NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has a lot to answer for after the league postponed three games due to recent positive tests.
Fortunately for him at least, he’s taken the liberty of answering some of the many questions he’ll be facing ahead of time. In a league-wide memo Goodell explained that the onset of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 warranted the response.
“The emergence of the Omicron variant is precisely the kind of change that warrants a flexible response. Based on medical advice, we have instituted additional protocols as well as revised testing protocols for reinstating players and staff who have tested positive. We have also considered whether certain games should be rescheduled in light of current conditions. Decisions to reschedule or cancel games will continue to be made in accordance with the principles outlined in my memorandum of July 22, 2021,” Goodell said.
While the move is obviously a necessity now, Goodell still has to answer for why this move wasn’t made earlier. The Rams, Washington and Browns have seen a surge in new positives for the better part of a week.
Memo sent today from Roger Goodell to all 32 NFL teams: pic.twitter.com/Lns9puBjjE
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 17, 2021
But for now, the NFL has three games that are going to be played mid-week instead of over the weekend.
The Browns-Raiders game has been moved from tomorrow to Monday. The Washington-Eagles and Rams-Seahawks games have been moved to Tuesday.
We can only hope that this debacle is the last time we need to deal with this situation. But COVID-19 doesn’t really care what sports fans want.
We could find ourselves in the exact same spot a week from now if things don’t improve.
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