Will There Be a 2020 Football Season?

[Jason Sitoke]

It is a summation, in a fictitious way, of most of the feelings on this board and apparent attitudes. 

All this thread is really doing is attempting to justify why football should be played instead of addressing the realities. This thread is doing everything humanely possible, without much of a hint of humanism and public health, to rationalize why the season should be played and all the weird theories and wild speculation of playing just to get a game or two or three in just for our selfish purpose of being entertained. We are trying hard to convince ourselves, no matter what, of having a football season. Thus, the fictitious role I put in to gain a sense of "what is" and "what is not" important in this unprecedented situation we are facing. 

It was definitely a work of fiction.  

Just a suggestion for your next sanctimonious novel....can you add a TL;DR footer?

 

[Undone]

And a segment of the responders here is going to look at that chart and say, "See? It doesn't kill people the age of college football players at a very high rate. Let's play football."

Ignoring that .676% of our team is 1-2 guys, so who do you kill off the team and feel good about playing the season?

And our coaches are what? Ages 35-64 or so? What if one of them gets it?

Would you say then that your conclusion is that it's reckless to have a college football season and that it should be cancelled?

Or are you more in the camp of "let's see if the case count goes down greatly by 9/01?"

 

[knapplc]

Would you say then that your conclusion is that it's reckless to have a college football season and that it should be cancelled?

Or are you more in the camp of "let's see if the case count goes down greatly by 9/01?"

The latter. I want a season, even an abbreviated one, but I'm not OK with trading any player's death or health to watch football this year.

 

[Notre Dame Joe]

Here's the evidence that Phoenix Hospitals are not 'overwhelmed.'  The state talks a good game about 90% bed capacity.  But they have a closed hospital downtown they aren't using.  Back in march there was some chatter about reactivating it but it remains empty 

https://www.azfamily.com/news/continuing_coverage/coronavirus_coverage/no-plans-to-open-st-lukes-despite-surge-in-covid-19-numbers/article_94c40a18-ab79-11ea-8f47-6329d870cad8.html

Wrong.

https://ktar.com/story/3098353/st-lukes-hospital-in-phoenix-set-to-reopen-as-coronavirus-deaths-steady/

Open both links

Arrange tabs in chronological order

Slap your own wrist

 

[Husker03]

Lol, just stop or provide the evidence.  Are younger kids more likely to have mild or no symptoms, looking like yes.  But to say they dont get it at all and can't spread it to those more likely to have severe symptoms, think thats a stretch bordering flat out lie.

I never said they don't get it at all nor that they can't spread it. I just said that current evidence indicates they are huge spreaders.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/07/20/892354171/kids-get-coronavirus-but-do-they-spread-it-well-find-out-when-schools-reopen

 

[knapplc]

Open both links

Arrange tabs in chronological order

Slap your own wrist

Dammit. You're right. I thought the link I provided said June, not April.

 

[WyoHusker56]

Open both links

Arrange tabs in chronological order

Slap your own wrist

Isn't the fact that a state has to consider reopening a closed hospital an indication of a problem? They already spent $4.1 million revamping it to prepare for it to be used. That right there suggests they know that existing hospitals will be overrun.

 

[Branno]

Wrong.

https://ktar.com/story/3098353/st-lukes-hospital-in-phoenix-set-to-reopen-as-coronavirus-deaths-steady/

Even if the hospital remained closed, the argument that it's proof of anything is fundamentally flawed. 

 

[Branno]

Open both links

Arrange tabs in chronological order

Slap your own wrist

Since we're bringing dates into the equation, please tell me how an article from mid June proves that hospitals aren't overwhelmed in July.

 

[Hilltop]

I missed that one - thanks. And it aligns with all of the news of the high case counts in Florida & Arizona, in particular.

We would probably have to agree to disagree though here:

Because to me, if I want to know how the U.S. is doing as a whole as it pertains to total hospital capacity due to COVID-19 patients, a piece of data called 'National Estimates' is actually a great reference point. And you'll just have to take my word that I'm not being sarcastic here.

