A deal reached with the National Football League and the players has led some, such as The Federalist, to the logical conclusion that the NFL has ‘declared war’ on Church. As professional sports leagues are trying to figure out how to maintain a multi-billion-dollar industry in spite of the coronavirus, their priorities are no secret.
Specifically, the NFL has banned players from “attending any indoor church services that are above 25 percent capacity, multiple sources told NBC Sports.” Surprise, surprise, the NFL is against any social gatherings…unless the gathering is of their players on a football field or of fans sitting six feet apart in the stands to ensure the money well doesn’t run dry.
In addition to restricting worship services, “the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) also prohibits players from attending indoor nightclubs and bars (except for take-out), indoors concerts, professional sports games, and indoor parties that include 15 or more people” reported The Federalist.
The hypocrisy is delicious. Don’t allow your players to attend professional sports games in order to make sure the public attends their games. Money hungry much? Clearly an outbreak is of no concern, as the Major League Baseball association just proved that if professional sports games continue, there will in fact be an outbreak.
The Federalist notes that it is typical for players to face fines for non-compliance with CBAs and standard fines range from $5,000 to over $70,000. How much will players be fined for attending church services? The CBA gets even more morally vicious. NBC Sports reported if players test positive for Covid-19 after violating the CBA they won’t get paid for the games they miss and lose any guarantees in future contracts.
Taking a page out of the unethical Cuomo playbook, the NFL may become a giant witch hunt. NBC Sports believe the professional teams may “rely on contacts within the community to contact the team if/when violations are witnessed,’ or even use a tip line. In order words, members of the community would be encouraged to report players they see trying to attend church” according to The Federalist.
