ET80 Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 I was reading about the NBA bubble in Disney Orlando, and it got me to thinking - could the NFL create a similar bubble for their upcoming season? My initial thought is no, because you really couldn't find a space that could have 5+ Football fields to play multiple games at a time. But, is it that simple? Or could it be done? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingseanjohn Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 Yes, but they won't. It'd be too expensive and players/coaches/staffs/everyone involved aren't likely to agree to being isolated from friends and family for 6-8 months. It's a logistical nightmare and there's no way everyone would buy in. They may at first, but after the first month or two, people will want to interact with new people or go other places. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diamondbull424 Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 (edited) I’m sure what helps the NBA is that there are less teams invited back to participate in the “bubble”, what’s more you have 12-15 players on a team vs 4x that amount for NFL rosters. Is it possible? Absolutely. But I think part of the great thing is that the NBA has such a great relationship between the players and owners in comparison to the NFL with their player and owners. There’s greater trust present that the NBA league office isn’t going to try and screw players over and in turn that trust makes the players more willing to make things happen for the league. Then the time period for the bubble would be substantially longer for the NFL season as well. That all said, I think they COULD make it work, it would be doubtful, but it could happen. What’s more I prefer spending my energy on possible ways that it COULD happen vs all the reasons that it can’t. So if it were to happen I feel like there would have to be multiple bubble cities and it would require two weeks byes once teams travel from bubble to bubble. So for example since I’m a Ravens fan, I’ll base my analogy off of the AFCN. The AFCN plays the NFCE and AFCS this season. I think the NFL could setup a bubble composed of two divisions. That’s 8 teams total, which would be roughly 600 (coaches, refs, cheerleaders, etc.) or so people in a single bubble for 7 weeks; which would be long enough to run through the first slate of division games and the non-division games. Afterwards players would get a two week bye as they transition from bubble city to bubble city. During this time, family members that have participated in a two week quarantine can join team members within the new bubble for the two week bye period. Then the second bubble schedule would begin with teams playing the other non-division games and then closing out the 14 game season (the other two games would be difficult to factor into a bubble schedule) having played their divisional opponents once again. However as money will obviously play a factor and missing two games will need some sort of recoup; the NFL could negotiate with players for a special 16 team playoffs to gain an additional week of games. In this scenario conferences would setup another 8 team bubble after allowing for another two week bye. All teams would play the wildcard week. There would be no excuses as all teams would have had two weeks off for rest post regular season bubble. After that its normal schedule programming, single elimination games. SB would be one last bubble city, instead of an asterisk, whichever team wins such a Super Bowl will have proven to be possessed of a crazy amount of mental fortitude and community; they will have proven their metal for sure. Edited July 22, 2020 by diamondbull424 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJerseypaint Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 No way. The NBA is having a tough time right now with 22 teams and a roster size of 15. Imagine 32 teams with 53 players? Logistical insanity. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forge Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 I don't think so. Too many people, especially when you consider workers on the sidelines 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soko Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 Too many people and honestly too long a time. The NBA season is just about over and then it’ll be the playoffs. Asking players to be bubbled off from now until January is a big ask, regardless of size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naptownskinsfan Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 3 hours ago, ET80 said: I was reading about the NBA bubble in Disney Orlando, and it got me to thinking - could the NFL create a similar bubble for their upcoming season? My initial thought is no, because you really couldn't find a space that could have 5+ Football fields to play multiple games at a time. But, is it that simple? Or could it be done? You could do it in Maryland and Philadelphia. You would have the Washington, Ravens stadiums in the NFL, and then University of Maryland and the Naval Academy for college. Add in a short trek to Philadelphia and you’ve got your stadiums. Add in some small colleges sprinkled in the area where you could have practices and that could work. But that means we now have to have hotel rooms for 53 players and all of the support and coaching staffs. I think over a four month season and the playoffs, a bubble is extremely impractical and something that most players aren’t going to be able to follow and stay isolated. My work has a contract with Major League Lacrosse and they are having a week-long tournament instead of their season here in Annapolis. The players and coaches are all in one hotel and they can only leave to go to practice or to games. I just don’t see that functioning for as long as an NFL season is. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xenos Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 13 hours ago, ET80 said: I was reading about the NBA bubble in Disney Orlando, and it got me to thinking - could the NFL create a similar bubble for their upcoming season? My initial thought is no, because you really couldn't find a space that could have 5+ Football fields to play multiple games at a time. But, is it that simple? Or could it be done? If they could find a way to go to New Zealand and make multiple football fields there. Might be too late though even if we assume New Zealand government allows them and everyone in the NFL was for it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scar988 Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 11 hours ago, naptownskinsfan said: You could do it in Maryland and Philadelphia. You would have the Washington, Ravens stadiums in the NFL, and then University of Maryland and the Naval Academy for college. Add in a short trek to Philadelphia and you’ve got your stadiums. Add in some small colleges sprinkled in the area where you could have practices and that could work. But that means we now have to have hotel rooms for 53 players and all of the support and coaching staffs. I think over a four month season and the playoffs, a bubble is extremely impractical and something that most players aren’t going to be able to follow and stay isolated. My work has a contract with Major League Lacrosse and they are having a week-long tournament instead of their season here in Annapolis. The players and coaches are all in one hotel and they can only leave to go to practice or to games. I just don’t see that functioning for as long as an NFL season is. Atlanta could be a great spot for a southern bubble. Mercedes-Benz Stadium - Downtown Atlanta Bobby Dodd Stadium - Downtown Atlanta Turner Field (now GA State Football stadium) - Downtown Atlanta Sanford Stadium - Athens (about 100 miles northeast) 5th/3rd field - Kennesaw (about 30 miles northwest) B.T. Harvey Stadium - Downtown Atlanta (Moorehouse) Even UT Chattanooga, Statesboro (GA Southern) and Macon (Mercer) aren't more than 2 hours away for games. Could even include Alabama and Auburn since those are max 4 hours away driving time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ET80 Posted July 22, 2020 Author Share Posted July 22, 2020 1 hour ago, scar988 said: Atlanta could be a great spot for a southern bubble Houston could also swing it: - NRG Stadium (Texans) - TDECU Stadium (University of Houston) - Rice Stadium (Rice University) - BBVA Compass Stadium (Dynamo) - Minute Maid Park (Astros - has been retrofitted for football as a contingency after Hurricane Ike). - AVIVA Stadium (Houston Sabercats, Rugby team). - Constellation Field (Sugar Land Skeeters, has hosted Rugby games). - The Astrodome (after a few months of repair and renovation - it wouldn't be cheap). If you're willing to include a 90 minute drive, you'll be able to include Kyle Field in College Station, home of the Texas Aggies. 120 minutes, you get the Alamodome (San Antonio) where UTSA plays. A four hour drive and you're at Jerruh's World and the Cotton Bowl. This isn't including some of the multi million dollar High School facilities in the area... ...it could work from a facilities perspective, but we're sort of turning into a Covid-19 hotspot. So, no dice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
titansNvolsR#1 Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 Probably couldn't have a single bubble, but I could see 4 mini-bubbles. Maybe if you went absolutely crazy and scrapped AFC/NFC for a single year and just bunched teams by locale in a handful of spots. Then have a round robin style 16-week season. Top 2 teams from each bubble go to a larger bubble for the playoffs. I'd love it just for the chaos, but bviously nobody would ever agree to such a thing because my whole idea is dumb and you're dumb for having read it. This crazy list brought to you by my procrastination on my Masters work. Doesn't work perfectly. California: (Chiefs and Niners take this one) Raiders Chargers Rams Niners Seahawks Cards Chiefs Broncos Texas: (Cowboys and Bucs would win here) Panthers Cowboys Texans Saints Jaguars Titans Dolphins Bucs Midwest/South: (Going Vikings and Browns) Vikings Packers Lions Bears Colts Bengals Browns Falcons Mideast and East: (Bills and Steelers) Steelers Eagles Bills Ravens Redskins Jets Pats Giants 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvilenFroggen Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 21 hours ago, diamondbull424 said: But I think part of the great thing is that the NBA has such a great relationship between the players and owners in comparison to the NFL with their player and owners. There’s greater trust present that the NBA league office isn’t going to try and screw players over and in turn that trust makes the players more willing to make things happen for the league. Also helps that Adam Silver seems like the best commissioner in American sports. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
40Year Pack Fan Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 Cost and logistics would be prohibitive.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candyman93 Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 Yes IF it was needed during playoff time. However, you can’t do that with 32 teams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blazer026 Posted July 23, 2020 Share Posted July 23, 2020 I don't think so. Unless they break it up to like 8 different bubbles, but I feel like that'd cost a ton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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