The ACC will delay the start of competition for all fall sports until at least Sept. 1

[Deleted member 2897]

• Fear of the virus (which I think is what you are referring to) -- May or may not be reasonable.
• Fear of liability -- I think this is reasonable even for someone who has no fear of the virus. There will be lawsuits if a season is played.
• Loss of persuasion with congress -- If one parent testifies at a congressional hearing that their son was given no choice but to compete and he contracted COVID-19, there is zero chance that congress will help the NCAA.
• Lack of availability to testing -- If all FBS programs were to test three times a week like the SEC has announced, that would be about 0.9% of all tests per week in the US. They would need to get the results soon, so it would have to delay test results for people who need them for health reasons, not entertainment reasons. Is it reasonable for NCAA sports to use that much of a health resource just to play a game?
• Money -- If they play one or two games and "stumble upon something dangerous", then the season is over and difficult to recover. If the season is delayed until spring, they might be able to play more marquee games. Maybe 8 conference games and 2 inter-P5 games for every P5 team. The decisions this year are difficult. It seems to me that what the teams/conferences have been doing to this point is to delay decisions as long as possible. If the season is delayed until spring, it makes things difficult. However, that still isn't as difficult as just cancelling the season. Nor is it as difficult as starting a season and having it cancelled in a couple of weeks.

We could also get hit by a meteor. There are already even more significant risks (like CTE) or heat stroke - far higher risk than COVID.

 

[bobongo]

• Money -- If they play one or two games and "stumble upon something dangerous", then the season is over and difficult to recover. If the season is delayed until spring, they might be able to play more marquee games. Maybe 8 conference games and 2 inter-P5 games for every P5 team. The decisions this year are difficult. It seems to me that what the teams/conferences have been doing to this point is to delay decisions as long as possible. If the season is delayed until spring, it makes things difficult. However, that still isn't as difficult as just cancelling the season. Nor is it as difficult as starting a season and having it cancelled in a couple of weeks.

That's got to be one heavy consideration in the minds of conference officials. What is the fall season is a herky-jerky marred and shortened failure, and then the conferences that made the decision to go ahead have to sit and watch other conferences play a successful post-vaccine season in the spring? Egg on their faces won't begin to describe the embarrassment. Just sayin'...

 

[Deleted member 2897]

That's got to be one heavy consideration in the minds of conference officials. What is the fall season is a herky-jerky marred and shortened failure, and then the conferences that made the decision to go ahead have to sit and watch other conferences play a successful post-vaccine season in the spring? Egg on their faces won't begin to describe the embarrassment. Just sayin'...

If we end up having to cancel the season or only play like 3 games, we could always still do it in the spring again and start over. It feels like people are burning the midnight oil trying to fabricate reasons to cancel the season. Now we’re down to worrying if the MAC is going to laugh at us.

 

[RonJohn]

We could also get hit by a meteor. There are already even more significant risks (like CTE) or heat stroke - far higher risk than COVID.

Once again you either missed or ignored all of the points I made except for the first. I will respond to the others in like kind:

GT could get sued by an alien.
Congress could listen to a cow complain that GT football players ate her cousin.
We could do virus testing with blood pressure monitors.
GT athletics could buy a lottery ticket and win $100 million to make up the revenue loss.

 

[smokey_wasp]

We could also get hit by a meteor. There are already even more significant risks (like CTE) or heat stroke - far higher risk than COVID.

You really aren't responding to his substantial points, particularly the last 2.

 

[WreckinGT]

I give this thread maybe two more days before it is locked. You guys just can’t help yourselves.

 

[lv20gt]

It feels like people are burning the midnight oil trying to fabricate reasons to cancel the season.

Yes, fabricating reasons to not play. Next they'll claim there is a pandemic killing thousands that we need to be worried about.

 

[Deleted member 2897]

Yes, fabricating reasons to not play. Next they'll claim there is a pandemic killing thousands that we need to be worried about.

It’s killing zero of the people were talking about, unless you want to go recruit some 80 year olds with eligibility left.

 

[Deleted member 2897]

You really aren't responding to his substantial points, particularly the last 2.

Ok.

Testing - people usually sign direct contracts with suppliers to create and deliver these tests (like SEC or whoever). It doesn’t take away from others. Testing is overrated anyway. On money, if we can’t finish most of the season, it’s also not zero sum - try again and start over in the spring.

 

[bobongo]

If we end up having to cancel the season or only play like 3 games, we could always still do it in the spring again and start over. It feels like people are burning the midnight oil trying to fabricate reasons to cancel the season. Now we’re down to worrying if the MAC is going to laugh at us.

I'm not down to that, but just pointing out that it has to be in the backs of these officials' minds.

One bright aspect of this whole situation is that we could possibly end up with two football seasons. Since college football is my favorite sport by far, I find that prospect most appealing. A choice between pro basketball/baseball and college football is a no-brainer.

