'It's a F------ Mess': How and Why Football Conferences Are Arriving at Opposing Medical Conclusions

[pstokely]

https://www.si.com/college/2020/08/14/ncaa-football-covid-medical-experts-big-ten-pac-12

"So what’s the answer to that question? There isn’t one. There are several. Why two medical boards ruled quite the exact opposite of others, with the same data, in the same country, about the same sport, while performing the same protocols, is not easily explained.

In such a vast nation with differing cultural ideals and local policies, factors include regionalization and politicization. But one of the most pertinent answers to the question? Risk tolerance.

“The other conferences all understand there is a high risk,” says Boris Lushniak, a member of the Big Ten’s COVID-19 advisory group and squarely in the camp against playing a fall season. “They think they can deal with it. Do they have the answer to the unknowns? They really don’t, which means it’s on the spectrum of risk-taking behavior.

“I can’t tell people, ‘You are doing the wrong thing.’ What I can tell people is, ‘You’re doing a risky thing.’”

[roamer65]

1. It's a player health vs profit issue.

The Big Ten generally has universities that care much more about player health, versus profits on football games. Same goes for the MAC, Big East and PAC-12.

If Nebraska and Iowa try to play an independent fall schedule, then just based on ethics, they should be kicked out of the Big Ten.

[Blue_true]

4. You know.

If you look at this in light of what universities were educating Black people during segregation (Big Ten, Ivy, Big East), the situation comes up clear, those schools simply have a definite moral compass that they observe.

[roamer65]

5. You are 100 percent correct.

I am not surprised with Nebraska, as it’s attitude is still much like the conference it left. The Big 12.

I am really saddened that Iowa was squawking. I expected more from them than that as a long time Big Ten school AND the major medical research university that it is.

[pstokely]

9. even if the games don't have fans in the stands, they still get the TV $

and once again, N is for Knowledge

[Blue_true]

2. I comes as no surprise to me that football conferences that cover

southern universities would keep playing. I expected that. The only thing that would stop their season is if a White kid falls dead from COVID19 complications on the playing or practice field, I am afraid that they would explain away an African American, American Indian or Hispanic kid falling dead and keep playing their season.

[roamer65]

3. It really shows the regional differences of this country.

Very clearly.

Makes me believe even more that Abraham Lincoln made a mistake keeping the union together.

Instead he should have negotiated a union with Canada for the northern states.

[Blue_true]

6. I have to wonder now too.

We are basically no longer a unified country. But the issue of enslavement of human beings was worth fighting to end.

[roamer65]

7. That could have been resolved by a full blockade of the south until they granted freedom.

The sanctions worked on apartheid South Africa. Also we could have allowed immigration northward for former slaves.

However, we cannot change the past, but we sure as hell change the future.

I need to remind myself of that.

[pstokely]

12. the SEC will cancel when players start kneeling

and not in prayers to the white Christian god

[roamer65]

15. [phone]

[oswaldactedalone]

8. College football is my

Number 2 sport behind college hoops and I don’t think any teams should be playing this season. The Pac-12, the Big Ten, and other conferences/schools not playing made the right call. I’m still not convinced there will be games this fall. Somebody needs to advise these universities about the crazy risks they are taking.

[roamer65]

10. Was watching a Toledo station the other night.

They asked people on the streets what they thought of the Big Ten delaying fall sports.

NOT ONE said it was a bad idea. Most said that they will miss them, BUT it is the right decision.

They definitely made the right call, as you mention.

[pstokely]

11. the rest will cancel at the last minute

SEC isn't scheduled to start it's conference only season until Sept 26, Ivy League cancelled early since they have huge endowments not related to sports, and Ivy League sports don't even have huge TV deals, most places in the SEC are scheduled to start at least some in person classes soon and they've already begun moving in students into the dorms, most in the Pac12 will be going mostly remote

[BGBD]

13. If these schools

can be in class, then they can play football.

Having 30,000 kids and 5-10k staff on campus is significantly more dangerous than playing a football game in the age of COVID. IF they are serious about the safety of students (including players) they could go to fully online delivery.

Also, before we start casting the Big 10 as the moral compass of Universities let's not forget that Penn State, Ohio State, and Michigan State have ALL been cool with members of their athletic department raping kids in their facilities.

[Iggo]

16. Do you understand, they'll bring all the students back just so they can play football.

And they'll say exactly what you did: If it's safe for the rest of the students, it's safe to play football.

[BGBD]

17. Do you understand

that they are already bringing all of the student back. Ohio State has already moved their students in.

https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200812/ohio-state-move-in-day-comes-with-lots-of-questions-no-football

Would you like to try again?

[obamanut2012]

20. No one has 30K students and 10K staff on campus

Your post is laughable, and apologist.

[BGBD]

21. Yes they do

Look at Michigan State. It enrolls 50,000 students and only ~2k are exclusively online. They also have about 7k staff on campus.

https://www.collegetuitioncompare.com/edu/171100/michigan-state-university/enrollment/

MSU has 16k students live on campus alone. Major college campuses are small cities.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

14. Another result of a leadership void at the top.

Vast policy inconsistencies resulting in more cases and deaths from coast-to-coast and border-to-border....

[usajumpedtheshark]

18. They don't care about an athlete's health.

Heat stroke, early onset degenerative joint disease, concussions the list goes on. I was in sports medicine for 20 years and whenever a coach asked me how an athlete was what they really wanted to know was when could the athlete start practicing again. They didn't really care the athlete's mental and emotional state.

[pstokely]

19. what if some fat cat booster gave them a huge donation to not play?

a lot of them probably fear losing those if they don't play