Covid Sports Cancellations

I’m interested in what you guys think on this topic. It appears pretty clear that, although a risk, the risk of serious illness or death from Covid is minimal for a person in good to excellent health and under the age of 50 or 60 (I’m 54). I am not trivializing the effects of Covid–my daughter had covid–she was very sick for a few days, felt crappy for another 10 days, and didn’t really feel “fully recovered” for a couple weeks after that. It was awful. But we accept lots of awful things as “acceptable risk”. My son was an outstanding HS football player (WR/DB) with many college offers and all three of my daughters were HS cheerleaders. My son knew there was a risk of injury, but he loved the game more than he feared the injury (multiple concussions, played in college but retired from football with a broken leg that just never felt “normal” again). There were more injuries, and more serious injuries, in the cheer program than in the football program. Cheerleading is maybe the most dangerous sport per capita. There have been several deaths in cheerleading the last several years. My oldest daughter only joined cheer as a senior because the other tumblers all got injured and she could flip from all the way across the court. Cheer is decidedly dangerous. Do we cancel cheerleading permanently?
Yet societally we accept and even embrace it (all my girls loved it). The whole Covid and cancellation thing is a difficult issue. I can find evidence of ONE college football player dying this year–a 350 pound D3 player who died of a blood clot after being hospitalized for Covid and apparently being well on the way to recovery. At least 30 college football players have died from heat stroke in the past 20 years–1.5 per year. Do we cancel all August and September practices and games, because heat is predictable and avoidable? More kids per year have died of heat stroke than from Covid. ■■■■ Harmon wrote an excellent article a couple months ago about the risks in football that society has determined are worth taking–head injuries, wrecked knees and shoulders, lifetime of joint pain. This is a divisive issue and I don’t mean to criticize anyone else’s position–just curious about the thoughts. Is the risk of Covid for a 15 or 20 or 23 year old worth cancelling games or seasons when that kid has worked his entire life to be in that moment?

Ok my opinion from my perspective only-my wife and I both had Covid and we are in our 60’s admittedly in great physical condition-life long athletes and life long conditioning. It was much like having a moderate to severe case of the flu. I’ve had some respiratory after effects, but hasn’t limited me from my workouts. As with the flu and the swine flu-many people are exposed and many have died, particularly people with age or health issues. I didn’t support shutting down the schools and businesses in Oregon, but I do support good common health practices. So if you aren’t feeling well-stay home get tested and quarantine. Some people will go to work sick or to a ballgame sick or anywhere else. No consideration for spreading their illness. I think, a lot of people, have not experienced real hardship in life and thus live with a fear pandemic. Its like blaming Trump for the Corona virus. My attitude has been to continue things as normal, take precautions to not overly expose myself, be considerate to others, and get through this the best way we can. I drive down streets and see restaurants, movie theaters, gyms, schools, all shut down in Oregon and I really feel bad for the average Joe trying to earn a living. So I believe people and government have over-reacted to the virus-and once again before everyone starts berating me-this is only my personal opinion

I will concur with SR opinion on this. Imagine someone using common sense and logic in our current society. That is exactly what SR is doing, exactly what I have tried to do and I am not sure why we aren’t doing the same in general. I have always disliked the media who sensationalize and overspeak everything they report. They are responsible for a lot of the fear and stress. I have always disliked how bad our government system has become, how the ruling class now determines the safety level of our lives and everything we do. It is past the point of no return, just like the protocols for this virus. I believe if we would just practice common sense, be considerate of others and especially careful around the vulnerable, health and age wise this plandemic would fade away. When this first started my wife kept telling me it was only going to get worse… the cases, the restrictions, the loss of a normal life, etc. I didn’t agree with her completely but the longer this goes no, the more correct she is.

I’ve always been against shutting down the schools and colleges. Even with that, I was not for shutting down sports including March Madness. Those who wish to opt out, including coaches, should be allowed to. The young can get sick. But 99.9% don’t. If they have comorbidities then do t play or coach. But don’t penalize the 99.9%.

Had to have something to do - going a bit batty from grief and guilt. Covid took the life of my brother-in-law Monday. I know the virus is serious business. But the level of panic among our citizens is very high. Most of that due to federal and state government and to the media, especially television. KSL, here in SLC, spends 10 to 20 minutes every night with the statistics, government propaganda and dark stories about how Covid is wrecking lives. Again, I know from personal experience that Covid is a serious illness.

