The NFL’s off-season programs are well underway, the schedule has long been released and studied by fans, and training camps are approaching. But despite all the special preparations and protocols being developed amid the coronavirus pandemic, Dr. Anthony Fauci believes we still need to be prepared for the possibility of no football at all.
“Unless players are essentially in a bubble — insulated from the community and they are tested nearly every day — it would be very hard to see how football is able to be played this fall,” Fauci, the U.S. director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta on Thursday.
The pandemic has brought the sports world to a screeching halt, forcing leagues to suspend, postpone and outright cancel seasons and events. Football’s fall start has meant the NCAA and the NFL have so far been largely spared the difficulty of restructuring their seasons.
The NFL pivoted parts of its off-season, conducting a virtual draft and moving team programs online. It also canceled upcoming international games in London and Mexico City, but it appears intent to operate on schedule with pre-season set to open Aug. 6 and the 2020 campaign scheduled for kick-off Sept. 10.
But that fall start date could prove especially problematic, as Dr. Fauci pointed out:
“If there is a second wave, which is certainly a possibility and which would be complicated by the predictable flu season, football may not happen this year,” Dr. Fauci said.
In response to Dr. Fauci’s cautionary comments, Dr. Allen Sill, the NFL’s chief medical officer, issued a statement outlining the NFL’s current attempts to ensure a safe start to its season is possible.
“Dr. Fauci has identified the important health and safety issues we and the NFL players association, together with our joint medical advisors, are addressing to mitigate the health risk to players, coaches and other essential personnel,” Dr. Sill’s statement said. “We are developing a comprehensive and rapid-result testing program and rigorous protocols that call for a shared responsibility from everyone inside our football ecosystem.”
The NFL’s approach, according to Dr. Sills, is being undertaken based on the collective guidance of public health officials — including the White House task force, the CDC, infectious disease experts and other sports leagues.
“Make no mistake, this is no easy task,” Dr. Sill’s statement said. “We will make adjustments as necessary to meet the public health environment as we prepare to play the 2020 season as scheduled with increased protocols and safety measures for all players, personnel and attendees. We will be flexible and adaptable in this environment to adjust to the virus as needed.”
That approach though, at this time, does not seem to include a “bubble” concept, as Dr. Fauci advised. Yesterday, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that the NFL will focus its efforts this season on testing and contact tracing as opposed to the “bubble” approach we’re seeing from the NHL and NBA as they try to start up again.
“We do not feel it’s practical or appropriate to construct a bubble,” Dr. Sills said, via Pelissero, on Wednesday. “Anyone who tests positive will be isolated until medically appropriate to return.”
VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Canucks announced Tuesday that defenceman Alex Edler will sign a one-day contract in order to officially retire as a member of the NHL team.
The signing will be part of a celebration of Edler’s career held Oct. 11 when the Canucks host the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Canucks selected Edler, from Ostersund, Sweden, in the third round (91st overall) of the 2004 NHL draft.
He played in 925 career games for the Canucks between the 2006-07 and 2020-21 seasons, ranking fourth in franchise history and first among defencemen.
The 38-year-old leads all Vancouver defencemen with 99 goals, 310 assists and 177 power-play points with the team.
Edler also appeared in 82 career post-season contests with Vancouver and was an integral part of the Canucks’ run to the 2011 Stanley Cup final, putting up 11 points (2-9-11) across 25 games.
“I am humbled and honoured to officially end my career and retire as a member of the Vancouver Canucks,” Edler said in a release. “I consider myself lucky to have started my career with such an outstanding organization, in this amazing city, with the best fans in the NHL. Finishing my NHL career where it all began is something very special for myself and my family.”
Edler played two seasons for Los Angeles in 2021-22 and 2022-23. He did not play in the NHL last season.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
The sixth-ranked Canadian women will face World Cup champion Spain in an international friendly next month.
Third-ranked Spain will host Canada on Oct. 25 at Estadio Francisco de la Hera in Almendralejo.
The game will be the first for the Canadian women since the Paris Olympics, where they lost to Germany in a quarterfinal penalty shootout after coach Bev Priestman was sent home and later suspended for a year by FIFA over her part in Canada’s drone-spying scandal.
In announcing the Spain friendly, Canada Soccer said more information on the interim women’s coaching staff for the October window will come later. Assistant coach Andy Spence took charge of the team in Priestman’s absence at the Olympics.
Spain finished fourth in Paris, beaten 1-0 by Germany in the bronze-medal match.
Canada is winless in three previous meetings (0-2-1) with Spain, most recently losing 1-0 at the Arnold Clark Cup in England in February 2022.
The teams played to a scoreless draw in May 2019 in Logroñés, Spain in a warm-up for the 2019 World Cup. Spain won 1-0 in March 2019 at the Algarve Cup in São João da Venda, Portugal.
Spain is a powerhouse in the women’s game these days.
It won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2022 and was runner-up in 2018. And it ousted Canada 2-1 in the round of 16 of the current U-20 tournament earlier this month in Colombia before falling 1-0 to Japan after extra time in the quarterfinal.
Spain won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2018 and 2022 and has finished on the podium on three other occasions.
FC Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati (2023) and Alexia Putellas (2021 and ’22) have combined to win the last three Women’s Ballon d’Or awards.
And Barcelona has won three of the last four UEFA Women’s Champions League titles.
“We continue to strive to diversify our opponent pool while maintaining a high level of competition.” Daniel Michelucci, Canada Soccer’s director of national team operations, said in a statement. “We anticipate a thrilling encounter, showcasing two of the world’s top-ranked teams.”
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024
TORONTO – The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced cookie brand Oreo as the team’s helmet sponsor for the upcoming NHL season.
The new helmet will debut Sunday when Toronto opens its 2024-25 pre-season against the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Arena.
The Oreo logo replaces Canadian restaurant chain Pizza Pizza, which was the Leafs’ helmet sponsor last season.
Previously, social media platform TikTok sponsored Toronto starting in the 2021-22 regular season when the league began allowing teams to sell advertising space on helmets.
The Oreo cookie consists of two chocolate biscuits around a white icing filling and is often dipped in milk.
Fittingly, the Leafs wear the Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s “Milk” logo on their jerseys.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
