Big Ten Conference-Only Season

[AuroranHusker]

14 hours ago, hhcmatt said:

There is already a laundry lists of dos and don'ts to enter any sporting event at Nebraska.  Adding mask wearing seems like an easy call.

Also, *this* is the year to three clap for an opposing team instead of yelling 

 

Presuming fans will be able to attend the indoor sporting events, which invariably I hope to do so... just not sure I'll be given that option.

 

 

[OmahaHusker]

1 hour ago, aphilso1 said:

 

False.  While some states are currently well under capacity, the Southern states that are surging are in a heap of trouble. One example: https://www.azmirror.com/2020/07/03/as-covid-19-worsens-az-is-the-first-state-to-enact-crisis-care-standards/

 

 

Also false. https://abcnews.go.com/Health/13-states-now-report-coronavirus-testing-issues-echo/story?id=71698974

 

 

Ok let me rephrase in saying that testing is much more readily available than it was. Also would you deny the fact that the death rate has continued to decrease despite the uptick in confirmed cases (due to more testing)? As well as the recovery rate continuing to increase? Seems like those are the most important statistics. 

Edited July 11, 2020 by OmahaHusker

[aphilso1]

7 minutes ago, OmahaHusker said:

 

Ok let me rephrase in saying that testing is much more readily available than it was. Also would you deny the fact that the death rate has continued to decrease despite the uptick in confirmed cases (due to more testing)? As well as the recovery rate continuing to increase? Seems like those are the most important statistics. 

 

No, I agree that the death rate seems to have gone down for the time being.  Just read today on the CDC's site that COVID-related deaths made up less than 6% of US deaths this week, which was the first time that has happened since the pandemic hit.  And that is indeed an important statistic, although I don't see how that can be considered a success when compared to the rest of the developed world.  

 

And when you start looking forward there is less cause for optimism.  We have multiple major cities that are on the brink of maxing out their ICU resources, and contact tracing has become nearly impossible at this point.  With all of the recent hospitalizations, do you really think the death rate will still trend downward in a couple more weeks?  Unfortunately, that number will likely steeply increase within that time frame.

[OmahaHusker]

56 minutes ago, aphilso1 said:

 

No, I agree that the death rate seems to have gone down for the time being.  Just read today on the CDC's site that COVID-related deaths made up less than 6% of US deaths this week, which was the first time that has happened since the pandemic hit.  And that is indeed an important statistic, although I don't see how that can be considered a success when compared to the rest of the developed world.  

 

And when you start looking forward there is less cause for optimism.  We have multiple major cities that are on the brink of maxing out their ICU resources, and contact tracing has become nearly impossible at this point.  With all of the recent hospitalizations, do you really think the death rate will still trend downward in a couple more weeks?  Unfortunately, that number will likely steeply increase within that time frame.

 

I respect your opinion, but I refuse to get caught up in the “I know it doesn’t seem bad, just wait another couple weeks and see what happens” type of mindset. Social media and the media in general continue to warn of how bad it’s going to get and how the death rate is going to increase substantially. Still waiting. 

 

On top of that, is the 99.99% survival rate too low for student athletes? That’s whats so ridiculous to me. These are 20 year olds in peak physical condition. If you don’t wana be around them stay home. Not that hard 

[HuskerFever]

4 hours ago, OmahaHusker said:

I respect your opinion, but I refuse to get caught up in the “I know it doesn’t seem bad, just wait another couple weeks and see what happens” type of mindset. Social media and the media in general continue to warn of how bad it’s going to get and how the death rate is going to increase substantially. Still waiting. 

 

On top of that, is the 99.99% survival rate too low for student athletes? That’s whats so ridiculous to me. These are 20 year olds in peak physical condition. If you don’t wana be around them stay home. Not that hard 

 

I'm not here for a big debate, nor do I think there's a clear right or wrong answer in these uncertain times; there's still so much to learn. But there is one thing that I do want to add to your point on simply looking at the death rate. More about that in a minute.

 

Based on what I've read about previous pandemics, patterns, and behaviors of the virus (no, I'm not an expert at all; I encourage you to read up on it as well) this pandemic will be defined by the number of deaths that result. And at this point in time the number of tests really don't mean anything other than to help with contact tracing, which we've failed miserably at. Part of that is just due in part with the way our freedoms and protections are set up in this country versus some other countries who have been very successful at it. I've also seen that previous pandemics saw the worst of it in the first six months and the virus itself lasted a couple of years.

