Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said that he believes all NFL facilities "should reopen at the same time, even as some states' loosening of restrictions could theoretically allow certain facilities to open earlier than others," in the "spirit of 'competitive fairness.'" Tomlin said, "I prescribe to the approach of competitive fairness within our game. ... And so all teams getting an opportunity to start on the same footing is a core element of that" (ESPN.com, 5/9).
PIPE DREAM? The NFL released its full '20 schedule last week, and in N.Y., Pat Leonard wrote, "Something about this just does not feel right." If "anyone is being honest," it feels "absurd to think of holding an NFL game" in four months' time. Leonard noted in his conversations with various NFL and team officials, they "privately consider the schedule released on Thursday to be a much more fluid document than was presented" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 5/10). In Pittsburgh, Gene Collier wrote the '20 schedule is a "highly conspicuous if purely theoretical list of 256 events that probably aren't going to happen" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 5/10).
SMOOTH SAILING SO FAR: In Boston, Ben Volin wrote the thousands of people who work at NFL HQ and across the 32 teams "deserve a round of applause." The execution of the league's offseason has been "nearly flawless amid a global pandemic that has shut down society since mid-March" (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/10).
THE MAN WITH THE PLAN: FS1’s Jason Whitlock called NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell the sports world’s coronavirus MVP, saying Goodell has "owned the last two to three months of the sports world.” Whitlock said Goodell has been “reshaping his image” and “proving that he is the leader of all leaders in the sports world.” FS1's Marcellus Wiley agreed, saying, “In adverse situations, the guys who can stay the same and keep it as close to normal as possible are the ones who shine the brightest” (“Speak for Yourself,” FS1, 5/8).
