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Richard Sherman on CA Possibly Allowing Sports in June: Money Changes Everything
May 19, 2020
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced earlier Monday that the state could begin hosting professional sports events again without fans as early as the first week of June amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic:
"Money changes everything," San Francisco 49ers All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman responded. "Teams started exploring options outside the state and all of a sudden the timeline changed."
Sherman was presumably alluding to a report from Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer on May 11:
"A number of teams are already deep into exploring out-of-state training camp sites, in anticipation that their states' restrictions will make staging camp at home in late July and early August impossible. Simple reality dictates that the 10 teams in the Northeast corridor and on the West Coast need to get ahead of this now.
"In Seattle, the best-case scenario, based on the plans laid out by the state, is that gatherings of over 50 people are allowed eight weeks from now. In Massachusetts, the mayor of Boston just called off all festivals and parades through Labor Day. New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia and California, likewise, are a ways off from loosening the reins to the degree needed to hold an NFL camp. Counting 90 players, the coaching staff, scouts, doctors, trainers, strength staff, cafeteria staff, etc., if you cut away everything else, you may be able to run a camp with 150 people onsite. And the fact is, that's a number that's a still a ways off from being allowable in some corners of the country."
Sherman doubled down on the notion that Newsom's motives to ease COVID-19 lockdown restrictions are financial:
Forbes' Mike Ozanian estimated that the NFL would lose $5.5 billion in revenue should games be played without fans in the stadiums for the upcoming 2020 season, and the 49ers would sacrifice $208 million in team stadium revenue.
Newsom's latest comments didn't address that obstacle but did offer a much different sentiment than conflicting reports last week that Los Angeles County could extend lockdown for another three months:
Also on Monday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott were also open to the idea of their respective states hosting professional sports soon:
Alexandra Samuels @AlexSamuelsx5.@GovAbbott says childcare services are allowed to open starting immediately. — Restaurants 50% by Friday; bars and wine rooms can open at 25% capacity — Professional sports without spectators in Texas can reopen on May 31 — In-person summer school can begin on June 1 #txlege
The NFL has extended its virtual offseason period through May 29.
The 2020 regular season is scheduled to begin Sept. 10 with the reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Houston Texans. The Niners are set to kick off their '20 campaign Sept. 13 against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.