T-Rac
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- Mar 20, 2019
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On Monday night, several Raiders attended an indoor event with too many people and not enough (no) masks. The NFL has not issued a blanket ban on similar activities by the Raiders and all other teams, yet.
A report in the Las Vegas Review-Journal claims that the league sent a memo on Thursday to all teams stating generally that “[n]o team or player gatherings or group football activities will be permitted away from the facility.” That’s not the case.
The quoted language comes not from a stand-alone memo specifically targeting the Monday event in Nevada but from the memo setting forth “supplemental intensive protocols” for teams that are experiencing an outbreak or that have had exposure to a club with an active outbreak. In other words, the language quoted by the Review-Journal applies only to, for now, the Titans and Vikings.
Rules already exist regarding things players can and can’t do while away from the facility. House gatherings of fewer than 15 are permitted, for example. Attending an event prohibited by state and/or local regulation (like the Monday night event attended by Raiders players) is prohibited.
Whether the NFL should issue a broad and general ban on off-duty activities and gatherings is a different issue, as is whether the NFL should require all players, coaches, and essential personnel to stay in a local hotel for the rest of the season. It’s one thing to take remedial measures after an outbreak happens. This week’s developments suggest that perhaps more should be done to prevent an outbreak, in the first place.