However, the way we are treating our school children and businesses is atrocious. For the kids: go to school, no home school, no go back to school, no digital learning only, no back to school, etc. etc. That is wrecking their education and mental / emotional well-being. At the same time crushing the livelihoods of tens of millions of workers and tens of millions more of their family members. And still at the same time ruining young men and women’s opportunities in sports and related activities. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Prevail on the rational participants in society to take good care with masks, hygiene, staying home when ill and the like and then going about all of our individual interests and lives.

Covid governmental restrictions and several other things are tearing our traditional nation, culture, economic health, social well-being and mental functioning asunder.

The difference between conservatives and liberals is that conservatives can still logically reason out the big picture like yourself. Liberals become emotional basket cases with heavy fearmongering so they feel better.
Sorry to hear about your brother in law. Prayers and condolences to your family.

Sorry about your brother-in-law and Covid can be a mortal illness as we all know, but you were spot on about the fear and the government handling of things. The sad part to me, is I truly believe that large parts of this were politically motivated with intentional scare tactics and It is also possible that this was created in a laboratory with a designed, destructive purpose. I can’t prove those hypothetical scenarios, but I am suspicious nonetheless. Once again my condolences

1 Like

SR, you have my upmost sympathy. I have filmed Oregon and close fiends up there, I love the place but the Cali migration destroyed that state.

Arkie, you get it.
again, I feel your love for your Bro-in-Law and the insidious virus that took him. Come spend a day fishing with me. I have all the stuff.

To Tom’s and everyone’s point. I will attempt to explain the pandemic with a little story. I lost most of my TV sponsorships over the Obama years. Discretionary income in the US dried up and I had to close down a incredibly fun 18 year running River Monsters type TV series called Reel Outdoors with yours truly. We got to visit most countries on this green planet and hang out with every type of person, tradition and way of life. I had already spent 6 years living in Mexico and Chile. Spent many a night eating on from dirt floors to palaces and presidents. So I do know who we are as Americans.and where we stand in the world

After the TV gig, I started guiding, turns out I am good at it. Never had a website or advertised. A few years back, a group from Cali. were fishing with me. I pulled out my pistol (coyote in the field) They said, “Wow, you can do that” I replay, '" In Utah, we can all carry…Would you like to shoot it". They could not stop talking about it for 3 days. This pandemic represents to me those poor souls that have given up all their freedoms, and for what?
The ruling class keep a rolling # on how many deaths and new cases of Covid but they will never tell you how many stress related deaths or alcoholics, Home abuse, failed businesses (you get my drift)
who can quantify the Long Term Damage the country will suffer from a political pandemic. Couple that with the judgment of Social Media platforms and the PC police and you have a Hilter type event. And if you have not watched or read how Hitler came to power, spend the time and tell your friends to learn about it.
America is FAR and away the greatest country in this world, we are free to be anything we dream to be. I know it, I lived it.

I fear for the future of our grandchildren. These power mongers and the media have to be stopped at all costs… Venezuela is a perfect model of how power mongers stole the elections with the same machines (Dominion) and now if you raise your voice, they just drag you out and shoot you. !0 years ago, Venezuela was like Costa Rica, an up and comer. I have been there before, during and after and it is wasteland from what it was.

With the courts not wanting to take the Trump cases, including the SCOTUS, I fear we are doomed. We may be in a time like that of King Noah and his evil judges. We thought SCOTUS would protect the Constitution with 6 conservatives on it. But no. They have become quickly a disappointment. Not sure what is next except internal warfare. And since you know how we fit in the world, the world will go down the tubes as well. Israel will be left alone and ripe for attacks from the north.

I hear from many Christians that they are excited that the coming of the Lord is near and the wicked will be swept from the earth. Uggg… I would like to see that put off say 2,000 years more. The death, torture and destruction that will proceed the Lord’s coming will be years in the making. Any thoughts on this?

Thanks for sharing-I was going to purchase each of my sons a lever action engraved Henry’s rifle, all different calibers from 45/70-.17 Remington. Unfortunately everywhere I looked, everything has been sold out. One of my son’s asked what I wanted for Christmas and I said just get me some 22/250 rounds for my Howa. Not going to happen. Freedom is priceless, but so easily swept away. I’ve always tried to keep my political persuasions at middle of the road, but I will never forgive the Democrats for turning a tragic virus into a political agenda. The governor of California is a prime example of my utter contempt for for the Democratic Party. Sorry for the rant, I try to be level-headed about life and shy away from conspiracists

1 Like

I don’t think what you write is conspiracies. I think the cat is out of the bag and Democrat Politician elites are in the bag for the anti-Christ. But please don’t use the phrase “it’s on both sides.” That phrase tries to make it equal on both sides. It’s not even close.

Let me share a glaring example of what life is becoming in California.

