Maybe By Thanksgiving

Division 1 college football programs will be losing a huge amount of money this autumn because of the cancellation of the season.

Some want to try and play in the spring. That seems so far away and many things could happen before then.

The Big 10 is looking at the possibility of starting around Thanksgiving. Will this happen or is it just wishful thinking on their part?

Is It Cam Time?

Will Cam Newton be the starting quarterback for the Pats this season?

There has been talk about sharing snaps during games. Will that happen?

It looks to be a very exciting season no matter what.

Time For Nick

Should anyone be surprised that Coach Belichick selected a kicker in the 5th round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Justin Rohrwasser from Marshall was looked as an overreach by BB. Kickers are signed after the draft unless there is one exceptional player.

It looks like recently signed Nick Folk has the lead on the position. Rumors say that Rohrwasser is injured. I have no doubt that something happened.

The team can't go forward without a healthy kicker. Nick Folk is getting another chance at this point.

High School Football 2020

Some states are playing high school football, but others are not including Massachusetts.

Seniors who don't play are being robbed of a chance to audition for a football scholarship at some level.

Players with great potential are being lost in the shuffle. They might never have an opportunity. They deserve better.

Time For Harris

NFL training camps always have competitive battles for roster spots and playing time.

Second year RB Damien Harris is looking to make an impact this season after being inactive for most games last year and having his number called for just a few plays.

More is expected of him in 2020. He is following the path of James White who was invisible his rookie year before emerging during his second season.

Covid Opportunities

The pandemic has given opportunities to players who might never have a chance to make a roster. The numerous players who opted out opened the door for others.

The NFL's decision to expand the active and practice rosters has provided additional jobs.

Unsigned free agents are looking for their opportunity which may or may not happen. Some players price themselves out of a job with their salary demands.

That Empty Feeling

It sounds like some teams will have fans in their stadium to start the season. The NFL has never addressed this publicly from a competitive viewpoint.

The Pats will be at a disadvantage for their home games in September because Gillette Stadium will be empty. Will they be there in October?

How will teams handle the emptiness? Will they pump in sound and fake crowd noise?

BC's Reason

As a member of the ACC, Boston College is like an outpost compared to the location of the other schools.

There is a lot of controversy that they still plan to play football.

BC has many reasons to want to play. They will get $30 million in television revenue this season.

The Youngest Rosters

The Giants and Jets probably have the youngest rosters in the league.

With the retirement of LS Zak DeOssie, the Giants have nobody over the age of 27. WR Sterling Shepard is the senior player on the roster. The same can be said for the Jets.

Both teams have gone with younger players instead of bringing in seasoned veterans.

With so many things uncertain about the 2020 season, it's inevitable that both teams will sign a player over 30 at some point.

Best Bet of 2020

Gamblers devote so much time to try and beat the system to win money on their NFL bets. It doesn't matter what type of bet. They just want action.

The most challenging wager ever is whether the NFL will make it to the end of the season and the Super Bowl.

Nobody can predict the outcome.

Stidham's Hip Issue

It sounds like Pats QB Jarrett Stidham will miss a few weeks with bursitis in his hip.

The hosts of a Boston Sports talk radio show sounded ignorant when they said they couldn't understand why a player of Stidham's age could have it.

Trying to argue a point is often a waste of time. I was surprised by the tone of some of the callers.

They seem to imply that it happens mostly with older people. That is so incorrect.

Football In Spring

Many states are realizing that high school football can't to be played this fall because of the pandemic.

The governing body of Massachusetts high school sports has decided to have a spring season in 2021 between February 22 and April 25.

This assumes the Coronavirus will be under control by then, but is this just postponing the inevitable?

It's a win, particularly for seniors, but will it happen? If it does, it will impact the rosters of other spring sports.

Gillette Will Be Empty

It will be a different look at Gillette Stadium this year for so many reasons. So many players have left.

Unfortunately, fans won't be able to see it because they will not be able to attend home games through the month of September.

I can't imagine playing an NFL game without fans. Many teams have an issue with game day attendance, but at least some people show up.

The Chiefs hope to have about 17,000 in the stands at their first home game. We shall see.

Thirty Years For Brady

Tom Brady's signing with Tampa Bay was probably the best thing for the remainder of his career. His time with the Pats was up. Both sides needed to move on.

He has been very dedicated to working with his new teammates prior to training camp.

In a recent interview, he showed his excitement when he mentioned for the first time in his 30 years of playing football his head coach was from the offensive side of the ball.

