freely admit, if this didn't directly effect the Browns, I would probably care less and let some other teams fans get on the soap box. As it is, it does effect them directly which is why I have stated my opinion in the "Random Opinions" thread.

 

Firstly on the CFL thing, they would have essentially been suspended because they miss the game for a reason that forfeits their pay. It's a suspenaion in all but name at that point. And so what if it's the team's fault and not the player's. How is that fair but your NFL gripe is? Makes zero sense. The team should have to own up to their mistakes instead they let them play to help the big media owned team and could have gottem the other team to get people sick and miss the title game. It was during an all time high spike during Delta. The covid rules were a joke.

Here with the Colts it's different. These are CDC national changes that the NFL quickly had discussions about adopting. They dont need to wait until the season ends as its not the point, nor were they doing ot for Wentz. There was news of it coming over tye weekend. If Wentz testes positive during a new super deadly spike and they said he needs 3 weeks he cant be grandfathered in eother. He'd miss more time or have more strongent return policies towards the end.

 

I didn't say one was a fair gripe and the other wasn't, I said I was staying out of the CFL thing... Frankly because it doesn't affect me. I don't watch the CFL. I agree the team should be punished via extremely hefty fines, as well as possibly loss of draft picks? But, to take the championship game out of the hands of the players due to a management sending them to a basketball game, I am personally not sure I would jump on board. They already made it there, they earned it. Then did what their bosses said to do for the company. Totally different than changing rules mid-season after the old rules affected previous games. By all protocol taken, the players were not infected in any way, thus not endangering others in any way.

That means nothing when compared to the NFL and their useage of this. The protocol for THC testing is different and recommendations are MUCH less stringent from government agencies, yet, the NFL made it their business to be the most stringent rules in the country when it came to THC testing. Surgeons could have more THC in their system than the players, law enforcement could have more THC in their system than players. The NFL stated quite clearly, they make the NFL rules, not outside influences.

In this case, they are using it as an excuse, but since the rules were in place for 15/17ths of the season, there was no reason to change the competitive balance at this point. Make a rules change for the playoffs by all means. Once the playoffs are set, all team are competing on a level playing field, but this could upset the balance of the regular season.

Regardless of our view... this is good conversation!

 

For what it's worth I gave you a like before I read your last line. Also I totally get it's not the player's fault in the CFL. But that is an organizational fuck up and something them, the league and the PA should have come with after the season, especially since there was a good chance that of any of those players did catch it at the game that the last minute final test for clearance they proposed actually has a high rate of false negatives at that timespan after contraction.

I'm just saying that THAT seems like BS.

Last thing I will say about this is that I think the NFL was changing the rules now until waiting on the playoffs because this strain is just super contagious but not that strong and they want people that make a quick recovery back while rosters are getting decimated with this thing but players are okay since odds of them getting badly sick are low. This is clearly for business down the home stretch as to why they did it now for the playoff stretch and not wait 2 weeks.

 

@LAOJoe @IrishDawg42

A good little debate, well conducted. An interesting read about the current issues at play. Thx

 

Pretty sure I agree with Irish here. Changing the rules, whether they are warranted or not created an unfair advantage.

 

You are probably both right about competitive advantage. But then let’s all remember, the league is pandering to the TV revenue which is where a ton of money comes from. And the fans want to see the starters on the field. So the minute the government signed off, I doubt the NFL thought about it longer than two seconds before they just said “Play ball!”

Definitely sucks for the teams who have been bit previously

 

The league's PRIMARY focus and responsibility is to ensure equal and fair policies and rules are in place and enforced. THAT is what keeps the paying customers coming back. That's why they took over scheduling from the teams, use a common draft, issue the draft order in reverse of how the teams finish a season, etc.

In this case, they blew it.

 

Sorry if I sound like a politician, but that’s not exactly correct. The league’s primary focus and responsibility is to give us the illusion of fair and equal policies. Their primary focus is still to make money. And they basically can’t fail. Because the demand is beyond comprehendible.

3 or 4 or 40,000 fans will be angry. And bitch online. But you can bet next Monday night better than 90% of them tune right back in.