[Merged] Sean Payton is creating a "sort of" bubble for the team (1 Viewer)

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The Saints are creating a bubble. Look around. See the landscape. Baseball, not in a bubble, might be on the verge of collapsing. Basketball, in a bubble, looks smart and might play to the title cleanly. Football, with Matthew Stafford sidelined in the COVID protocol, goes “Hmmmmm.” The Saints are trying to do something about it. The organization is inventing a semi-bubble. Beginning Wednesday, the team has contracted with the Loews Hotel to rent four floors of the fashionable borderline French Quarter hotel, so that most of the team’s 100 Tier 1 and 2 employees (all but some of the team doctors, cafeteria workers and security people) and many of the players would be able to quasi-quarantine in the luxe hotel till opening day. “It’s not a bubble,” coach Sean Payton told me Saturday night. “It’s a sequester. The message from the league is, ‘The show must go on.’ If so, we’ve got to do everything we can to be sure that happens.” The Saints have about 180 employees including Tier 1 (coaches, GM, personnel people), 2 (facilities, doctors, support staff) and players (80).

The team is fortunate; through the first round of testing—three tests per player—the team had zero positive tests. But Payton knows that might not last. He thinks about 150 of the 180 team employees/players will end up in the hotel through the first week of September. No one will be forced to stay. Payton equates it to coaching, trying to figure a way to limit the number of positive tests so the Saints have the best chance to play, and to win. “Isn’t that what we do for a living?” he said. “It’s like creating a game plan with a likelihood of success. We’re just trying to increase the odds of success.”

No word on which of the vets will do the personal quarantining, thought I’ve heard linebacker and team leader Demario Davis is in favor of moving to the hotel till the season starts. In all, there are about 40 veterans who will have to choose whether to stay home or sequester at the Loews. This gives the Saints a better chance than most teams to stay clear, but not a perfect chance.

 
I think this is smart. I was thinking about it the other day actually. I do not know why the NFL didn't require it for every player during the negotiations. For training camp and the regular season. Why can't teams just quarantine staff and players from Thurs-Sun/Mon. Get the quick result tests like the NBA has. If you test positive Thursday, you're out for the game. If you're negative, you're likely good to go for Sunday because you'll then be quarantining. It's not perfect but teams are going to need to take SOME kind of actions if they want to have a season and not just act like everything can carry on as normal.

Players would still get their freedom to not be quarantined Monday-Wednesday, but they would have to make some sacrifices as well if they are going to want to complete this season.
 
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Need everyone of the players and staff to be on board. The bubble can get contaminated and be rendered useless if there’s a few folks who test positive
I wonder if Payton stressed to the team how he REALLY REALLY REALLY thinks everyone should be on board with this but then said it's air quotes "voluntary" haha.
 
I wonder if Payton stressed to the team how he REALLY REALLY REALLY thinks everyone should be on board with this but then said it's air quotes "voluntary" haha.
The same coach in his 1st year that took the whole team to Millsaps for Training Camp. Nahhhhh... Payton is all about that isolationism.
 
I guess all those years of the Greenbier curse may have actually set us up for a Superbowl win.

What a twist

The trouble is the team will have to be around other teams eventually, and if brees gets it later in the year it could ruin the season. Though i guess we should worry about that if and when that happens.
 
The trouble is the team will have to be around other teams eventually, and if brees gets it later in the year it could ruin the season. Though i guess we should worry about that if and when that happens.

every team is in that risk boat. That’s what the article is about. It’s not making yourself Covid proof it’s simply trying to increase your odds.
 
Close to stupidest thing I’ve ever heard sequestering them near the Quarter and Bourbon Street. Hey Coach, might want to take them OUTSIDE the city!
 
Close to stupidest thing I’ve ever heard sequestering them near the Quarter and Bourbon Street. Hey Coach, might want to take them OUTSIDE the city!
I think part of what got MLB in trouble was ignoring the reality of who players are
Telling 20 yr olds “behave yourselves “ will yield predicatable results
If you want your team of well paid football players to break curfew, then set them up in an airport radisson

I would almost guarantee that NBA has some wink wink nudge nudge agreement with players to find them some ‘companionship’ -again, bc if you don’t address ‘wants’ 20 yr olds will find their own way to address them
 
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The trouble is the team will have to be around other teams eventually, and if brees gets it later in the year it could ruin the season. Though i guess we should worry about that if and when that happens.

That can be said for every team. I do feel like we have the best QB room in the league. And if there's a QB in the league who is going to do all of the right things to stay healthy, it's Drew Brees.
 

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