Stop me if you’ve heard this before: the NFL is instituting a COVID-19 safety policy that makes no sense whatsoever.
Unfortunately, the latest chapter in the NFL’s COVID insanity novel is being written, as the NFL will now require stricter COVID-19 protocols for players once they return from Thanksgiving.
It’s the standard craziness you’ve heard before for players and staff once they return from the holiday: increased testing and mask-wearing, with all football personnel required to be tested the Monday and Wednesday after Thanksgiving and mask-wearing at all team facilities from November 25 to December 1, regardless of vaccination status.
However, the NFL is now going to outdo its own insanity by enforcing these new policies. According to a report by ESPN, there will be video surveillance cameras throughout team facilities to ensure that personnel are compliant with the protocols:
“Effective Nov. 29, all NFL teams will be required to have video cameras installed in their weight rooms and cafeterias, including weight rooms that are outdoors or in practice bubbles. Teams must retain video from those cameras for 30 days in case the league requests to view it for the purpose of finding out whether people are following mask requirements at team facilities.”
Stop that right there: video cameras? It would make sense that the NFL might want to be stricter about making sure their employees are following COVID protocols – especially after getting hilariously outsmarted by Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers on their vaccine policy – but putting cameras every which and where in football facilities makes it seem like players and staff will be forced into house arrest whenever they clock in.
But just you wait, it gets even better after that!
Not only is it will it be required of athletes and staff to undergo strict COVID protocols, but the NFL is encouraging teams to offer testing to friends and family of players before they interact:
“NFL teams ‘are strongly encouraged to offer drive-through testing’ for friends and family of staff and players who will be staying or visiting with them for the holiday. ‘Such testing should be conducted before friends and family interact with players and staff.’”
What kind of business would try to exert their authority to extend to the families of their employees? A business that has completely lost its mind and any grip they may have had on reality.
The overreaching, nonsensical, and fear-based protocols the NFL has implemented throughout the year have ignored science, disregarded personal choice, and divided the league between the good (vaccinated) and bad (unvaccinated) people. While the new memo is simply a reflection of the insanity that has ruled the league, it is still disheartening to see the NFL trying to exercise its power over families and encroach on the holidays.
