Sept. 11
The NFL is putting out word to teams that no decision on this weekend's games will be made for at least 48 hours, unless information comes earlier making it easier to render a decision.
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This is such a terrible tragedy that it's hard for us to even concentrate on playing a game. ” |
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— Rams president of football operations Jay Zygmunt |
The Baltimore Ravens and Washington Redskins closed their offices following a request in the Washington, D.C. area to cut back on phone activity. Games are scheduled Sunday in New York, Washington, Baltimore and Pittsburgh -- sites either where or close to where Tuesday's tragedies occurred.
Team executives seem to have different feelings about what to do next.
"This is such a terrible tragedy that it's hard for us to even concentrate on playing a game," said Jay Zygmunt, the St. Louis Rams' president of football operations. "We're caught up in the tragedy like the rest of the nation."
Another team executive was initially in favor of playing the games and said, if possible, that getting back to normalcy would probably be important.
"If the games get cancelled, the league will have to make some decisions," the executive said. "Will there be a 15-game season like in '87? Then, what about the Chargers, who have a bye week? There's no off week before the Super Bowl. If there were talk about pushing it back, the logistics would not be easy."
By closing its offices Tuesday, the league is sending a message that the employees at the league office are taking care of their families first.
Tuesday is normally a prep day for NFL coaches and an off day for players. But executives said several players often travel on the off day. That might become an issue in terms of getting them back to practice this week with all U.S. flights grounded indefinitely.