The Pac-12 Conference announced today (Aug. 11) that it has postponed all sports through the end of the year due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, which means the Stanford and Cal football seasons are canceled.
“At this point, it has become apparent that competing this fall would introduce undue risk in terms of the health and safety of participants and the spread of the virus in the communities in which competitions were scheduled to take place,” said Stanford Athletic Director Bernard Muir in a statement. “Beyond the widespread prevalence of COVID-19 across our country right now, there are also still many unknowns with respect to the potential long-term health implications of the virus for those who contract it, even for young people who may not experience severe symptoms in the short term.”
The Pac-12 CEO Group unanimously voted to postpone the fall sports calendar after consulting with the conference’s Medical Advisory Committee over concerns for player and coach safety.
Pac-12 officials also said they would consider a return of postponed sports in spring 2021 if conditions improve.
“Unlike professional sports, college sports cannot operate in a
bubble,” Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said. “Our athletic programs are a part of broader campuses in communities where in many cases the prevalence of COVID-19 is significant.”
Pac-12 officials said that student-athletes will have their scholarships guaranteed despite the cancellation of sports in 2020.
Conference officials also encouraged the NCAA to grant an
additional year of eligibility to students who opt out of their sports during the 2020-2021 academic year.
Also today, the Big Ten Conference — which includes Ohio State, Michigan, Nebraska and Penn State — pulled the plug on fall football as well.
Two smaller conferences, the Mid-American and Mountain West (which includes San Jose State), had already announced the uncertain move to spring football. The decisions by the deep-pocketed Big Ten and Pac-12, with hundred million-dollar television contracts and historic programs, shook the foundation of college sports.
Players around the country were stunned. Many had recently taken to social media with the hashtag #WeWanttoPlay. Ohio State star quarterback Justin Fields was among those trying to present a unified front and save their season.
After the announcement, Fields simply posted to Twitter: “smh,” short for shaking my head.
“Our lives are changing forever right before our eyes,” Arizona offensive lineman Donovan Laie tweeted.
The cost of losing football will be devastating to athletic departments. The Big Ten distributed more than $50 million to most of its members in 2018, but most of that came from media rights deals and a conference TV network powered by football. Maybe some can be recouped in the spring, but there are bills to pay now.
— From wire reports
The chances of a person under 30 dying from Covid are very slim. Did these athletic directors succumb to the data-denying media’s hysteria?
Apparently, because there is virtually no risk of dying from Covid for people under age 24.
Think about this decision. It’s okay to risk neck injury, concussion, and torn ligaments, which happen often in football, but can’t risk a virus that has less than 0.00001% chance of killing college-aged athletes.
“The chances of a person under 30 dying from Covid are very slim.”
The chances of a person under 30 (the players, those in the stands, others working the booths and security) transmitting Covid to others (older than 30) are very HIGH. I don’t need to spell out the consequences for the local community and citizenry large.
“Did these athletic directors succumb to the data-denying media’s hysteria?”
Did Jerry C succumb to the data denying narrative and hysteria of the current regime and its fanboys?
The same can be said about the flu, which kills far more people under age 24, but we never canceled in the past. Unless you’re saying we should cancel school and sports every year between November through April during flu season?
“The same can be said about the flu”
So you are equating the flu with Covid-19?
In other words, Covid-19 is merely equivalent to the flu virus and not any different.
Ok, you just confirmed you drunk the KoolAid dispensed by the leader of the current regime as early as February and March and are echoing it again. [Portion deleted — don’t misquote people.]
The world then would be spared these homilies and we’d have an opportunity to deal with the virus that is ravaging economies and lives in our neighborhoods and also across the world
For younger people, flu is more deadly than Covid. That’s a fact. The CDC, no bastion of conservatism, even says so.
The virus is not ravaging economies anywhere, it’s the RESPONSE to the virus – Shelter-in-place, lockdowns, school closures, etc. – that’s destroying the economy and lives.
Ok, you just confirmed you drunk the KoolAid dispensed by the leader of the current regime as early as February and March and are echoing it again. Perhaps you and other fanboys of Agent Orange and his regime also treated yourself with bleach, disinfectants, hydroxychloroquinone and other “game changers”? If you did the world then would be spared these homilies and we–i.e., the rest of us–would have an opportunity to deal with the virus that is ravaging economies and lives in our neighborhoods and also across the world.
HQC works wonders and has been around for over 60 years. You don’t like it because Trump is in favor of its use.
“HQC works wonders and has been around for over 60 years. You don’t like it because Trump is in favor of its use.”
HQC indeed works wonders and has indeed been around for over 60 years. You got that right. However did you notice or miss out that is all applicable only for malarial treatment, not for Coronovirus? Or did you leave that out intentionally because it would expose your deceit and falsehoods? Nice attempt to dodge accountability there, Alvin. Are you going to do the same for bleach, disinfectants and such next?
“You don’t like it because Trump is in favor of its use.”
No, I don’t like it because Trump and his fanboys like you are engaging in falsehoods, deceit, and make-it-up-as-you-go statements that have serious consequences for the public. I’d rather we have accountability by exposing those charlatans for the scoundrels they are, for risking the lives of others. If only they and their own families survive Covid-19 after being treatment by what they prescribe others–HQC, bleach, disinfectants–then I’m open to giving some attention to their homilies.
Enough said.