nic

Our state gave a boat load of the stimulus money to the education system (our governor came up the education ladder) and they have to spend it by the end of the year. I heard from a number teachers and the VP at our HS that our school district hasn't figured out how to spend what they have. It sounds like they have funds available to do a lot. I was being sarcastic about hiring the young new grads and how they don't care about COVID. How about, anyone properly trained and willing to sit in a classroom where a teacher does not want to be there. Most of the teachers I know in my town (at least a couple dozen) want to go back. I know one....ironically a 20 something...who doesn't want to. I am spitballing ideas. I am sure there are educators smarter than I who can figure it out. The decision came down yesterday anyway. 2 days in class 3 online to start. Some sports will be played in the fall others will not. The sport selection seemed to be based on popularity, because I doubt there is a revenue component. Its based on county infection rate per 100K people. I am not sure what the safety details are. If the rate goes up, we go full online. If it goes down we go back to school. Kids can opt out and be fully online. All seems sort of arbitrary. If the kids are in school two days its gonna spread. They are not testing to my knowledge, so no one will know.

Ok that last comment made me laugh.

I am a parent of high school kids and 1 2nd grader. I want them to go to school full time and compete in sports. kids whose parents are at risk and older coaches and teachers that may be at risk should be given options. Schools could stream the lectures online for kids whose parents do not want them in school. Not sure how to protect teachers. Plexiglass wall around the desk and monitors? Might work for high school but not the little ones. Can a teacher stream in a lecture from home? You still need an aide in the classroom to make sure the kids stay there. Maybe hire a bunch young new teachers out of school that would love a paying job being an aide. 20 somethings don't care about COVID. Offer in class and online options. Let people choose. Online classes are a disaster for my kids. Our district took a survey and the overwhelming desire of parents was to let the kids go to school. 85% wanted it. The 15% are very vocal however.

Why not do 13 games no divisions, one true champion. ...or whatever the big 12 called it. No bowls or playoffs this year anyway.

They should be given a choice to play and keep their scholarships. Same with other sports. It could be viewed as a medical redshirt. That said, most kids will want to play since they probably won't even notice if they get COVID. They will just be disappointed that they have to sit out for two weeks.

In 1918, they estimate that between 50 and 60 million died from the Spanish Flu. 20 million in 3 winter months. That one affected the young more than the older folks. Ironically, there were calls to wear masks and stay home unless It was necessary to leave, and people protested being told what to do. Some were scared and stayed home others were defiant. Sounds familiar. If a kid was born in 1917 and survived the pandemic, they spent their formative years during the roaring 20s, lived through the depression from age 12 to their twenties, at which time they went off to fight in WW2 after 2400+ people were killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor. If they made it out alive, they saw two more wars, the civil rights movement, the Cold War, man going to the moon, a president assassinated, multiple stock market crashes, recessions, booms, technological advance and the list goes on. That generation had perseverance. My uneducated gut feel is that COVID will be an order of magnitude less fatal than the Spanish flu, however, the Spanish flu started in the Spring and really picked up in November of that year, so maybe I am a fool. Regardless of the outcome, we have an example of a generation that lived through a pandemic and a lot of other adversity and kicked a$$. No reason this one can’t do the same. I am not exactly sure why, but most of the old folks I know just aren’t worried about this. My mom is 89 and she lived through a lot of the stuff I mentioned above. Given the choice, she would rather risk it, see her grandkids, great grandkids, go to church and do her jazzer size class than stay shut in her house. Who am I to say no. She would probably die sooner if we told her she couldn’t see anyone, anyway. COVID is likely here to stay just like many other viruses. Be considerate, protect those at risk as best we can. Can’t live in fear. Learn, adapt and keep living life.

This thread has to be a record. Does anyone know how many of our 140K deaths due to COVID (or died with COVID) are ages 24 and under?

It would mean the players are not in the hospital or feeling sick which is good.

I like ND better. At least they are regional. Plus I want to see how they do. We would have to add another team to even this out, however. Who you got that is reasonable? I guess another independent or a team whose conference already canceled. How about Army? Yes I am ignoring all covid and mask talk going forward.

