Hurricane Irma Affects NFL Week 1
Just weeks after Hurricane Harvey wreaked havoc across parts of Texas, Hurricane Irma is projected to do the same in South Florida. In preparations for the Category 4 or 5 storm that is predicted to make landfall Sunday, the Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers game slated for Week 1 of the NFL Season has been canceled.
The announcement was made in a statement released by the NFL, “The league will continue to examine other options, including playing the game this Sunday at a neutral site or in Miami later this season, and will provide an update on that decision as soon as possible.”
Update (8:45 pm on 9/6/2017): The game between Tampa and Miami will be played Week 11 when both teams were scheduled to have a bye. The teams will now play 16 straight games during the upcoming season.
Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliot will play Week 1
For the past several months, Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliot has been under scrutiny by the NFL for violating its domestic violence policy after an incident between Elliot and his former girlfriend, Tiffany Thompson, in July 2016. Elliot was suspended for the first six games of the 2017 season, but he has appealed, making the process that much harder for casual sports fans to understand.
The appeal went to arbitration, where the NFL’s designated arbitrator, Harold Henderson, upheld the six-game suspension Tuesday night. Despite the ruling, Ezekiel Elliot is available to play Week 1 against the New York Giants due to the timing of Henderson’s decision.
According to an NFL spokesperson and ESPN, Elliott’s ability to play in Week 1 “was a question asked by the judge in court before a ruling came down. In deference, and as to not rush the judge, league attorneys agreed to permit him to play.” After week 1, anything can happen.
The fight between Elliot and the NFL is far from over. Elliot’s legal team will continue to question the ruling in Federal Court if necessary. “Mr. Elliot is looking forward to his day in court where the playing field will be level and the NFL will have to answer for its unfair and unjust practices,” Elliot’s attorneys said in a statement.
It seems in order to watch football these days, you must have a legal degree.