 

But back to my point on deaths. Although the percentage may be low for actual deaths, I have personally started to hear from friends, and have started to see more and more studies being published, that a large majority of people who have had COVID are still exhibiting symptoms 60+ days after contracting it. Whether that's losing sense of taste and/or smell that entire time, having major migraines, seizures, etc. And there's also studies out there on previous SARS outbreaks with this being a big area of focus. I'm not saying I'm bought into it at this moment, but the growing number of empirical research on the topic is becoming more pronounced.

 

So when you start talking about long term respiratory effects, and long term brain effects, I'm going to take more precautions beyond "the death rate is low" until more research comes out debunking that.

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/victoriaforster/2020/07/08/brain-damage-and-hallucinations-associated-with-even-mild-covid-19-coronavirus-infection/

 

 

[OmahaHusker]

2 hours ago, HuskerFever said:

 

I'm not here for a big debate, nor do I think there's a clear right or wrong answer in these uncertain times; there's still so much to learn. But there is one thing that I do want to add to your point on simply looking at the death rate. More about that in a minute.

 

Based on what I've read about previous pandemics, patterns, and behaviors of the virus (no, I'm not an expert at all; I encourage you to read up on it as well) this pandemic will be defined by the number of deaths that result. And at this point in time the number of tests really don't mean anything other than to help with contact tracing, which we've failed miserably at. Part of that is just due in part with the way our freedoms and protections are set up in this country versus some other countries who have been very successful at it. I've also seen that previous pandemics saw the worst of it in the first six months and the virus itself lasted a couple of years.

 

But back to my point on deaths. Although the percentage may be low for actual deaths, I have personally started to hear from friends, and have started to see more and more studies being published, that a large majority of people who have had COVID are still exhibiting symptoms 60+ days after contracting it. Whether that's losing sense of taste and/or smell that entire time, having major migraines, seizures, etc. And there's also studies out there on previous SARS outbreaks with this being a big area of focus. I'm not saying I'm bought into it at this moment, but the growing number of empirical research on the topic is becoming more pronounced.

 

So when you start talking about long term respiratory effects, and long term brain effects, I'm going to take more precautions beyond "the death rate is low" until more research comes out debunking that.

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/victoriaforster/2020/07/08/brain-damage-and-hallucinations-associated-with-even-mild-covid-19-coronavirus-infection/

 

 

 

I appreciate this analysis and hearing a view point from both sides. These are some good points and really does make me reconsider some of the aspects of this disease. I may still not think it’s quite as severe as some on this board, but it does make me think about things a little more. I’m not looking for any debates nor am I casting stones. I’m just pretty tired of Covid and 2020 in general tbh. 

[huskerbaseball13]

Hopefully this doesn’t bleed in to basketball. This team is going to need some non con games to jell. 

[TheGov21]

2 hours ago, huskerbaseball13 said:

Hopefully this doesn’t bleed in to basketball. This team is going to need some non con games to jell. 

 

 

Unfortunately it probably will as there is speculation that flu season will lead to additional outbreaks. Hence why many universities are trying to end the semester by Thanksgiving break.

[jayschool]

From the 1919 University of Nebraska yearbook about the 1918 football season, which opened in the middle of a World War, and which was suspended from Oct. 5's opener against Iowa until a Nov. 9 game against the Omaha Balloon School:

 

Were alibis necessary, Nebraska could claim, along with every other school in the Conference, that the unprecedented influenza epidemic made serious inroads on their team's progress. The plague caused an element of uncertainty in every game. Not alone in the personnel of the team, where changes were constantly being made necessary through the claim of the "flu" but also in the student body and in the other devotees of the game, was there an element of unrest and lack of interest. It was never surely known even on the eve of a game whether the teams would clash the following day or not, for bans on public gatherings were being enforced and lifted at all hours of the day and night.

 

(snip)

 

Just prior to the lifting of the freshman ban, the Government took over the control of the Valley sports, and so cut the Nebraska schedule, in order to eliminate the trips and curtail expense, that is was hardly recognizable after it was returned to us. The Syracuse game and the one scheduled with Morgantown, West Virginia, were both barred, and so the team had only one trip to look forward to through the entire season. The trip allowed was made to St. Louis, where Nebraska mixed with Dick Rutherford's Washington Pikers, December 7, 1918.

