The COVID Cloud of Uncertainty continues to rear it’s ugly head.

And it won’t be going away for a long time, it seems.

Locally, we’re fine – for now. Fans seem to be observing the safety and mask protocols at Holman Stadium for Nashua Silver Knights games.

Players, while fairly close to each other – uh, hello, bullpen – seem to otherwise be following the guidelines, especially getting rid of the high fives.

The NEIBL and NHCBL games have been going off without a hitch, other than weather, all month. Tourney time is next week.

But we all had the date July 28 circled on the calendar. It was the first day players were allowed to report in the NFL for training camp. But the New England Patriots players won’t be reporting until the weekend, they have to be tested multiple times before being allowed to enter the facility, etc.

And, as we found out on Tuesday, a few key ones won’t be showing up at all, including three big ones – linebacker Dont’a Hightower, safety Patrick Chung, and offensive lineman Marcus Cannon.

Hightower’s fiancee just gave birth to their son a couple of weeks ago and he told the NFL Network Tuesday that he had to make his family the priority, so understandable. Cannon is a cancer survivor and high risk.

Joining them were free agent fullback signee Dan Vitale, back and special teamer Brandon Bolden, and seldom used offensive lineman Najee Toran.

Think about a game in which the Patriots would be without their defensive signal caller, starting strong safety, and starting right tackle.

Those are biggies. There could be more, as players have until Saturday to opt out, which moves their contract to next season. High risk players do get a $350,000 check for this year while the so-called low risk players get $150,000. Their contracts off the books for this year, if you want to think roster, strategy, etc., means the Patriots will have more salary cap room and can make a move or two.

But the dollars really aren’t the story here. It’s the fact that everything is so tenuous. Look at Major League Baseball, with the Miami Marlins basically having their season on pause and perhaps shut down for good. Baseball is making it up, it seems, as they go along.

What’s happening with all this is just another reminder that every step in this pandemic is a ginger one. Silver Knights owner John Creedon, Jr. always reminds people of that at Holman Stadium. “We made it through day one,” he said a few weeks ago. “Now we’ll see about Day Two.”

And so on. August 19 is the last regular season game, and there could be a two out of three title series if the Knights finish with on e of the top two records. It’s a race to the finish line vs. the pandemic.

We know now the Patriots won’t have the same look. Training camp won’t have the same look, as it may take most of August to get normal padded workouts.

And there will be tests. And more tests. And some positives, no doubt. Ironically, in MLB, the Miami Marlins are the only team with on field personnel testing positive. Remember, MLB and the NFL are the two pro leagues that aren’t putting their teams, more or less understandably so, in a bubble.

But the bottom line is that race vs. the virus is ongoing. Sports is impacted.

And we continue to wait, watch, and wonder, and keep an eye to the sky because the COVID Cloud can strike at any time.

Tom King can be reached at tking@nashuatelegraph.com., or @Telegraph_TomK.

Newsletter