Preseason Cancelled

That's the truth

 

Hey Blast Furnace.

Not having at least some preseason is a major mistake for several reasons.

It would give the Covid-19 issue a "Dry-Run" test in a sense. The entire league is going into this thing completely "blind". They have no idea how the Covid-19 is going to affect the playing of a game. This is completely ridiculous! They do not have to play the typical four preseason games. I would say two. That would be a big enough "sample size" to see the ramifications, if any at all, as to how the playing of a typical game would or would not be affected by the Covid-19.

Otherwise, the "first test" for the effects of the Covid-19 on a game would come during Week #1 when the games actually mean something. Just wow! You talk about lack of foresight, poor planning, not thinking things through. And this is what Roger gets paid 40 million a year for? This is just horrible administrative decision-making.

In addition to the Covid-19 issues, not having at least some preseason games will in all likelihood lead to more injuries than usual once the season starts. The players need simulated game situations that cannot be replicated in team practices no matter how hard they try to duplicate this.

Also, the first few weeks of play will probably be "sloppy" to some degree. Team chemistry cannot be developed through team practice alone. Again, the teams can try their best to emulate game situations in practice but they know, just as we all do, this is most likely improbable. The Steelers have a bad reputation of "starting slow" once the regular season begins. In theory, I cringe to think how slow we are going to start now with no game-time experience behind us come week #1 of the regular season. Even if that game-time experience is only preseason; which is obviously better than none at all.

This is not good folks, IMO. Not good at all.


STEELWINDS AKA The East Side Kid

 

You make very good points about the preseason. I didn't give it much thought as to how it will effect early part of season.

Pretty much all that came to mind was for so many years I remember tons of people saying (me included) they should just do away with preseason. Useless, just to get rid of borderline players, starters shouldn't play due to chance of injury, etc. etc. Now that it is a reality your points are valid but for a fan we just want the games that count. I'd like to see a knowledgeable fan on here give some reasons how no preseason could be a good thing. One thing for sure there is a lot of guys who had dreams of making a NFL team and now will have no games to prove themselves.

IMO 2 preseason games would be ideal in these times but that ain't happening so maybe a few light scrimmages against opponents????????? No idea how that would work. Maybe get 16 teams to one place and other 16 to another. Close off area and have them go a couple hours, then 2 other teams take the field and so on. It's all so strange.

 

Hey steel machine.

The biggest point was, and I know you get it, is that it is kind of like the "Scientific Method" that we did in school. You take a Problem (Part #1) and do an Experiment (Part #3) to prove or disprove the Hypothesis (Part #2). In this case Covid-19 is the Problem and the Hypothesis would be what one thinks would, or would not, be the result of the Experiment which would be the players playing in a Game situation (Preseason Game).

With no simulated game situation (Preseason Game) we are not going to know the effects of playing Team vs. Team until Week #1. By then it is too late in a way. If the Covid-19 results of the preseason games are bad then the League would know well in advance on how to proceed before the real season started. One maybe two preseason games for each team would probably give the League a good gage on the effects of the Covid-19. I think that would be a reasonable approach. It is like any other experiment in a sense. You have to do some preliminary investigating and trial work before employing full steam ahead. Similar to how vaccines become implemented. Usually there are Clinical trials 1, 2 and 3 before it is put into action with the public.


STEELWINDS AKA The East Side Kid