COVID-19 : How it could impact Lions/CFL

[maxlion]

From the narrow point of view of 'saving the CFL season', the best case scenario would be a massive wave of infections across NA as soon as possible. The more effective the efforts to suppress transmission or "flatten the curve" are, the longer that social distancing rules and other will need to be enforced to avoid a sudden surge of infections. In the latter scenario, it seems inconceivable to me that there would be any sporting events before the end of summer at the very earliest, and probably beyond. In either case, the economic and social impacts will be significant and long-lasting. For a league that is as vulnerable as the CFL is, that is bad news.

[Hambone]

From the narrow point of view of 'saving the CFL season', the best case scenario would be a massive wave of infections across NA as soon as possible. The more effective the efforts to suppress transmission or "flatten the curve" are, the longer that social distancing rules and other will need to be enforced to avoid a sudden surge of infections. In the latter scenario, it seems inconceivable to me that there would be any sporting events before the end of summer at the very earliest, and probably beyond. In either case, the economic and social impacts will be significant and long-lasting. For a league that is as vulnerable as the CFL is, that is bad news.

Unfortunately the best case scenario you suggest for 'saving the CFL season' would also be the worst possible scenario for the rest of the planet. The health care system will be taxed to the max under the flatten the curve scenario. Even then it may not be able to cope. Should the wave scenario happen the health care system feel like Wile E Coyote when he opens up that little parasol umbrella to protect himself from the house size boulder plummeting towards him.

[maxlion]

From the narrow point of view of 'saving the CFL season', the best case scenario would be a massive wave of infections across NA as soon as possible. The more effective the efforts to suppress transmission or "flatten the curve" are, the longer that social distancing rules and other will need to be enforced to avoid a sudden surge of infections. In the latter scenario, it seems inconceivable to me that there would be any sporting events before the end of summer at the very earliest, and probably beyond. In either case, the economic and social impacts will be significant and long-lasting. For a league that is as vulnerable as the CFL is, that is bad news.

Unfortunately the best case scenario you suggest for 'saving the CFL season' would also be the worst possible scenario for the rest of the planet. The health care system will be taxed to the max under the flatten the curve scenario. Even then it may not be able to cope. Should the wave scenario happen the health care system feel like Wile E Coyote when he opens up that little parasol umbrella to protect himself from the house size boulder plummeting towards him.

Yeah, you are right of course. Just pointing out the irony that what would be deemed a successful strategy for society would decrease the chances of having a CFL season. So perhaps we should hope for no CFL season.

[TheLionKing]

I would frankly be surprised if there is season.

[Hambone]

Yeah, you are right of course. Just pointing out the irony that what would be deemed a successful strategy for society would decrease the chances of having a CFL season. So perhaps we should hope for no CFL season.

If it's possible to be both a realist and eternal optimist then I'm it. The eternal optimist in me thinks that with still 8 weeks to go before training camp the CFL might yet dodge the bullet with at worst maybe a slight delay happening. The realist in me though says the eternal optimist in me is out to lunch. The case numbers in the US have more than doubled in the last 48 hours and there's no reason to think they won't double again in the next 48-72 hours. Who knows what the numbers will be by the end of the month. There's no reason to think they will be starting to level off any time soon. A telling sign for the CFL might be MLS announcing things are postponed to May 10th, 1 week before CFL training camps open. I have to think in picking that date MLS is thinking in terms of best case scenario if everything goes right in the next 3 or 4 weeks.

[B.C.FAN]

The Lions announced Friday night that an unidentified member of the club’s football operations department has tested positive for COVID-19. The employee was last in the office on March 13 and is in isolation at home.

[David]

This is an interesting story of COVID-19 on a cruise ship featuring none other than CFL referee Al Bradbury. Interesting that the writer doesn't identify him by his profession, yet tens of thousands of Canadians likely recognize him as the big "average Joe" looking guy in black and white stripes.


DH

[Toppy Vann]

This is an interesting story of COVID-19 on a cruise ship featuring none other than CFL referee Al Bradbury. Interesting that the writer doesn't identify him by his profession, yet tens of thousands of Canadians likely recognize him as the big "average Joe" looking guy in black and white stripes.


DH

Their situation would make any person fearful while sailing across the Atlantic. If this is correct then this is a total condemnation of that firm! How they could have left for the Atlantic is crazy.

