Is American Football's Season in Jeopardy.
CHURCH: Well, one person often mentioned as a possible running mate for Joe Biden has withdrawn from consideration for that role. Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar called the former Vice President to say she didn't want him to pick her.</s>SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN): This is a historic moment and America must seize on this moment and I truly believe, as I actually told the Vice President last night when I called him, that I think this is a moment to put a woman of color on that ticket.</s>CHURCH: Biden tweeted his appreciation. He said in part, from the moment you announced you were running for president in a snowstorm, it wasn't hard to see you had the grit and determination to do anything you set your mind to. Well, American football is, to put it mildly, a contact sport. Not exactly ideal in this era of social distancing. Our Brian Todd takes a look at how COVID-19 is shaping up to be a formidable opponent for the National Football League and putting the upcoming season in real jeopardy.</s>BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): America's top voice on coronavirus is casting doubts on whether one of America's favorite sports can return this season. Dr. Anthony Fauci telling our Sanjay Gupta, unless players are essentially in a bubble, insulated from the community and they are tested nearly every day, it would be very hard to see how football is able to be played this fall -- a prospect that millions of fans don't even want to think about.</s>JERRY BREWER, SPORTS COLUMNIST, WASHINGTON POST: It's going to be absolutely devastating for sports fan. And this is for a higher percentage of sports fans the league and the sport that they cannot do without.</s>TODD: The NBA is planning to put players in a so-called bubble, resuming its schedule with all teams and no fans at a Disney resort in Orlando later this summer. Will the NFL consider that? Responding to CNN, an NFL spokesperson said, no. We have been preparing for all contingencies and we'll continue to make decisions based on the latest guidance from medical experts. The league said separately, it's got a comprehensive testing plan in place but hasn't said if it will test players every day as Dr. Fauci recommends. The NFL still says it plans to play the 2020 season as scheduled. The commissioner giving no detail, telling ESPN of stepped up safety measures.</s>ROGER GOODELL, NFL COMMISSIONER: The protocols are stringent. They're designed to be that because they're protecting the safety of our players and our personnel, including coaches.</s>TODD: According to the NFL network, several players from the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans recently tested positive for coronavirus. The reports said both teams followed proper health protocols, but experts say football carries even more risk of coronavirus transmission than other contact sports like basketball or hockey.</s>DR. LARRY BRILLIANT, EPIDEMIOLOGIST: It's hard to imagine an activity that is more likely to spread coronavirus than the muscular and intense clashes that you see in football. The taking off of a helmet and putting it on, the exchange of people who are really almost at war with each other, yelling at each other. All of these things spread the virus a lot more than other sports.</s>TODD: It's still unclear whether the NFL will allow fans in its stadiums, if and when it starts the season. Even without them, epidemiologist Larry Brilliant worries about what can happen if the league doesn't plan things out in detail.</s>BRILLIANT: I think the most dangerous thing that could go wrong if football resumes too soon are the incremental increase in the number of people who would show up. There's trainers, then there's the friends of the football players, then there's the owners in the owner's box, and then there's their friends. And soon, this idea of there will only be players on the field becomes 10-more-thousand people who show up.</s>TODD (on camera): Then there's the timing of the season. Dr. Sanjay Gupta worries that when the season begins in September there could be an uptick in coronavirus cases. And he says flu season begins in late September or early October which could worsen things. So a tough decision in for a league that doesn't let us in on many of its plans. Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.</s>CHURCH: And thanks for your company this hour. I'm Rosemary Church. "EARLY START" begins right after this. Stay with us.