The San Francisco 49ers are currently on their way to Arizona, where they’ll share a stadium with the Cardinals and call the area home for an indefinite amount of time. This, after their home county in California suddenly banned contact sports due to the COVID 19 pandemic.
They’ll be sharing a stadium with a rival and will likely have to make special arrangements for Christmas with their families. And Christmas in Arizona won’t be the same as Christmas in San Francisco.
Really, the San Francisco 49ers should have came here to Orlando.
They could have had the whole city to themselves. The College Football capital of the World that already hosts 4 bowl games a year and the NFL Pro Bowl most recently. We have more venues than we know what to do with, and a recently renovated Camping World Stadium.
We’ve also done the sports hosting thing during a pandemic before.
Look no further than the recently completed NBA season, which was done in a bubble at Disney World, right here in Orlando. Not one positive COVID test in the bubble. And we were able to host family members and a championship celebration for the Los Angeles Lakers. Another California team.
Instead, you’ll be sharing a venue with a division rival. Have fun trying to keep matters secret there. And if you’re bringing up geography as an objection. The 49ers wouldn’t being traveling for 3 weeks after arrival. Plenty of time to get sorted. And the Toronto Raptors are just down the street preparing to call Tampa their temporary home after their hometown decided they didn’t love them either.
It’s important to bring these matters up because Orlando is a football town with a demonstrated track record of pandemic safe sports.
If the 49ers don’t realize that. Maybe someone else will.