There are close to 75 or more RV’s, vehicles and shelters of some kind on the surface streets between shell rd. and the end of the fwy. coming into ojai valley where I live. Most would consider this area of the state and nation as paradise. It is close to the ocean, mountains, etc. Real estate values here are high and rising. All is not what it seems to be. These people started arriving a little after the Covid plandemic started and things were shut down. These are people from all over the place that are living out of campers, cars and run down RV’s trying to survive. California is turning into a dungy pit and Newsom is the slumlord wreaking havoc and throwing people who want to work into poverty and homelessness. It is a serious problem and nobody is doing anything about it.

This is how the liberal ruling class wants things. They live wealthy, privileged lives while controlling how their subjects, poor and middle class survive. It reminds me of similar societies in history or current ones like Venezuela and Cuba. It is not good but it is a small glimpse into what is coming for the rest of this country if the liberal ruling class is allowed to have control and power, which appears to be the way it is going.

I thought you were describing Seattle, Portland, and now Salem, Oregon until I saw Ojai. Back to my original question: do you think protecting kids from covid by cancelling school and sports is worth depriving them of their education and opportunity? I think not. I think more kids will go off the rails and suffer more harm from addiction or aimlessness than they ever would from Covid–since there is something like a 1/10th of one percent chance any of them would die from Covid, and a way higher chance that these kids–particularly the poorest of them–will suffer greatly without what they are taught in the classroom and especially on the field. I recently retired from my part time labor of love coaching middle school football (our district provides football starting in 7th grade); I have worked with countless kids from poverty and chaos at home, and I can PROMISE you those are the kids being harmed the most from the loss of the only structure and discipline most have ever known. It breaks my heart to think of the damage done.

1 Like

I totally agree with your school comment. I believe kids are missing out and suffering so much more than what covid would do to them. I wish I knew where this was all coming from but we are approaching a year very soon (more than nine months now) where there have been restrictions, lockdowns, riots, looting, job losses, businesses ruined and kids not being able to attend school.

Call me a conspiracist if you desire but there is one goal of the politicizing of covid, shutting down of businesses, schools and socially, the riots this summer, defund the police and several other stupid ongoing events: knock the USA down to it’s knees, and then create a socialist then communist nation. Communism is the final goal.

The goal is VERY close to being achieved.

CC just shut down their final game with Tulsa, Covid.

Here’s to their strategy to avoid a costly BYU type loss and hope for a NY6 invite. Good luck with that one.

They have dodged a lot of bullets this season, metaphorically speaking. I still maintain that they are not even close to as good as their record might indicate. If they do not get a NY6 bowl invite, that is just another point of evidence as to who gets what in the college football world. Any team that is not part of a P5 conference gets the leftover scraps. There will be one NY6 invite to the Bearcats but that will be a difficult pill for the P5 powers to swallow, in the moment, knowing that they are still not doing the right thing with regards to the bigger picture.

This is terrible. I can’t find a single statement anyone has made that I don’t agree with. Good comments.

Biden is going to make a great president. Schumer and Pelosi are going to see the errors of their ways. Soros is going to use his money to elect Republican conservatives. The SCOTUS will begin to judge based on the Constitution. Biden will dump Harris and choose Trump to be his VP. Then resign. We will be able to return to Church without restrictions by Christmas next week.
Well, that is my Christmas list Santa :santa:

Probably not. I think the only real issue is that somebody who gets a mild case (which is what the overwhelming majority of people under 60 get) can spread it to somebody who could get a serious case. I see very little risk in holding games with almost no fans in the stadium like BYU does. The players who have it obviously shouldn’t play and if enough on the team have it then the game should be cancelled or postponed, if possible. What the Pac 12 did was ridiculous. Ditto the Big Ten, Mtn West, MAC, and a maybe a few others. All the other conferences started in September.

Most of the games in the south have been in stadiums at about 20% capacity and I haven’t heard about any big outbreaks due to it.

The players on the teams don’t wear masks on the field and on the sidelines there is no way to do social distancing. If these athletes were that vulnerable you should see this thing rampant on sports teams.

Anybody could potentially get a deadly case, but anybody could get cancer, influenza, have a heart attack, or any number of things. I nearly died from a urinary tract infection that turned to sepsis when i was in my mid 50s. There are all kinds of things that can kill you. You have to look at the risks and can’t shut everything down. The most vulnerable should be protected. People should get vaccinated. I don’t have an issue with wearing a mask and right now it is probably a good idea. My wife and I tested today and my daughter, son in law, and grandchildren are getting tested so we can meet for our traditional Christmas Eve gathering without masks if everybody is negative.

Those who want to shut everything down probably have an agenda of some sort. I say just be careful and live your life.