MAC cancels fall football

Kicking this down the road further makes no sense. Trying to get in two seasons in the Spring and Fall of 21 clearly indicates the best health and academic interests of the athletes is of zero importance to the Presidents and AD’s. If canceling is primarily about liability issues, then we might as well fold the tent on college and high school athletics altogether, once and for all. If Presidents will call off a season because of the potential lawsuits related to COVD-19 issues, why have they allowed football in the past where their complicity in potential harm due to concussions, torn ACL’s and other life altering consequences from playing football is far more direct?

And, why doesn’t Congress give us some help with some reasonable legislation limiting liability related to COVID-19? We are making decision after decision regarding education, athletics and employment out of fear of litigation. We will never resume any normalcy if we remain paralyzed by that fear.
 
Postponing until spring seems best to me. There's likely a Covid vaccine by the end of this year or the beginning of next, so Covid will be increasingly mitigated by the spring. I don't see why a turnaround of around 4-5 months from one season to the next would be too bad for student athletes' health or their academics. Avoiding stoking the pandemic seems to me like the socially responsible thing to do. This issue is bigger than the student athletes because the football games would mean increased transmission of Covid, which means increased deaths.

Making the argument another way:
If a fall football season caused the deaths of say 100 players, do you think it'd be worth it? Probably not. Of course, that wouldn't happen because college-aged people aren't as vulnerable to Covid. But is it any different ethically if 100 deaths indirectly caused by a fall football season (due to increased viral transmission arising from football) aren't players?

A postponement would be good for GT anyway. Our guys would have over a year of development since the last season.
 
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77GTFan said:
Kicking this down the road further makes no sense. Trying to get in two seasons in the Spring and Fall of 21 clearly indicates the best health and academic interests of the athletes is of zero importance to the Presidents and AD’s. If canceling is primarily about liability issues, then we might as well fold the tent on college and high school athletics altogether, once and for all. If Presidents will call off a season because of the potential lawsuits related to COVD-19 issues, why have they allowed football in the past where their complicity in potential harm due to concussions, torn ACL’s and other life altering consequences from playing football is far more direct?

And, why doesn’t Congress give us some help with some reasonable legislation limiting liability related to COVID-19? We are making decision after decision regarding education, athletics and employment out of fear of litigation. We will never resume any normalcy if we remain paralyzed by that fear.
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The trial lawyers are a major Dem funding source. Congress is not going to limit liability. It is tough to do in Republican state legislatures due to the payoffs from the trial lawyers but it might be possible in the Southern states. Does this potential litigation occur in state or federal courts?

The ACC and the SEC should play now. They will get the TV exposure, revenue and recruiting advantage. The players leaving for the NFL after this season are not going to play in the spring.
 
What happens when schools have to pay for another years of scholarships because eligibility isn’t burned?
 
RussianOffense said:
Postponing until spring seems best to me. There's likely a Covid vaccine by the end of this year or the beginning of next, so Covid will be increasingly mitigated by the spring. I don't see why a turnaround of around 4-5 months from one season to the next would be too bad for student athletes' health or their academics. Avoiding stoking the pandemic seems to me like the socially responsible thing to do. This issue is bigger than the student athletes because the football games would mean increased transmission of Covid, which means increased deaths.

Making the argument another way:
If a fall football season caused the deaths of say 100 players, do you think it'd be worth it? Probably not. Of course, that wouldn't happen because college-aged people aren't as vulnerable to Covid. But is it any different ethically if 100 deaths indirectly caused by a fall football season (due to increased viral transmission arising from football) aren't players?

A postponement would be good for GT anyway. Our guys would have over a year of development since the last season.
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These guys have risk outside of football too, and I actually think football is a good motivational tool to wear a mask, practice social distancing, etc. throughout all areas of life for these kids. And we have seen, to my knowledge, 0 new cases at GT since the initial few at the first day back. It can be done properly. Many players are taking to social media stating they feel more safe in the football facilities than anywhere else (based on protocols, access to top medical personnel, etc).
 