[Nighthawk]

On 7/9/2020 at 3:49 PM, aphilso1 said:

As a lifelong Notre Dame football fan (yes, I know, burn me at the stake) this worries me.  If more conferences end up making this change, ND will end up playing BYU and Navy 6x each.

 

I could be wrong, but I thought I read that the ACC as going to allow Notre Dame to play the teams in the conference.  

[Handy Johnson]

The only reason Nebraska isn’t Texas/Florida right now is because of geography & dumb luck...

[Nebrasketball1979]

16 hours ago, Handy Johnson said:

The only reason Nebraska isn’t Texas/Florida right now is because of geography & dumb luck...

 

Maybe population density and the ratio of rednecks to normal people have something to do with it as well? 

[Handy Johnson]

2 hours ago, Nebrasketball1979 said:

 

Maybe population density and the ratio of rednecks to normal people have something to do with it as well? 

My point EXACTLY...

[HuskerFever]

3 hours ago, Nebrasketball1979 said:

Maybe population density and the ratio of rednecks to normal people have something to do with it as well? 

 

And Memorial Stadium at full capacity is nearly equivalent to the population density of Boston. Viruses don't discriminate. Be safe out there.

[HolyBobpilgrimage]

On 7/10/2020 at 8:51 AM, HuskerFever said:

 

Speaking of the SEC (or the SIAA at the time), Georgia Tech managed to play football during the 1918 pandemic.

 

Holy crap, that picture! At times in this nightmare year things feel deja vu to another era and another pandemic, and no more so illustrated than in this picture, it seems like it could be taken today if people were ballsy /stupid but also wearing masks completely, as if for a stunt (?)

[HuskerFever]

29 minutes ago, HolyBobpilgrimage said:

On 7/10/2020 at 9:51 AM, HuskerFever said:

 

Speaking of the SEC (or the SIAA at the time), Georgia Tech managed to play football during the 1918 pandemic.

 

Holy crap, that picture! At times in this nightmare year things feel deja vu to another era and another pandemic, and no more so illustrated than in this picture, it seems like it could be taken today if people were ballsy /stupid but also wearing masks completely, as if for a stunt (?)

 

Very interesting, right? Guess I'd be remiss not citing a source. The story behind it provides interesting perspective as well:

 

https://www.ajc.com/sports/college/captivating-photo-georgia-tech-from-1918-and-the-story-behind/XOukYT9082wGyHDyP27XVL/

[aphilso1]

On 7/11/2020 at 12:50 AM, OmahaHusker said:

 

I respect your opinion, but I refuse to get caught up in the “I know it doesn’t seem bad, just wait another couple weeks and see what happens” type of mindset. Social media and the media in general continue to warn of how bad it’s going to get and how the death rate is going to increase substantially. Still waiting. 

 

On top of that, is the 99.99% survival rate too low for student athletes? That’s whats so ridiculous to me. These are 20 year olds in peak physical condition. If you don’t wana be around them stay home. Not that hard 

 

Houston has a waiting list for ICU beds.

Odessa hospitals are turning patients away.

San Antonio is ordering refrigerator trucks to store bodies because they're out of room at the morgues.

 

This is the problem with waiting to address a public health crisis until you're past the point of no return, and the problem with basing your opinion of a pandemic's severity exclusively on a trailing statistic (mortality rate).  Texas did it, and now they are suffering the consequences.  

[OmahaHusker]

1 hour ago, aphilso1 said:

 

Houston has a waiting list for ICU beds.

Odessa hospitals are turning patients away.

San Antonio is ordering refrigerator trucks to store bodies because they're out of room at the morgues.

 

This is the problem with waiting to address a public health crisis until you're past the point of no return, and the problem with basing your opinion of a pandemic's severity exclusively on a trailing statistic (mortality rate).  Texas did it, and now they are suffering the consequences.  

 

You're not going to convince me on the increasing cases argument. I don't care about the cases. Is death rate continuing to go down? Yes. That is a good thing. If that death rate spikes back up in two weeks I'll change my tone, but for now all I see is death rates decreasing and recovery rates increasing. Keep that trend going. 

[49r]

Deaths are trending up now again. Have been for a week or so.

