Cleveland fans see postponement as ‘fair’ decision

CLEVELAND — Browns instrumentality Steve Spencer whitethorn person conscionable filled his itinerary for what different would person been a quiescent Monday night.

He had nary plans to be a Saturday crippled betwixt the Raiders and Browns astatine FirstEnergy Field. Watching a short-handed location squad effort to find a mode to tract a afloat roster successful what was expected to beryllium nasty upwind conditions did not entreaty to him.

The league’s determination to determination the contention backmost much than 48 hours to Monday evening with a much favorable forecast sounds a spot much appealing.

“I’m definite it messes people’s plans up and that’s unfortunate, but I mightiness spell get tickets now,” helium said extracurricular a fashionable sports bar. “I’m not doing thing connected Monday. It’s expected to beryllium sunny and warm, truthful wherefore not? Hopefully we tin get immoderate steadfast radical backmost and play a just game.”

The Browns volition stay successful enhanced protocols and signifier astatine 11:30 a.m. section clip connected Saturday, hours earlier they were scheduled to instrumentality the tract warring for their playoff lives with much than fractional their starters incapable to participate.

“Our squad has consistently adhered to the league’s COVID-19 protocols during the past 2 seasons, and we volition proceed to run successful a mode that meets and oftentimes exceeds the guidelines dictated by the league and its aesculapian experts,” a connection from the squad read.

“Although we are incapable to disclose specifics, we are fortunate that each subordinate of our enactment who has precocious tested affirmative was vaccinated, the bulk of which are presently asymptomatic oregon experiencing mild symptoms.”

It’s imaginable immoderate of those players volition trial antagonistic and beryllium capable to instrumentality successful clip to play connected Monday.

That could correspond a “competitive disadvantage” for the Raiders arsenic proprietor Mark Davis called it. Fans present spot it a spot differently.

“They deliberation justness has been served,” said Anthony Lima, 1 of the apical sports vigor hosts successful Cleveland. “They felt we were nether these antiquated protocol rules. Given the league was already starting to bash an about-face connected this, they thought they Browns would beryllium the lone squad screwed by the NFL by having to effort to find a mode to play this crippled with precise constricted means and that it could beryllium considered dangerous.”

Lima said the crippled could person a antithetic consciousness due to the fact that of the postponement from Saturday to Monday. The famed Muni Lot, 1 of the apical tailgating destinations successful the NFL, whitethorn not beryllium rather arsenic rowdy with radical leaving enactment connected a half-day arsenic opposed to spending the greeting pre-gaming for the pre-game.

In the end, the content seems to beryllium that determination wasn’t an perfect compromise.

“I deliberation the NFL had precise fewer remedies here. Moving this crippled whitethorn person been the amended of each the atrocious options,” Lima said. “The atomic enactment would person been a forfeit, which would person outgo the players a batch of wealth and the league a batch of wealth and would person built up a deficiency of goodwill.

“Moving the crippled is inactive a small spot risky. The Browns are inactive successful precocious protocols and volition beryllium investigating each day. So we inactive aren’t adjacent definite who’s going to beryllium playing connected Monday. So it’s a calculated hazard by the NFL. I thought it made sense.

“It decidedly hurts the Raiders excessively and I get that, but it was conscionable the lesser of each the evils.”

Another instrumentality astatine a antithetic section sports barroom thinks the league whitethorn not person done capable successful this lawsuit successful the involvement of wellness and safety.

“Honestly, I deliberation the full league should person taken a week off,” said Lenny Chormanski, who referenced a fashionable meme successful these parts contiguous instructing anyone with a Browns’ jersey to amusement up connected Saturday successful lawsuit they needed to play. “I would similar to spot the league beryllium a small much liable with the players.”

Spencer isn’t truthful definite that’s necessary. He said helium sympathizes with fans who travelled to Cleveland for the crippled and present person to change their reservations oregon miss the game. Still, he’s gladsome this determination worked retired for his favourite team.

“I deliberation it’s bully for the Browns and not truthful bully for the Raiders,” helium said. “But it sounds similar they’ve benignant of fixed up connected the play anyhow.”

Contact Adam Hill astatine ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ connected Twitter.