FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[Bucket]

This message to the Bowdoin community from the Bowdoin president says that there will be no fall or winter sports. I suspect we will hear a similar message from other NESCAC schools since the president mentions working with other NESCACs on a plan that would allow for some sports after Jan. 1. Not a surprise given the US's failure to contain the coronavirus and the bad news from the pro teams that were tentatively beginning the process toward re-starting . .

Actually no winter sports before January 1. As you state later, Bowdoin prez says they hope to begin winter play post January 1.

[quicksilver]

Correct @Bucket. I fixed my original post.

[nescac1]

If we could protect everyone, we wouldn't have 120,000 (realistically far higher, it's an undercount based on mortality rates) dead Americans in just four months.  That's just a laughably false claim.

Believe me, I am desperate, absolutely desperate, for schools to start in the fall.  I have a kid about to start kindergarten. It would break my heart if he can't.  But if local officials decided that it's just too risky for the community at large, I'll understand.  There are no easy answers.  Of course I care about the adverse effects on kids.  But not if it means a few hundred thousand more preventable deaths over the next few months. 

We didn't need to be here. We, along with Brazil, have handled this epidemic far worse than any other nation.  We are trending the wrong direction even now.  But unfortunately Nescac schools, among so many others, are dealing with the aftermath.  My point is that it's silly to criticize them for making very tough decisions with imperfect information, but erring if at all on the side of not killing people in their communities.  All of this sucks for everyone.  But nothing sucks worse than it does for the surviving family members of those killed by a disease still raging nearly unabated through huge parts of the country, while the federal gov't has declared victory. 

[jmcozenlaw]

Covid-19 is not the flu when applied to the overall population. But, the statistics show that covid-19 is no more serious than the common flu in people under 40. NJ has over 10,000 covid-19 related deaths, with only 1 in a person under 18. All of the government leaders, and presumably college leaders, say they are guided by the facts.yet, they ignore that important fact. They need to open our schools with responsible precautions.

You are now in nescac1's crosshairs.....................he will report you to the moderators......................and this post will be gone (I know first hand )

[ColbyFootball]

Covid-19 is not the flu when applied to the overall population. But, the statistics show that covid-19 is no more serious than the common flu in people under 40. NJ has over 10,000 covid-19 related deaths, with only 1 in a person under 18. All of the government leaders, and presumably college leaders, say they are guided by the facts.yet, they ignore that important fact. They need to open our schools with responsible precautions.

You are noe in nescac1's crosshairs.....................he will report you to the moderators......................and this post will be gone (I know first hand )

This Board has become far too political which is a shame. And, rather than get into a political up and back which will inevitably get ugly. I will simply stand by my post because I believe it's absolutely true.

[Hawk196]

Time for a "gap" year, no way I'm paying NESCAC tuition for online course work (and missing one of his last football seasons). I was told by my 2 sons it was a joke and the academic excellence of a NESCAC/Ivy education is far too important than to be "a joke". Internship/job and some classes at the local school and we'll see you 2021

[nescac1]

I did not report anyone to moderators.  Two posts were taken down without explanation, one of which was my responsive posts to yours, which apparently was deemed inappropriate through no action I took. 

Look, unfortunately the lack of a football season is directly related to the coronavirus, so the intertwined discussion is inevitable.  I can't recall, Colby, if you were one of the people freaking out back in March, here on this very board, when schools were shutting down, claiming that this virus was all a big nothingburger and look how few deaths there have been and how dare they send students home!  I'm guessing you were.  Sadly, Nescac schools were proven right then.  It's impossible to say what the right course of action is, but one thing schools should certainly not do is listen to the same people who sought back in March to minimize the danger posed by this virus and compare it to the seasonal flu. 

[SpringSt7]

Three actually---didn't think mine was too controversial. Oh well. Apparently criticizing the federal government's response means this board has gotten "too political".

I'm gonna pull a Dave here and give a copout opinion, but I agree that they can probably make football work. Yes, college kids are significantly less at risk than the older age demographic. No, that should not be ignored, and at some point we are probably just going to have to live with this. There are plenty of viruses and diseases in the world that we have no cures for, that have been around for much longer. I think it's silly to expect that the worst health crisis in our lifetimes is going to be figured out quicker than lesser sicknesses that are still prevalent, like the flu.

