Michigan Thinks of moving Football to Spring

[Perspective]

2 hours ago, gatorman-uf said:

My worry for sports isn't necessarily the fans/bands/cheerleaders (they wouldn't barred from games), it is the players themselves. When you are 2 inches from someone, it is harder to not breathe, sweat, etc. on them, 

Perhaps in anticipation of social distancing, some of the defenses I've seen lately won't have any issue at all with getting too close to opposing players.  

[HornetFan]

5 hours ago, gatorman-uf said:

The cancelling of school/sports in Spring was proactive. A move that generally should be applauded by all. As one meme out there put it, "We have to take necessary steps before they seem necessary. And if it works, people will think we over-reacted. We have to be willing to look like we overreacted." 

As for your indictment of protests as the leading reason for the increase, if so we would be seeing the spikes in places like Minneapolis, NYC, D.C, Chicago, but we aren't. We are seeing it Texas, Florida, and Arizona, states that opened the bars/stores early. If I am being completely fair, there is some evidence to suggest that the reason these states are increasing is because people don't want to be out in the heat and instead inside in the Air Conditioning where it is easier to spread.  

You can't limit protests, there is no admissions gate; there is no entrance. Most protesters (while not following social distancing) did seem to be wearing masks. 

My worry for sports isn't necessarily the fans/bands/cheerleaders (they wouldn't barred from games), it is the players themselves. When you are 2 inches from someone, it is harder to not breathe, sweat, etc. on them, 

You should read my post again; I did not say that  protests were the leading reason for the increase in positive tests. However, I'm sure they were a contributing factor, along with the bars and clubs, and as you said people wanting to escape the heat in Florida and staying in airconditioned spaces and practicing CDC guidelines. Also, the state of Florida has been testing about 80,000 people a day since the spike started. It's highly probable that the increase in positive tests is also the result of those who have been careless seeking tests. It's a combination of several different areas of careless behavior.

Cities and counties have the ability to limit or prohibit protests. The protest gatherings are required by law to have permits; city officials have chosen to look the other way for political reasons. The mayor of Seattle finally decided that he protest in her city was an illegal gathering. Having most protesters wear masks doesn't prevent the virus from being spread by those not following CDC guidelines. 

I have seen some college football conferences stating that bands and cheerleaders may not be able to attend games. There's also the suggestions of limited or no crowds in the stands. Face shields could be required of all players just like mouthpieces are required. Most players now wear gloves when playing. There will always be a risk of players contracting the virus, but probably no greater than shopping in Publix or Home Depot. These kids are working hard to get ready for the season. They're in much better physical condition than most if not all of us. They want to play and they've earned the right to do so.

[Guest]

7 hours ago, Perspective said:

The only thing that could reasonably be done prior to game would be to temperature check all participants (players, coaches, refs, chain gangs, etc.) as they walk through a singular entrance point onto the field.  I think the thermal thermometers cost less than $100.  Anything more than that (swabs/testing/etc) is going to be price-prohibitive. 

Agree. We have to do temp checks on the players and coaches as they enter the gate for summer workouts. It;s kinda nice because attendance is already done before warm ups. So far no one has had a temp over 100. So far so good.

[HornetFan]

On 7/1/2020 at 12:04 PM, badbird said:

so how much will it cost to test every one every game?  

The cost of testing is the least of their problems. You don't get results for several days, so testing on game day won't work. Temperature testing at the gate would help, but not guarantee against an infected individual attending, perhaps even unknown to that individual.  The kids deserve to play football this Fall or Winter, whichever timeframe is decided. This year's rising seniors have missed Spring practice and their Spring game; they've missed college camps and visits this Summer because campuses are closed. For many, this was their big opportunity to impress college coaches and secure scholarship offers. If there is no football season. many of these kids will not be going to college; that's a tragedy and the FHSAA has to take that into consideration when deciding when and if football will be played this year. You don't need fans at the games. It could be limited to players' families only, with face masks and social distancing requires. As I suggested in an earlier post, sell videos of the game to make up for lost revenue. These kids deserve to play.