When it comes to things of importance, sports might be much lower on the totem pole than many of us devoted fans realize or even think about. Friday’s FAA ground stop to all outgoing flights was an example of a real-world issue impacting many people in many ways, but it could also impact the world of sports.
Many college games on Saturday were still up in the air late Friday night into Saturday morning due to the grounding. As flights got back going after 9 PM on Friday, how airlines and systems would
prioritize the restart was something important to watch. “Smaller movements will take a lower priority,” with football teams encouraged to contact the FAA to try to get their flights scheduled.
The Houston Texans are still in Texas early Saturday morning. While there is unlikely to be an issue with them getting to Cleveland to face the Browns, it is possible that their schedule will be impacted, including the team’s normal Saturday walkthrough. That will likely be true for all visiting teams this week.
The bigger impact on the field could come from the officials for the game. Unlike teams, referees do not travel on a specific charter that can be organized with the FAA. College officials have already raised concerns about their officials making it to their destinations:
The numbers are staggering:
12,506 flights have been cancelled so far between yesterday and today, per Flight Aware. The number is expected to grow throughout the day.
On Saturday morning already, 3,374 flights have been canceled and 1,008 are delayed nationwide, per FlightAware.
In the NFL, like college, refs generally have full-time jobs doing other things throughout the week, and most are scheduled to work most or every weekend. While the NFL generally has backup plans, getting enough officials to their right spots might be tough given the above numbers.
Visiting teams could be impacted by the FAA ground stop, but all games could see an impact in how many officials are assigned and in what position those officials are assigned on Sunday. Something for fans to remember if/when a big call does or doesn’t go the Browns’ way.