I hope they're safe and stay healthy as I do for all humanity.

These next few weeks are critical in flattening the curve. The emphasis has to be on what we can do to prevent community spreading.

I see some posts on the CBC Vancouver virus FB page very critical of the gov't and health officials for not saying which communities the cases are in - other than the health care facilities. As the smarter posters note, releasing the specific locations could simply make people feel a false sense of security. As I just heard Brian Williams on MSNBC just now - the best advice is to act in public as if you have the disease and want to keep a distance from others. That's good advice.

Just like a cold or the flu, you don't know normally the source.

[Belize City Lion]

From the narrow point of view of 'saving the CFL season', the best case scenario would be a massive wave of infections across NA as soon as possible. The more effective the efforts to suppress transmission or "flatten the curve" are, the longer that social distancing rules and other will need to be enforced to avoid a sudden surge of infections.

The solution is not to "hurry up and let everyone catch it, so we can all get over it". This isn't the chicken pox.

[maxlion]

From the narrow point of view of 'saving the CFL season', the best case scenario would be a massive wave of infections across NA as soon as possible. The more effective the efforts to suppress transmission or "flatten the curve" are, the longer that social distancing rules and other will need to be enforced to avoid a sudden surge of infections.

The solution is not to "hurry up and let everyone catch it, so we can all get over it". This isn't the chicken pox.

I didn't advocate that. Don't misrepresent me.

[B.C.FAN]

Lions' new linebackers coach Travis Brown has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a social media post from his mother. She said he was taken by ambulance to a hospital near his home in California on March 14 and released from the ER later the same day and told to self-isolate.

The Lions announced Friday night that an unidentified member of the club’s football operations department has tested positive for COVID-19. The Lions said the employee was last in the office on March 13 and is in isolation at home.

https://twitter.com/P356Loeffler/status ... 92/photo/2

Former Fresno State standout Travis Brown suffering of COVID-19

[David]

(to clarify, Travis Brown was the staff member who contracted COVID-19. They're one and the same, per Farhan Lalji).


DH

[Sir Purrcival]

Week by week the situation is looking grimmer for a quick solution to this pandemic. We don't look anywhere close at the moment to getting this under control and the frankly baffling behaviour of some who seem to think that it isn't a problem at all with behaviour to match isn't helping. As of today, there are over 14000 people worldwide who are no longer with us and it we haven't come close to a peak yet. Canada today has declared that they are not going to attend the Olympics in Japan. I struggle to see how the CFL would run it's season if one of the major athletic bodies in Canada (the COC) is saying that it is too dangerous to send their athletes to the Olympics. I can also imagine some resistance to the having players coming in from the US which is currently in much worse a situation than us. The MLB is on hold, NHL is on hold, NBA is on hold as well as numerous other sports. Granted, pre-season is still a couple of months away but the economic hangover is going to be massive. Nor is the fear factor going to fade right away. By the time this is waning, I am expecting it to be months distant. Peoples behaviours and attitudes towards large events may be forever altered or a least will be for some length of time. I could easily see some anxiety around the idea that it might only take one late to the party infected person to start the whole process over again. At this point it is going to be a least a year before some things feel "normal" and even that might mean "changed". I hope I'm wrong but given how this seems to be growing, 2 months will zoom by really quick

[South Pender]

I wonder what happens to player and coach contracts under the present state of affairs. What of the guys signed for 2020 already? And I guess the television contract with the CFL goes away too or perhaps is pro-rated for the length of the season, assuming that there will be one (which looks less and less likely).

In the NFL, there are a lot of players with guaranteed money in their contracts. If there is no NFL season, it's hard to see them getting any of this money. Maybe there are "acts of God" provisions in these contracts that cancel them if something this catastrophic happens.

[South Pender]

Peoples behaviours and attitudes towards large events may be forever altered or a least will be for some length of time. I could easily see some anxiety around the idea that it might only take one late to the party infected person to start the whole process over again. At this point it is going to be a least a year before some things feel "normal" and even that might mean "changed". I hope I'm wrong but given how this seems to be growing, 2 months will zoom by really quick

Dr. Fauci, among others, has suggested that there could be a successive wave phenomenon with COVID-19. It could diminish and almost disappear for a while and then start up again.