Will COVID-19 be the needle that finally bursts the sports bubble?

Here’s what I wrote in April. I don’t think it’s much less true at this moment.

 

They're on the record as saying they'll need the now-nebulous 14-day downward trajectory of cases in order to proceed with plans to open for real. If that 14-day downward trend is treated as it has been across the country, they'll open in spite of it. Lately, it's going way up in the Upstate.

 

It's all just punt and pray in higher education in general. It ain't just football. Nobody knows what to do except hope things get better. And the further down the educational chain you go, the worse it gets. Anybody here got a bright plan for creating social distancing for first graders?

 

Until more is known about the long-term impacts on those who contract it - is it wise to have people who have had it, or may have it, running around putting stress on their heart and lungs?

 

Several among the econ blogger set have been chuckling ... forlornly, I should (not really have to) add ... at how NOBODY could get IRB approval for the experiment(s) soon to be run.

 

Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, Travis Etienne, basically any potential graded first-round pick...Why would any of them volunteer to be guinea pigs for free under the watchful eye of program physicians.

 

Exactly. Even if this were a normal year Lawrence in particular had absolutely nothing to gain by playing.

I mean, if he wants to play out of love of the college game, great. If he's doing this as a stepping stone to the pros he'd be foolish to step on the field this year.

 

I can’t believe Dabo agreed to appear in that tweet.

 

College Football should already by thinking of a Plan B. I think coaches felt like the best chance of getting through this scot free was to get the players on campus where they can be monitored. But they aren't going to keep these young men isolated. Whether its waiting until middle-late fall and seeing if there is a developing situation for a vaccine or waiting and playing a winter/spring season post-Christmas and making it voluntary for players that would be draft-eligible for 2021 and offering seniors that want stay an extra year of eligibility or something. Conference only games with conference championships. Depending on the state of country by that point they can expand the playoffs or have bowls or whatever.

High School football can't happen. Not right now. No way.

 

The idea of starting in January seems to have faded, but I can't see why it would be less viable than it was six weeks ago.

 

No. And I have an upcoming first-grader.

We have the option of in-person school or online. The latter would be fine with my sixth-grader because she's self motivated, but no way in hell it's going to work with the little one. Baring new outbreaks and mass cases in out county/town, we're sending them to school. And crossing our fingers.