Getty Head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers.
For the next few weeks, the San Francisco 49ers will set up camp at Arizona Cardinals’ State Farm Stadium.
Santa Clara County, home of the Niners and Levi’s Stadium, issued new COVID-19 guidelines for professional, collegiate, and youth sports which will ban any contact sports taking place in the county for at least three weeks, beginning on Monday.
It’s safe to say Kyle Shanahan was not happy with the county’s announcement and learned of it while boarding the plane en route to Los Angeles.
“For all of our players and coaches, and everyone on the plane, and our wives to find that out while we’re getting on a plan, and no one to tell us, it was just extremely disappointing,” Shanahan said via 49ers Webzone. “… To find that out through a tweet or a press conference, where I have an entire plane coming to me, I have all wives, everyone’s girlfriends, everyone’s family members, kids, saying what they heard there.”
Santa Clara County Executive Fires Back At Shanahan
Dr. Jeff Smith, a Santa Clara County executive, slammed Shanahan and the 49ers on Sunday afternoon.
“We have been in contact with the 49ers for months on a regular basis, including discussions about their recent outbreak,” Smith said via the Mercury News. “The 49ers clearly have been aware of the rising case rates here and around the country, the fact that hospitals are filling, and the challenges they and other teams have had in controlling transmission between players, staff, and families.
“The situation has been the subject of discussion throughout the NFL. The decision by the NFL to stop activities in the last few days is evidence of the fact that even the NFL recognizes the seriousness of the pandemic. It is hard for me to believe that the 49ers were surprised by the new orders given how serious the situation is both locally and across the country.
“They received a notice of the new orders as soon as the orders were finalized, at the same time, we notified the thousands of businesses impacted in the community. It is impossible to notify anyone of the final decisions before they are made.”
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Smith Questions Kyle Shanahan’s & the NFL’s Leadership
Smith didn’t only slam and question Shanahan’s leadership, he went after the NFL and questioned the care they have or don’t have for the players.
“Historically, sportsmanship has been about building a team and protecting that team,” Smith said. “Coaches, managers, and owners used to want to protect their players from harm. Those values seem to have been placed on hold during the COVID pandemic.
“If leaders want to protect their teams and communities, they should not play anywhere until it is safe. One might envision a reemergence of team-building if the teams spent their time building a COVID relief fund for the community rather than trying to put the community at more risk.”
The 49ers will, at least, play their two scheduled “home” games at State Farm Stadium.
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