But again, I keep coming back to this, as a Williams fan who expected his team to run through the league this year, only 4 years removed from going 0-8--why bother? I'm sorry you don't want to pay online tuition, I'm sorry everyone doesn't get to watch football this fall, and I'm sorry these kids won't get to have the college experience they deserve and expected to have. But we have to make sacrifices. We are actively seeing all around the country the consequences that are stemming from those who decided they didn't want to make these sacrifices anymore.

I have friends in Williamstown that are in the at risk demographic---friends who are bigger football fans than almost anybody on these boards. I would rather wait another year to watch us beat Amherst with them, than watch us win without them.

[ColbyFootball]

I did not report anyone to moderators.  Two posts were taken down without explanation, one of which was my responsive posts to yours, which apparently was deemed inappropriate through no action I took. 

Look, unfortunately the lack of a football season is directly related to the coronavirus, so the intertwined discussion is inevitable.  I can't recall, Colby, if you were one of the people freaking out back in March, here on this very board, when schools were shutting down, claiming that this virus was all a big nothingburger and look how few deaths there have been and how dare they send students home!  I'm guessing you were.  Sadly, Nescac schools were proven right then.  It's impossible to say what the right course of action is, but one thing schools should certainly not do is listen to the same people who sought back in March to minimize the danger posed by this virus and compare it to the seasonal flu.

I'm not going to get into a political debate except to point out that one of our leading "experts" advising the Country, Dr. Anthony Fauci, as late as February 29, 2020 stated that Americans need not change their daily routines. Make of it what you want but it's a fact. The overriding point of my post was that college kids are not at high risk. They likely fall into a risk category akin to the risk category of the seasonal flu and general population. And given that low risk these kids are being deprived of a big part of their lives. I find it inexcusable, and actually shameful. A better solution can be found. They're taking the easy way out if they shut things down.

[Pat Coleman]

Hi, folks -- so, here's the deal.

When I take a post down, I generally take down any post that also quotes it. I think folks can understand why. The original post was the one that was taken down, and that brought down any posts which cited it.

ColbyFootball -- on a brand-new virus, it's kind of disingenuous to cite a statement from four months ago, right? The science on this was developing then and it is developing now. Let's stick to the realm of current thinking when making arguments.

[lumbercat]

Again, why not postpone the fall season. Begin 3 weeks of preseason practice March 1. Schedule commences 3/28.
Snow easily cleared from turf fields if weather is nasty early in March. The non turf schools, Tufts and Wesleyan, have turf facilities on campus for preseason practice. Spring weather would work well for football.
These student athletes would not be deprived of something they have worked very hard for and fully deserve as part of their NESCAC college experience.

[quicksilver]

Here is a thread with comments from the Bowdoin AD about trying to do fall sports in the spring. I am guessing that this is part of a NESCAC-wide planning process since Bowdoin could not shift fall sports like soccer and maybe football to the spring without it being part of a league-wide effort . . 

[SpringSt7]

The most interesting comments to me from the Bowdoin announcement were these:

Unfortunately, we will not be participating in fall and winter varsity sports during the fall semester. This is one of the very disappointing outcomes of our plan. Athletics is a central part of the Bowdoin experience for many of our students and for the College more generally. NESCAC has not yet determined what will happen with conference play or how coaches in this extraordinary semester may interact with athletes on fall, winter, and spring teams during the fall semester, but I am hopeful that there will be significant opportunities this fall for coaches to work with those athletes who are both on and off campus.

Makes me think that this decision was made independently of the other 10 schools, although there is no denying which direction we are trending in.

[gordonmann]

The sentence that really struck me was this one:

"With priority given to seniors, if the fall semester goes as we hope, we expect to have our seniors, juniors, and sophomores return to campus for the spring semester, with the added possibility that our winter and spring athletes may be able to engage with their sports in some way."

A lot can change in six months but "may be able to engage with their spring sports in some way" doesn't sound good.

[jmcozenlaw]

Covid-19 is not the flu when applied to the overall population. But, the statistics show that covid-19 is no more serious than the common flu in people under 40. NJ has over 10,000 covid-19 related deaths, with only 1 in a person under 18. All of the government leaders, and presumably college leaders, say they are guided by the facts.yet, they ignore that important fact. They need to open our schools with responsible precautions.

You are noe in nescac1's crosshairs.....................he will report you to the moderators......................and this post will be gone (I know first hand )

This Board has become far too political which is a shame. And, rather than get into a political up and back which will inevitably get ugly. I will simply stand by my post because I believe it's absolutely true.

Agree! The politics here, with a poster or two in particular, has gotten way out of hand, especially as the song goes, "clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am, stuck in the middle with you". The beauty of being a Centrist.