Stansbury email

[stech81]

I think we had better get ready for cancellation of fall and, perhaps, winter sports this year. I doubt that a vaccine will be ready when September rolls around; we might get it toward the end of the year, if we are lucky. Since the health people expect a resurgence of the virus as fall rolls around, I expect to see Tech football again in 2021. There is no way that a gathering of 45 - 50K people will be allowed without being vaccinated first. Especially since Tech's fanbase is, as has been pointed out here before, stacked heavily with (ahem) geezers.

I've already renewed and I expect to eat the cost in the interest of keeping the athletic programs alive. But … we can afford that; not everyone can.

That could really create a big mess, all players would need to be given an extra year. And That would be the start of Chaos , teams full with 85 scholarship players and no room for incoming freshman. Can't see them canceling the 2020 season. Teams would want to sign more players unless the NCAA does something crazy like go to 110 scholarships for 2021 and then drop 5 each year after 2021 till they get back to 85.

 

[takethepoints]

That could really create a big mess, all players would need to be given an extra year. And That would be the start of Chaos , teams full with 85 scholarship players and no room for incoming freshman. Can't see them canceling the 2020 season. Teams would want to sign more players unless the NCAA does something crazy like go to 110 scholarships for 2021 and then drop 5 each year after 2021 till they get back to 85.

I think you've just suggested a solution. There might be others.

Something as irrelevant as scholarship limitations will not, repeat not, stop cancellation of fall and winter sports without a vaccine to inoculate the spectators and participants. If the NCAA tried to allow schools to go ahead or the schools decide to try it themselves, the feds would step in and stop it. Good thing too.

 

[gtchem05]

The CDC estimates that there have been 41,000 deaths related to influenza this year in the US. There have been 273 deaths and counting from COVID-19 so far in the US. I mention this in no way to downplay the importance of COVID and all the things we are trying to do to slow it down. The isolation, etc. is important and appropriate in my opinion. These numbers actually highlight that the number of "flu-related" deaths is likely a huge overestimation or misrepresentation and that COVID is just ramping up. However, the isolation is very unlikely to be needed by the time September rolls around even though a vaccine will probably not yet be widely available by that time. On average, a little less than half of US citizens choose to receive the flu vaccine each season despite it being so deadly. Outdoor events in the UV light are probably lower risk than most would think. Getting back towards the thread topic... Bottom line is that I do not think that the 2020 football season is at significant risk of being cancelled.

 

[Buzztheirazz]

They may play without people in the stands.

 

[stech81]

They may play without people in the stands.

Guess it could happen but not sure they would loss of too much money unless TV is willing to pay more.

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

Guess it could happen but not sure they would loss of too much money unless TV is willing to pay more.

I would imagine with absolutely no sports on TV right now, the TV people would take anything to get back on the air and get money from sponsors.

 

[jacketup]

. If the NCAA tried to allow schools to go ahead or the schools decide to try it themselves, the feds would step in and stop it. Good thing too.

The First Amendment says: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress ...

You are correct that the illegal government in Washington probably would step in. But violating the Constitution is not a good thing, even though it happens every time Congress meets (among other times).

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

The First Amendment says: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress ...

You are correct that the illegal government in Washington probably would step in. But violating the Constitution is not a good thing, even though it happens every time Congress meets (among other times).

Just my opinion, but I sorta doubt that paying to do something in large numbers would be included under the right to peaceably assemble.

 

[TooTall]

Fyi, just because Congress says a prayer before the session starts, they have never made it a law or forced all members to pray. So it's not a constitutional violation.

 

[gtpimp]

Jesus Christ, don’t we get enough doomsday talk from national media, can we not add to that with baseless speculation about something we all love? The herd hysteria is unreal right now, the voluntary mass ceding of rational thought and freedoms currently happening is terrifying and depressing

 

[takethepoints]

The CDC estimates that there have been 41,000 deaths related to influenza this year in the US. There have been 273 deaths and counting from COVID-19 so far in the US. I mention this in no way to downplay the importance of COVID and all the things we are trying to do to slow it down. The isolation, etc. is important and appropriate in my opinion. These numbers actually highlight that the number of "flu-related" deaths is likely a huge overestimation or misrepresentation and that COVID is just ramping up. However, the isolation is very unlikely to be needed by the time September rolls around even though a vaccine will probably not yet be widely available by that time. On average, a little less than half of US citizens choose to receive the flu vaccine each season despite it being so deadly. Outdoor events in the UV light are probably lower risk than most would think. Getting back towards the thread topic... Bottom line is that I do not think that the 2020 football season is at significant risk of being cancelled.

See:

https://fivethirtyeight.com/feature...w-bad-the-coronavirus-is-going-to-get-either/

Short 538: nobody really knows how bad this is going to be; there isn't enough data yet. However, the consensus for deaths in the next year or so, until we get a vaccine is 200,000. And it could be as high as 1,000,000. If you think people would show up at a sporting event after even half of the median estimate of deaths, you are living in a fool's paradise. Short of a "miracle cure" - the last one of those was penicillin and that was for bateriological diseases - I think we had better get ready for no Tech football and, perhaps, no basketball either. Basketball would be even more dangerous then football, obviously.

The interesting thing about this is that large gatherings are probably less dangerous then going to a bar or restaurant. Problem = where do people go after a big sporting event? That would be to … yep.

 

[takethepoints]

The First Amendment says: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress ...

You are correct that the illegal government in Washington probably would step in. But violating the Constitution is not a good thing, even though it happens every time Congress meets (among other times).

It hasn't been litigated (to my knowledge), but a national emergency trumps (no pun intended) this provision of the Constitution. It applies to political gatherings, not sporting events. And even then, as Justice Jackson once said, "The Constitution is not a suicide pact." (Actually, Lincoln might have said it first, but this is the official version.) The necessity of preserving the state and the people always makes for limitations to constitutional rights.