Good Morning, Buffalo: Pandemic Lessons: What can we learn from the NFL about keeping safe?

Feb. 4, 2021

Football's lessons can be applied to scholastic sports, workplaces and classrooms

The Buffalo Sabres' season slammed to a halt this week after two players were placed into Covid-19 protocols and the National Hockey League postponed the team's next four games. The way it happened is a microcosm of how the coronavirus spreads: The Sabres played the New Jersey Devils twice last weekend, and the Devils placed one player into protocol on Sunday, then another five on Tuesday.

That's not a lot different than going to party and finding out later that at least a half-dozen people may be infected. Except at (most) parties, people aren't checking each other into boards, like hockey players do.

Football has plenty of body slamming, too, but somehow the National Football League seems to have eluded Covid-19 spread on the field. A report released last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention details the NFL's Covid-19 protocols, including examples of how the virus did manage to spread off the field, and speculating on why it didn't seem to do so during play.

I spoke to the NFL's advising epidemiologist for this week's "Pandemic Lessons," which extracts some lessons that we can apply to scholastic sports, workplaces and classrooms. 

As always, reach out via email (toshei@buffnews.com) or Twitter (@timoshei) with questions and ideas for this ongoing series.

– Tim O'Shei

READ MORE

MORE COVID-19 COVERAGE

BTF's lawsuit claims calls for Covid-19 safety information went unanswered: Buffalo Teachers Federation President Phil Rumore sent an email to Buffalo Public Schools in October asking for information regarding what steps the district had taken to protect its students and staff from Covid-19. The email is at the heart of the union’s lawsuit to stop the schools from reopening. Read more

The latest map and statistics: Covid-19 numbers from state and county departments of health, as well as new data from the New York Times' national Covid-19 tracking project. Read more

WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT

Car thieves had a banner year in 2020: In Buffalo, throughout the region and around the country, car thefts skyrocketed in 2020 and appear to continue to be happening at higher rates than normal. So what is behind this surge? Police say the majority of the cases involve vehicles that were left running or had their keys left in them. Read more

Abuse victims push back on Buffalo Diocese's request to hire more lawyers: The creditor’s committee that represents survivors of childhood sex abuse in the Buffalo Diocese’s bankruptcy case is opposing the diocese’s efforts to hire additional lawyers, in particular former New York Attorney General Dennis C. Vacco. The committee chided Vacco and his firm for failing to disclose a potential conflict of interest in the case. Read more

Activists demand rejection of tax breaks for Amazon project in Hamburg: The Coalition for Economic Justice called the tradeoff of tax breaks for jobs a bad deal for taxpayers in Hamburg and Erie County. Pay for the proposed distribution center’s jobs will start at $15 an hour or $31,000 per year – which is "a wage that you can not live on in Hamburg," the group said. Read more

Siemens job cuts a blow to manufacturing mainstay in Olean: Siemens Energy said it will cut 530 jobs at the 890-employee facility. Some affected employees will have the opportunity to transfer to jobs at other Siemens operations. But the Olean site will be left with a vastly reduced workforce and lose manufacturing operations that have been a staple of its history for over a century. Read more

Rod Watson: When it comes to literature, race and gender, comfort zones are overrated: Newfane school officials should ban any thoughts of removing "Of Mice and Men" from the high school reading list after a student said John Steinbeck's classic makes her and her classmates "uncomfortable." That is exactly what good literature is supposed to do. Read more

WEATHER

Don Paul: More lake-effect snow potential on the horizon: A winter storm watch has been issued for late Friday afternoon through late Saturday night. Enjoy today’s sunshine and mild temperatures while they last, notes Paul. Read more

NEW BUFFALO

Station Twelve remains stalled, but it could be close to landing a major tenant: It's been nearly a year since construction work stopped on the project to turn the former Northtown Plaza in Amherst into a lifestyle center dubbed Station Twelve. However, a new tenant to occupy a 70,000-square-foot space in the existing retail building just east of Whole Foods could soon be announced. Read more

POLITICS

Gillibrand named to Senate Intelligence Committee: Members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence learn all sorts of secrets that U.S. spy agencies learn – and now Sen. Kirsten E. Gillibrand will be learning that, too. Gillibrand, a New York Democrat, was appointed to the Intelligence panel this week, highlighting the committee assignments for local lawmakers in the 117th Congress. Read more

DiNoto, Amherst police veteran, launches independent bid for Erie County sheriff: DiNoto told The Buffalo News on Wednesday that he will no longer pursue the GOP nomination to succeed retiring Republican Timothy B. Howard. Instead, he will launch his campaign on the "Public Service Over Politics" line in a contest assuming more and more unconventional overtones. Read more

GOP names Dixon as Erie County comptroller candidate: Dixon, a former county legislator from Hamburg who ran for county executive in 2019, has been viewed in most quarters as the Republican favorite this year to run for the "fiscal watchdog" post. For more than a year, she has worked in the Comptroller's Office as a top assistant to incumbent Stefan I. Mychajliw Jr. Read more

BILLS

Rob Gronkowski admits Super Bowl against Bills would have been 'nuts': The 31-year-old Amherst native who came out of retirement to join his pal Tom Brady in Tampa will get a chance to win Super Bowl No. 4 against the reigning champions. Sunday will be his sixth time playing on the final Sunday of the season. Read more

Bills sending 4 WNY nurses to Super Bowl: As part of an NFL initiative to recognize the extraordinary service of health care workers during the pandemic, the Buffalo Bills are sending four Western New York nurses to Super Bowl LV. Read more

SABRES

The Sabres on pause: Where things stand: Mike Harrington breaks down everything fans need to know about how Covid-19 brought the Sabres season to a halt and what's next for the team. Read more

WITH YOUR MORNING COFFEE

• The return of cold winter temperatures and a frozen surface, not to mention a scenic view of Buffalo, brought ice fishermen back to Buffalo's Small Boat Harbor last Sunday. News photographer Harry Scull Jr. captures the scene with this gallery.

• Football buffs who watch tonight’s premier of ESPN’s latest “30 for 30” film, “Al Davis vs The NFL,” will notice some Buffalo angles, notes News TV critic Alan Pergament. “It is loaded with history, nostalgia and legal issues between the late Raiders owner and the late NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle that transformed the most popular sport in America,” writes Pergament.

• The pandemic can't stop Frankie Scinta from performing. Although his long-running Las Vegas act is on hiatus, the Buffalo native is offering weekly live concerts that you can enjoy from the comfort of your home, reports WKBW's Mike Randall.

• Call it the cousin of the hot chocolate bomb – the smashable chocolate heart is "the ultimate chocolatey gift if you’re looking to surprise and delight this holiday," writes Step Out Buffalo, which shares where you can find the treats for Valentine's Day.

Have thoughts on the Good Morning, Buffalo newsletter? Email feedback@buffnews.com.