The more amazing thing is that he has played football for 30 years. Few can ever say that.

Big 10 Hits

It's easy to see why the Big 10 Conference wants to try and play spring football even if it's a crazy idea. Financial loses for the 13 schools could approach $952 million according to estimates.

Ticket sales alone will account for at least $275 million, in addition to broadcast revenue.

Schools like Rutgers could lose $49 million while Ohio State is looking at a $104 million hit. The list goes on.

Playing spring football isn't guaranteed. Nobody knows where we will be with the pandemic.

The best players will be preparing for the NFL Draft. It's a real mess.

Hogan & The Jets

Some players come into the league undrafted, but seem to last for years. WR Chris Hogan is a great example.

The former lacrosse player had limited playing time in college, but stuck around with the Dolphins in 2011 and 2012 without ever getting on the field.

Then came four years with the Bills (2012-2015) before his time with the Pats (2016-2018) where he won two Super Bowls.

He signed with the Panthers for 2019, but only played in seven games because of arthroscopic knee surgery.

His recent signing with the Jets makes it a complete trip through the AFC East for him.

At 32, he is making the most of his opportunities.

Evaluating 2020 Talent

The cancellation of the 2020 football season by the Pac 12 and Big 10, as well as other conferences will have a huge impact on players looking forward to the 2021 NFL Draft.

It makes talent evaluation so much more difficult as there will be no film from the 2020 season to review and critique.

Players will be impacted where they fall or rise in the draft. Decisions will be made on what the scouts have in their system.

It will have a huge financial impact on some.

Some Are Still On

Will any college play football this season? The easiest thing to do is to wait to make a decision. There is no turning back after that.

I'm sure some conferences will wait until they are forced to determine their fate.

It's Over For UMass

UMass announced the cancellation of their football season today. It was inevitable as they had already lost three opponents with more on the horizon.

Will there be any teams still planning to play by the end of this week?

The MAC Is The First

The Mid-American Football Conference is the first Division 1 group to pull the plug on the season because of the pandemic.

It will be a costly move as most members received a big payday for scheduling a Top 10 team. They were also ready to play games on Tuesday and Wednesday nights under an agreement with ESPN.

All of this money is off the table. It will force schools to make further cuts in their athletic budget.

All About Jobs

There are so many players in the NFL who are trying to carve out a career. It's so hard to make a roster. Nobody needed a pandemic to get in their way.

A number of players who have opted out for the season have made a lot of money in their career. They have the luxury of sitting out and giving their body a season of rest.

In normal times, the bottom third of the roster never know if they will make it to the end of the season.

Players on a roster right now are in a good situation even if they get released.

August 21 Might Be The Day

UMass will have remote learning this year with few exceptions. There will be limited students on campus. What does that mean for the football program?

The NCAA is trying to get things in order by August 21st. Will that happen?

UConn Is First

UConn became the first Division 1 school to cancel its football season because of the pandemic.

As an Independent, it faced an uphill battle to have a fall schedule. Games with Indiana, Illinois, Ole Miss and Maine had already been canceled. Another two with North Carolina and Virginia are in jeopardy.

The team has not had any players test positive for the Coronavirus, but school officials looked at the broader picture and decided to wait until 2021.

Who Wants To Play In 2020?

The Pats lead the NFL with players who have opted out for 2020. What doe that mean?

Conspiracy sports-talk radio floated the idea of it being a rebellion against Coach Belichick.

Every player needs to make their own decision. Many know they might never have this opportunity again if they leave or stay.

The Fighting ACC

As an Independent, Notre Dame was faced with losing many of its football games this season because of the pandemic.

Their history and legacy allowed them to join the ACC for 2020 and make them bowl eligible.

They will certainly have a stacked schedule this season, but they always have great broadcast ratings so it's a win for all.

Trying To Schedule

College football is trying to go forward while dealing with the health concerns of players and coaching staffs.

The pandemic has raised havoc with schedules with many conferences canceling games with non-members.

Schools are trying to line up games. We might see Boston College play UMass because each school lost opponents.

UMass lost a $1.8 million payday to travel and take a beating from Auburn. It would've been great national exposure for the Minutemen.

Be Better Than MLB

NFL teams must do a better job than MLB in dealing with the pandemic. Recent outbreaks on baseball teams have put the season in jeopardy.

It took so much effort to get to this point.

Nobody really knows how it will end.