But you're right - it doesn't tell us if there are hot spots - which the other link you shared did and is also very important data as well.

Keep in mind when regarding capacity for ICU beds that most major hospitals stay at 70-80% capacity.  Those doom and gloom maps are click bait.  Yes, there is an issue because Covid patients are taking up space that is normally occupied by someone with some other kind of illness.  However, the strain on the system isn't quite as dire across the country as some media outlets would have us believe.

You will see headlines like ABC hospital is at 100% of their normal ICU capacity.  In reality this means, they are likely at 70-80% capacity like usual.  

Here is one article I found while quickly searching - https://www.khou.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/houston-hospitals-ceo-provide-update-on-bed-capacity-amid-surge-in-covid-19-cases/285-a5178aa2-a710-49db-a107-1fd36cdf4cf3

 

[knapplc]

Those doom and gloom maps are click bait.

The map I provided is from the CDC, from the link that Undone gave. It's not "click bait."

 

[kansas45]

It was definitely a work of fiction.  

Just a suggestion for your next sanctimonious novel....can you add a TL;DR footer?

Actually, as fictitious as it is, there is underlying truth to it.

1. there are people who do not care about other people's health as long as football is played;

2. we only give superficial sympathies for a brief moment but as long as it does not interfere with college football, we are good;

3. we care more about the game of football than those who are actually playing in it; 

4. the money to be made by athletics is superior to that of human life whether that is death or disability. 

5. we are attempting to put the conventional wisdom of a square peg in the round hole of a pandemic. 

I think what is really sanctimonious is how so many are attempting to justify and rationalize despite the current situations, of attempting to beg to the football gods to have a season. The use of statistics to justify a great crusade to play football. There is even the use of a OWH story of "hey, they played Notre Dame in 1918 and there was a pandemic that killed billions of people; weren't our grandparents a hardy lot?" 

 

[Mavric]

The latter. I want a season, even an abbreviated one, but I'm not OK with trading any player's death or health to watch football this year.

I think we are trading players health to watch football every year.

 

[Jason Sitoke]

Actually, as fictitious as it is, there is underlying truth to it.

1. there are people who do not care about other people's health as long as football is played;

2. we only give superficial sympathies for a brief moment but as long as it does not interfere with college football, we are good;

3. we care more about the game of football than those who are actually playing in it; 

4. the money to be made by athletics is superior to that of human life whether that is death or disability. 

5. we are attempting to put the conventional wisdom of a square peg in the round hole of a pandemic. 

I think what is really sanctimonious is how so many are attempting to justify and rationalize despite the current situations, of attempting to beg to the football gods to have a season. The use of statistics to justify a great crusade to play football. There is even the use of a OWH story of "hey, they played Notre Dame in 1918 and there was a pandemic that killed billions of people; weren't our grandparents a hardy lot?" 

I don't see anyone trivializing human life.  I do see some debate on what's being reported, and how to interpret data...which there is plenty to criticize, IMO.  

Wondering aloud how we can responsibly move forward is not callous.  People suffer everyday, and we're all affected by it at some point in our lives.  Yet we all come on here to occasionally complain about something as inconsequential as a game played by kids, and that's more than okay. 

I think most of us are wearing our masks and doing our best to protect each other.  However, trying to find a balance between risk and reward, life and livelihood...is an ok thing to discuss (or at least should be).  You could have taken the same tone and written the same post with respect to how we drive on the highway.  "Oh as long as we get to drive at lethal speeds to get to our precious football game.  Does no one care that tens of thousands of lives are lost on the road every year?!".  

Doesn't take much sophistication to go that route in pretty much any discussion.  Have at it, if you think it adds insight, I guess.

 

[Hilltop]

The map I provided is from the CDC, from the link that Undone gave. It's not "click bait."

I should have rephrased.  Many of the articles I have seen portray the map in an inaccurate way making them click bait.  In reality we aren't doing bad hospital capacity wise but the question is if they are at normal capacity (ish), and a % are filled with Covid patients, are other sick people choosing to not get care, etc...  Something isn't lining up.