Kirk Herbstreit went on ESPN Radio last night and said he’s be shocked if the NFL and college football seasons happen this fall. That’s right, Herbstreit is concerned football will not happen in 2020 unless something big changes with the trajectory of coronavirus without a vaccine. Roger Goodell has already said the NFL Draft will go on and there’s been no public talk from the NFL about canceling games. As for college football, Herbie might be verbalizing what athletic directors are thinking right now.
The “College Gameday” host went on ESPN radio late Thursday and spelled out why he’s so pessimistic about seeing America’s biggest sport on the biggest stages.
“I’ll be shocked if we have NFL football this fall, if we have college football. I’ll be so surprised if that happens,” Kirk said. “Just because from what I understand, people that I listen to, you’re 12 to 18 months from a [coronavirus] vaccine. I don’t know how you let these guys go into locker rooms and let stadiums be filled up and how you can play ball. I just don’t know how you can do it with the optics of it.”
Kirk said if he was the NFL commish or in charge of the NCAA, he would shut it down ASAP — “Next thing you know you got a locker room full of guys that are sick. And that’s on your watch? I wouldn’t want to have that.”
Keep in mind we’re already hearing that the USGA is thinking of alternatives to holding the U.S. Open in late June at Winged Foot. The calendar is moving quickly here. NFL mini camps take place in May and early June. Those are pretty much guaranteed to be canceled or postponed.
The NFL Management Council Executive Committee discussed issues relating to the draft today and “was unanimous and unequivocal that the Draft should go forward as scheduled on April 23-25, 2020,” Commissioner Roger Goodell told clubs in a memo tonight.
The show goes on.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 26, 2020