 

[dmel25]

It’s killing zero of the people were talking about, unless you want to go recruit some 80 year olds with eligibility left.

I am pretty sure it isn't the killing part. It's the people who have the virus and survive but end up with heart damage, lung damage, etc because of it. That is what a lot of players are worried about, rightfully so, I would be worried too, but like I think GT is doing a great job and things would be fine if we continued the way GT is handling the situation.

 

[ncjacket79]

I just got done watching church, and when I switched back to regular TV, professional Lacrosse was on for pete's sake. I am pretty sure every other sport is being played. It sure feels like it.

The PLL is in a bubble so not sure how much that relates. Biggest concern I have is what happens campus opens. If teams can do the testing and stay on top of protocols I can see
the season going forward. That said if we get started there will be an outbreak somewhere, like with the Marlins so there is a need to have very clear rules on what happens in that case.

 

[RonJohn]

If we end up having to cancel the season or only play like 3 games, we could always still do it in the spring again and start over. It feels like people are burning the midnight oil trying to fabricate reasons to cancel the season. Now we’re down to worrying if the MAC is going to laugh at us.

Could a season re-start in the spring? Big 10 players asked for third party testing that can be audited. If there are players who already think that the teams are not honest with them and have their best interests at heart, how will: a declaration that it is safe, then backtracking once there is an issue, then declaring that things are safe in the spring: go over? How will it be the 2020 season if two or three games are played in September/October, then significantly different rosters start to play games in Feb/March? Should Clemson get credit for two wins with Trevor Lawrence in September during a spring season without him even on the team? Do the 2 or 3 games not count and the season just start over? If that is the case, then players will be pushing to just have the 2020 season cancelled so they can prepare for the 2021 season more safely from an injury standpoint.

 

[ncjacket79]

It’s killing zero of the people were talking about, unless you want to go recruit some 80 year olds with eligibility left.

I think we can see a season if all teams and players are serious about following the rules. But the “killing zero” is just wrong and the hyperbole doesn’t help make the case. I do believe someone somewhere will have a bad outcome. But I also believe that will happen even if there is no football. Someone will lose a player to COVID one way or another. Hope I’m wrong.

 

[bobongo]

Testing - people usually sign direct contracts with suppliers to create and deliver these tests (like SEC or whoever). It doesn’t take away from others.

Yeah, I wonder about that. If you sign a contract to get tests, it probably means you're paying more for the tests than the providers would ordinarily get. And even if that isn't so, the providers would otherwise be making those tests for others and it would thus take away from the limited supply of tests available. I'm not necessarily buying this idea that it doesn't have any affect on availability of tests.

 

[bobongo]

I think we can see a season if all teams and players are serious about following the rules. But the “killing zero” is just wrong and the hyperbole doesn’t help make the case. I do believe someone somewhere will have a bad outcome. But I also believe that will happen even if there is no football. Someone will lose a player to COVID one way or another. Hope I’m wrong.

And also, if they're getting it they're spreading it.

 

[ramblinwreckguru]

There's a lot of disagreement on whether we should proceed with a fall football season or not, but maybe we could agree on what would be considered a successful fall football season.

At what point, does the football season become unsuccessful? % of positives, % of symptomatic versus asymptomatic?

 

[Deleted member 2897]

I am pretty sure it isn't the killing part. It's the people who have the virus and survive but end up with heart damage, lung damage, etc because of it. That is what a lot of players are worried about, rightfully so, I would be worried too, but like I think GT is doing a great job and things would be fine if we continued the way GT is handling the situation.

I agree. But it’s important we keep the data in front of us for the profile of who sees those outcomes and who doesn’t. I think we should treat this with HIPAA level privacy - if you want to quit as a player, quit. No public announcement. If you want to opt out for a season, same thing - you can practice or whatever and help the team but be off the roster. If enough opt out, we’re done. Nothing public about who is doing what. If it’s safe and the guys want to play, let them play. If someone thinks it’s not safe, let them not play without repurcussions.

 

[Deleted member 2897]

I think we can see a season if all teams and players are serious about following the rules. But the “killing zero” is just wrong and the hyperbole doesn’t help make the case. I do believe someone somewhere will have a bad outcome. But I also believe that will happen even if there is no football. Someone will lose a player to COVID one way or another. Hope I’m wrong.

It’s not wrong or hyperbole. This thing is less harmful than the flu for young people. There are many things much more dangerous and risky like CTE and heat stroke and what-not. I’m not saying we shouldn’t be careful (pardon the double negative), but the data is just not there that these guys are having negative health outcomes around the country.

 

[bobongo]

It’s not wrong or hyperbole. This thing is less harmful than the flu for young people. There are many things much more dangerous and risky like CTE and heat stroke and what-not.

I get your point about heat stroke and CTE, but the possibility of long-term effects from COVID seem like they might be significant and quite serious.
We don't know all there is to know about that, but it is quite concerning to many in the field of medicine.