I think you can simply compile the answers you are looking for by going back through this and many other posts rather than rehash this again. I have no vote. I hope they make a decision soon and stick with it.

Rutgers wants the academies to join the Big Ten for the COVID season. Sorry didn't want to start a new topic. https://www.nj.com/rutgersfootball/2020/07/heres-why-big-ten-should-invite-army-navy-to-join-conference-in-2020-after-patriot-league-fall-sports-cancellation.html

And the students get to pay full tuition for online school in the fall.

Love it! I worked out their schedule for them. @OSU MSU NW @Michigan @Wisconsin Purdue Nebraska @Iowa(night game) Minnesota @PSU(white out) Welcome to The Big Ten.

Good point. We get to pick 4 teams from the East. Could choose the “let’s feel better about ourselves” route and schedule Maryland, Rutgers, MSU and Indiana. Or choose the “screw it, let’s have fun and try and play spoiler” route and schedule Michigan, OSU, PSU and Indiana. The latter one looks more fun in a year where records won’t matter and moral victories might. Not to mention the upsets will feel good going into next year.

Bring it on. I asked this question hoping to deflect the depressing COVID discussion back to football. It lasted 2 posts before digressing. Let’s try again fellas and pretend the glass is half full for a change. Who do you want to see? I want UofM vs NU early in the season.

What is the rumor mill on who NU picks up for the 10th game?

*sigh* someday we will just be talking about football. Until then...

Heard the same here. https://www.mlive.com/wolverines/2020/07/report-big-ten-to-play-conference-only-football-schedule-in-2020.html

Why not have the 37 that tested positive practice together for two weeks? Of course the assumption here is that they don’t feel like crap. I sort of think the kids wouldn’t have shown up if they felt sick, but maybe I am giving 20 year olds that think they are invincible too much credit.

I missed something....I thought Michigan is on board with playing?Rutgers and NW, I am not so sure.

I am not sure. This might be crazy man Harbaugh coach speak, but he is claiming everyone in camp wants to play the season in some form. I think I believe him. Its the football mentality. Parents might be scared to let the kids play however.

Sorry if this info is already in the thread. Not sure how credible it is. I got it from a Michigan board so maybe not so credible. Also read that Michigan will not play Washington or Arkansas State this year. They will play the regional MAC team. The ADs and presidents did meet today and it sounds like there is a commitment to play this year. As I mentioned yesterday, it won't be a full season. That's pretty much off the table. I still think it's 8-9 conference games, maybe 1 regional non-conference to meet the BTN contract programming (because everyone wants to watch OSU blow the doors off Akron, Bowling Green or Ohio). Thought: getting ahead of ourselves, but I bet some players sit if we get the one regional cupcake game. Again, the reason behind all of this is because the B1G can level the playing field and create rules and framework that everyone has to follow. For example, mandatory testing from an independent contractor hired by the league 36-48 hours before every game. Or mandatory bye weeks. Reduced rosters numbers on the sidelines. How long positive tests have to sit. Mandatory full face shields on helmets (look them up if you haven't seen them). Mandatory masks on sidelines (they would wear those neck things that they can just pull up over their mouths). And so on... I still like the 2 games on, 1 game off model. It almost ensures no one has to miss more than one game if he tests positive. However, I hear pushing the start back to mid-Sept. and splitting the season into thirds with a bye after games 3 and 6 is more likely. Yesterday someone mentioned that some teams are angling to play division games only. That IS accurate. They are weighing a handful options. One would have division games only and playing some teams home and away based on distance. (Michigan/MSU twice in one year? Probably not likely, but I suppose it could happen. We do it in basketball). It sounds like they agreed on 5-6 models to consider and they're going to come back vote/decide). I'll post more if I hear more, but at the end of the day, it sounds like we're going to at least try to play football this fall. Who the hell knows how far we'll get...

Michigan athletics reported no new COVID cases in the last couple weeks. They only had 2 show up with COVID in the first place. On the surface this sounds good, but they are probably living on borrowed time. Seems like the teams with lots of cases now will be better off when the season starts. I wonder if the teams like Houston that had a few dozen kids show up with COVID, just let that group practice together.

No one trusts the media anymore. You have to filter the reporting based on the reporters political affiliation.