Normalcy Replaces Insanity: NFL Drops All Covid Protocols

CLAY: Just in the last 30 minutes or so, the NFL has officially announced they are done with all covid protocols. They’re no longer going to be testing, they’re no longer going to be mandating vaccines or holding people out for 10 days if they happen to test positive. The Players Association and the teams are saying, “We’re over it.” Now, you kinda got a little preview that they had agreed to this, Buck, because nobody tested positive once the playoffs started in the NFL.

You had guys sitting out like crazy near the tail end of the regular season, and then they basically said, “Hey, we’re gonna end this.” They didn’t announce it, but now they are officially announcing. Now, some people may say, “Well, why does this matter?” The NFL is such a leviathan on the American cultural landscape that what they are doing will translate into many different high schools, into many different Little Leagues. And every sports league, I think, will end up following them and effectively saying, after two years of insanity, “We’re back to 100% normalcy.”

BUCK: What are the chances, though, that there’s a rebound in all of this when the next season comes along again, and they’ll do some restricted version of restrictions or a lessened version? This is the big thing. Last night… You flew today. I flew last night.

CLAY: Yeah.

BUCK: I did have a mask below my nose pretty much.

CLAY: Anybody say anything?

BUCK: No one said a word. I walked through the airport mask down below my mouth but, like, the mask on the whole time. Nobody said a word. I think the mask shamers know they’d really have their hands full with, “Why are you killing grandma? Why are you breathing normally here?” when you can only breathe normally everywhere else in the country. But that said, it’s because we’re also at the down slope of the covid season. Do you think the NFL is done forever or they’re done for now?

CLAY: I think they’re done forever because I think the players are really over it now. They recognized that, Buck, they’re under far more danger getting whipped, knocked out, beaten down all over the field. The game of football is far more dangerous to a 25-year-old than covid is, and I think they finally all recognize this, and I think every sports league is gonna follow the NFL. So I think this is going to be a major cultural moment in terms of letting people get back to normalcy. Remember, there’s still some kids playing basketball with masks on in some states, which is so stupid, it makes my head hurt.