[aphilso1]

1 hour ago, OmahaHusker said:

 

You're not going to convince me on the increasing cases argument. I don't care about the cases. Is death rate continuing to go down? Yes. That is a good thing. If that death rate spikes back up in two weeks I'll change my tone, but for now all I see is death rates decreasing and recovery rates increasing. Keep that trend going. 

 

Death rates spiked this week, and they are likely going to keep going up as more health care facilities operate at peak capacity.  Multiple cities in Arizona and Texas have full morgues right now.  Miami has less than 5% of all hospital beds available city-wide.  Which again, is the problem with people who hold your "I won't believe it's a problem until everyone is dead" mentality because you can't base preventative actions on trailing statistics.

 

On top of that, I still don't understand the willful ignorance required to ignore the residual health problems (and secondary effects, due to lack of hospital capacity) and solely focus on deaths.  

[hhcmatt]

A very good reason to worry about the spread in addition to the death rate is because spread is going to be part of the equation to determine if college sports will occur.

 

https://www.ncaa.org/sport-science-institute/resocialization-collegiate-sport-developing-standards-practice-and-competition

 

 

 

 

Wear and encourage people to wear a mask when going to indoor public places.
Try and stay outside if you don't want to wear a mask.  It's been generally proven out that outside gatherings are not contributing highly to the spread.

[OmahaHusker]

6 hours ago, aphilso1 said:

 

Death rates spiked this week, and they are likely going to keep going up as more health care facilities operate at peak capacity.  Multiple cities in Arizona and Texas have full morgues right now.  Miami has less than 5% of all hospital beds available city-wide.  Which again, is the problem with people who hold your "I won't believe it's a problem until everyone is dead" mentality because you can't base preventative actions on trailing statistics.

 

On top of that, I still don't understand the willful ignorance required to ignore the residual health problems (and secondary effects, due to lack of hospital capacity) and solely focus on deaths.  

 

You and I disagree on the severity of this virus. I seem to disagree with a lot of people on this board about it. I hold no ill will toward anyone and agree that wearing a mask in public should be advised. I’m also fully on board of the “if you’re that scared by it then stay home” mentality. I’ve continued to go to work since this broke out in March. Nothing has happened to me. Maybe it will in the future but if I wear a mask around people I don’t feel bad at all about going out. And I feel many fans like me can fill stands/seats for games. If you’re scared of contracting the virus then stay home and quit yelling at others who are leaving their homes. That’s all I’m saying. 

[cornfed24-7]

10 hours ago, OmahaHusker said:

 Nothing has happened to me. 

I think this is sentiment is the biggest problem with combating this virus. 

[aphilso1]

10 hours ago, OmahaHusker said:

 

You and I disagree on the severity of this virus. I seem to disagree with a lot of people on this board about it. I hold no ill will toward anyone and agree that wearing a mask in public should be advised. I’m also fully on board of the “if you’re that scared by it then stay home” mentality. I’ve continued to go to work since this broke out in March. Nothing has happened to me. Maybe it will in the future but if I wear a mask around people I don’t feel bad at all about going out. And I feel many fans like me can fill stands/seats for games. If you’re scared of contracting the virus then stay home and quit yelling at others who are leaving their homes. That’s all I’m saying. 

 

I'm young, physically active, with zero pre-existing conditions.  Ditto for my wife.  My kids are young enough that they would almost certainly be asymptomatic.  For these reasons I'm not scared about contracting the virus.  I just happen to be a decent human being who empathizes with those who aren't in as good of a situation to combat the virus.  And frankly, I'm embarrassed that we are the only developed country that hasn't figured out how to slow this thing down.  We've politicized every possible step of our COVID response, which is ludicrous.  The virus doesn't discriminate between Republican and Democrat.  And I'm a Republican saying that.

 

Glad you're wearing a mask in public.  Most people I've come across that make your arguments refuse to wear one.  Masks aren't going to 100% stop this thing, since they have varying degrees of efficacy.  But they absolutely help when worn by the vast majority of the population, which is a big part of why Asia and Europe are in such better shape than us despite having higher population density, worse access to health care, and more public transit (all things that contribute to the spread). 

[OmahaHusker]

19 minutes ago, aphilso1 said:

 We've politicized every possible step of our COVID response, which is ludicrous.  The virus doesn't discriminate between Republican and Democrat. 

 

Completely agree with this 

Edited July 17, 2020 by OmahaHusker