On Wednesday, Browns coach Eric Mangini said that the team doesn’t know whether a dozen players currently suffering from the flu have the H1N1 variety. Mangini also said that he’s not sure whether the team would be able to disclose the ultimate answer to that question, due to privacy laws.
But based on the terms of the league’s policy regarding H1N1, better known as “swine flu,” the Browns will be able to use players from the practice squad only if six or more active players are suffering not from seasonal flu or stomach flu or blue flu or “I’m so hung over I’ll just say it’s the flu,” but from the swine flu.
The procedure, as NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told the Associated Press, is as follows: “If a club has at least six players unable to participate as the result
of confirmed or suspected cases of swine flu, it can receive roster
exemptions for those players and promote players from its own practice
squad to replace them. A club can receive a max of 8 such exemptions. They must be medically confirmed cases of swine flu. This procedure
does not apply to any other type of flu or illness. There is a deadline
for promoting practice squad players pursuant to these procedures at
four hours prior to kickoff.”
On Wednesday, 12 Browns players missed practice with flu-like symptoms. It remains to be seen whether any of them can return to practice — or whether other players will be absent — for practice on Thursday.
The Browns host the Packers on Sunday.
Please keep your stupid Staph jokes to yourselves….it’s OLD.
now to the OP…..how do these two things jibe: “..as a result of confirmed or SUSPECTED…” and “..must be medically confirmed cases…”
You’d think Congress writes these things they are so poorly done. First sentence says “confirmed or suspected” and the third says “[t]hey must be medically confirmed cases of swine flu.”
I give the Patriots about 15 minutes before all their injured players come down with the flu.
How convenient. Porky Pig shows up to coach the team, and now everyone has swine flu.
I watched the Browns last week and I reported flu-like symptoms after watching that circus.
So they will hire someone with the swine flu, all the injured players will rub up on them for awhile and wal la, you now have your scrubs on game day. Does it really matter though? They are on the practice squad for a reason, right?
Ive watched the Browns every week and I thought the they already were playing games with their practice squad?
I’m didn’t think Browns players were capable of catching anything!
Safe bet that the QB will NOT be under center this week.
Well the Browns have had swine-like symptoms for years.
That being said, if the guys have the flu, any variety, and can’t go, then let them elevate guys from the practice squad without such a big production.
This strain is apparently somewhat virulent. Those guys probably shouldn’t even be in the locker room.
And really what is the NFL going to do? Make them forfeit a game they are going to lose anyway? This is silly.
All kidding aside, I think the league has to look into this. The last couple of years the the brown’s players have been coming down with staff infection at ten times the rate of the rest of the league. Their facilities must be a sespool only rivaled by their team. I’m not suppised that a dozen of their players could have H1N1. Hell, it prbably origionated there. Mix in a little bleach.
Didn’t a bunch of the Cleveland Cavs including Lebron just get tested for swine?
Isn’t the league’s policy a violation of health information? I mean, Mangini said the players were being evaluated to see if it’s the H1N1 strain, but he also said he probably wouldn’t be able to confirm that due to the HIPAA laws.
However, if the ONLY way the league will allow roster exemptions is for H1N1, and not other strains of the flu, isn’t that the same thing as saying up to 8 of these guys have H1N1?
Hit me with your lawyer wisdom, Florio
Its no surprise to me that half the team caught something while in Pittsburgh, that city is full of nastyness. I’m surprised more teams don’t come out of there with diseases.
Those disease carriers are going to be spreading it to their opponents this weekend.
They have to GO TO Cleveland,
stay there overnight,
be in a Cleveland locker room,
play with those disease carriers,
be in a Cleveland shower,
then jam together on a plane,
and get back to Green Bay before they can be decontaminated.
Once every 8 years they have to wear the rubber gloves, surgical masks, and other AIDS precautions when the NFL requires them to go to Cleveland.
I hope the team doctor consults the Steelers on what chemicals to use. The Steelers have to play there every single year.
This is all so silly. Only the government has a test for the swine flu, and they are no longer testing people. All of your co-workers, neighbors who said they “tested + for swine flu” did not. They MAY have tested + for Influenza type A, and this MOST LIKELY is swine flu as this is the type of type A going around, but who cares. It is a mild case of the flu.
The Clowns should claim both DA & BQ have it and sign Shane Falco & Clifford Franklin!
It is very likely H1N1. I live in NE Ohio and it is running wild here. My whole family and I have it. I know dozens of people who also have it. Most physicians are not even testing for it anymore because it is so common (my son was tested and is positive). The schools here are reporting rampant absenteeism due to flu. People here are sick despite the fact that so many got the seasonal flu shot this year that most places have run out. I am sure the Brows got seasonal flu shots so this can’t be the season flu. It is a “a” strand flu, most likely H1N1.
At least the Browns have a legit excuse for this coming Sunday’s loss.
“Fun times in Cleveland today…”
PITTSUCKS hit the nail right on the head. They all developed this stuff after playing IN PITTSBURGH. I guess Steelers player are just immune because they play in nastiness year round….
This sucks for a couple of reasons-
1) I hate playing a team who’s best players aren’t on the field. Should my favorite team go on to win, it’s a crappy way to do it.
2) My favorite team now may wind up getting sick because of the petri dish that is the Cleveland Browns stadium. That’s not gonna be good with Minny coming to town next week.
Hopefully these guys can get better before the game and the place is decontaminated.
I personally thing this game should be postponed. I dont know how logistically they could do it but it should be considered.
Super:
You are correct sir.
Sparta: It doesn’t matter if the Pack were sick or healthy, you are losing that game regardless.
A little oinkment will help cure their swine flu problem.
It’s not a violation of HIPAA if someone signs a release form. The players can sign that the info can be released to the NFL so that the team can get the exemptions.
But then the public would know anyway since those players wouldn’t be playing and practice squad members WOULD be.
Chickenhead say’s: “Sparta: It doesn’t matter if the Pack were sick or healthy, you are losing that game regardless.”
Boy I can’t wait to feed you your pile-o-crow come November 1st, get ready for it, its coming, its coming! You Viking fans are way too over-confident, have you watched your beloved queens (without the purple goggles), really go back and watch them, they arent that good, worst 6-0 team ever.