BrentwoodJacket said:
The trial lawyers are a major Dem funding source. Congress is not going to limit liability. It is tough to do in Republican state legislatures due to the payoffs from the trial lawyers but it might be possible in the Southern states. Does this potential litigation occur in state or federal courts?

The ACC and the SEC should play now. They will get the TV exposure, revenue and recruiting advantage. The players leaving for the NFL after this season are not going to play in the spring.
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This has nothing to do with trial lawyers. I’m not sure where y’all are getting that. If you want to look somewhere to blame, look to the “academics” who are running around claiming the sky is falling. I haven’t heard of any trial lawyers licking their chops over any of this because proving the communication of infection is hard.
 
ramblin_wreck08 said:
These guys have risk outside of football too, and I actually think football is a good motivational tool to wear a mask, practice social distancing, etc. throughout all areas of life for these kids. And we have seen, to my knowledge, 0 new cases at GT since the initial few at the first day back. It can be done properly. Many players are taking to social media stating they feel more safe in the football facilities than anywhere else (based on protocols, access to top medical personnel, etc).
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The problem is not the players getting sick themselves. It's football bringing lots of people in close contact and spreading the disease. Thousands of fans coming to games would cause a lot of Covid spread and hence deaths. (Plus the players can spread it amongst themselves, and then the school population, unless they are *completely* isolated from the rest of the students.)
 
What bearing does Kent State playing or not playing Bowling Green have on whether FSU and Georgia Tech play?
 
RussianOffense said:
The problem is not the players getting sick themselves. It's football bringing lots of people in close contact and spreading the disease. Thousands of fans coming to games would cause a lot of Covid spread and hence deaths. (Plus the players can spread it amongst themselves, and then the school population, unless they are *completely* isolated from the rest of the students.)
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The fans are a separate issue. It sounds like most schools are doing no fans, or are severely limiting capacity. I hear your concern and am in support of that.

Again, on the player front, 0 new positive cases at GT since reporting back. 0. They are not spreading it amongst themselves. There will be significantly more spread in class and at social activities than in football.
 
RussianOffense said:
The problem is not the players getting sick themselves. It's football bringing lots of people in close contact and spreading the disease. Thousands of fans coming to games would cause a lot of Covid spread and hence deaths. (Plus the players can spread it amongst themselves, and then the school population, unless they are *completely* isolated from the rest of the students.)
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I disagree.

The issue is one of two things in my opinion... (1) this is a CYA move by the NCAA and schools to make sure they don't get their asses sued when players get sick. This could especially be an issue if a player were to die from COVID, which we all know is at least a possibility although not highly probable. (2) They realize the hypocrisy of making these kids play football, meanwhile teachers are not wanting to come to work due to "safety" (and/or laziness), plus many of the classes are already scheduled for remote learning. Since football players are majority minorities, with many from lower income backgrounds, it's a bad look to make them play as if their safety is less important than the broader student population (which of course it is not).

I selfishly want football. Me logging into and actively posting on a GT message board everyday likely confirms that. However, I can live with whatever decision is made. I don't want any of our kids to be in more danger than everyone else because they are being forced to play football for our entertainment. That said, I believe Coach Collins is taking safety protocols very seriously and is genuinely doing everything reasonably possible to keep GT kids healthy and safe.
 
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JoeCakeEater said:
... because they are being foreced to play football for our entertainment.
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The powers at be said they are going to cancel the season, and the players are causing a stir by fighting back because THEY WANT TO PLAY. There is no one being forced here. One of the key components of #WeWantToPlay is protection and support for those players who opt out.
 
There has to be a choice element if we have a season. Players are free to opt out if they are uncomfortable. No shaming from friends and fellow players. No losing your scholarship. That should be a non-negotiable element of any potential season in the middle of this very unfortunate Chinese virus situation.
 
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