MBB: NESCAC

[Colby Hoops]

I think the entire spring sports schedule in the Nescac is in some serious jeopardy. Middlebury is reportedly following Amherst in the move to online classes for the remainder of the semester, and both schools are canceling spring sports.

[maineman]

I think the entire spring sports schedule in the Nescac is in some serious jeopardy. Middlebury is reportedly following Amherst in the move to online classes for the remainder of the semester, and both schools are canceling spring sports.

Where did you see that Middlebury was cancelling spring sports and moving to online classes?

[rlk]

Ryan, no.  Contagion doesn't work that way.  If a non-vulnerable person gets sick, any vulnerable person they contact is placed at risk.  E.g., a brother or child of a health care worker, who then mass infects patients, or a food service employee, who mass infects customers.  No one can just opt out of getting a disease.  And treating this as inevitable ignores the massive toll rapid and overwhelming exposure levels will take on our health system.  Again, read what is happening in Italy.  This is a report from the front lines, from a medical professional.  Do you really think fans attending sporting events is worth THIS outcome.  America is not taking this seriously enough, not even close, and it starts at the very top.  I hope we don't pay a severe price.  But each day that goes by that we bury our heads in the sand and fail to take even relatively painless preventative measures puts people at greater and greater risk.

https://twitter.com/silviast9/status/1236933818654896129?s=21

I mean, if Ireland can cancel St. Patrick's Day, America can survive one or two months without festivals, sporting events, concerts, and so on.  Containment seems to be working in South Korea.  It can at least slow the spread of this disease dramatically.  Which is critical for our health care system to function.  If Amherst is wrong, the costs are real but very small.  If Amherst's critics are wrong, on the other hand ...

I guess maybe I'm just pessimistic (of course all pessimists would say they're realists, right), but the results as described in that link seem inevitable.  The only variable being how quickly it happens.  Maybe I'm wrong about that, and, if so, then these precautions are justified - but with infections in 80 countries and the incubation period and the percentage of infected people who are asymptomatic, it just feels like these precautions are fighting an unwinnable battle.

How quickly it happens really, really matters for two reasons:

1) Slower spread means that the burden on the medical system is spread out over a longer period of time, making it easier to cope.

2) It also buys time for development of treatments (and hopefully a vaccine, but that's almost surely a lot further out).

[Colby Hoops]

I think the entire spring sports schedule in the Nescac is in some serious jeopardy. Middlebury is reportedly following Amherst in the move to online classes for the remainder of the semester, and both schools are canceling spring sports.

Where did you see that Middlebury was cancelling spring sports and moving to online classes?

Nothing But Nescac tweeted it out: https://twitter.com/CACSportsBlog/status/1237415112417390592?s=20

[Colby Hoops]

Official announcement here: https://www.middlebury.edu/office/announcements/previous-announcements/covid-19-remote-instruction-and-other-measures

Section on sports "Spring Athletic Events and Practices: Effective 10 p.m. tonight, we are suspending all spring athletic activities, including practices and home and away games, until further notice."

[nescac1]

Man, this is just brutal.  Feel awful for the Spring athletes, especially the seniors.  I don't think anyone knows NOW whether this will end up being the right or wrong decision (my guess is right, but impossible to say). But if you are a college administrator, your choice is, allow classes and activities to move forward, and if even one person on campus ends up getting and spreading the virus, you get absolutely crucified and maybe even sued for it, or join an ever-increasing crowd of peers in shutting things down and take a little bit of (widely-diffused) heat if it ends up being an overreaction.  From the perspective of a typical administrator, it's a no-brainer.  If enough schools shut it down, there will be insufficient teams to play in the Spring in any event ...

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I've been trying to read up even more today.  Some info I had seen, but not fully processed is that people under 30 are just not showing symptoms very often.  Even if they test positive, it's like minuscule percentages that ever actually get sick.  I can see more reason for colleges to be vigilant with on campus stuff, especially if they're bringing back thousands of asymptomatic carriers from all over the world.

I still think games should probably be played places that are still willing to host fans, but I'd never begrudge schools making their own calls (even if I might potentially disagree with them).

Interesting note, though, currently Amherst and Bowdoin at least - maybe Tufts, too - have said no school sponsored travel to states with States of Emergency.  Ohio is on that list.  That might complicate the women's Final Four (being played in Columbus).

[grabtherim]

I've been trying to read up even more today.  Some info I had seen, but not fully processed is that people under 30 are just not showing symptoms very often.  Even if they test positive, it's like minuscule percentages that ever actually get sick.  I can see more reason for colleges to be vigilant with on campus stuff, especially if they're bringing back thousands of asymptomatic carriers from all over the world.

I still think games should probably be played places that are still willing to host fans, but I'd never begrudge schools making their own calls (even if I might potentially disagree with them).

Interesting note, though, currently Amherst and Bowdoin at least - maybe Tufts, too - have said no school sponsored travel to states with States of Emergency.  Ohio is on that list.  That might complicate the women's Final Four (being played in Columbus).

Curious if you have a child who is a college aged student? I'm guessing you don't.   I have a kid who was a NESCAC athlete, and a competetive one at that from the time he was five until he his took his last shot. I can tell you with a great degree of certainty if you were in my shoes or a parents now, you would not be so cavalier and dismissive. 

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I've been trying to read up even more today.  Some info I had seen, but not fully processed is that people under 30 are just not showing symptoms very often.  Even if they test positive, it's like minuscule percentages that ever actually get sick.  I can see more reason for colleges to be vigilant with on campus stuff, especially if they're bringing back thousands of asymptomatic carriers from all over the world.

I still think games should probably be played places that are still willing to host fans, but I'd never begrudge schools making their own calls (even if I might potentially disagree with them).

Interesting note, though, currently Amherst and Bowdoin at least - maybe Tufts, too - have said no school sponsored travel to states with States of Emergency.  Ohio is on that list.  That might complicate the women's Final Four (being played in Columbus).

Curious if you have a child who is a college aged student? I'm guessing you don't.   I have a kid who was a NESCAC athlete, and a competetive one at that from the time he was five until he his took his last shot. I can tell you with a great degree of certainty if you were in my shoes or a parents now, you would not be so cavalier and dismissive.

I do not have a college student.  I do have a seven year old.

I'll just propose that perhaps we presume that all of us has the best interests of everyone else in mind regardless of our opinions on how to respond to a virus outbreak.  I don't think any discussion would be super productive if we start attacking each other's motives or perspectives.

I intended the post above to be conciliatory and recognize a perspective and group of facts I hadn't considered before.  I'm sorry if it didn't come off that way.

[grabtherim]

Please.  Perspective is part of it. Parents of college students all over the country are justifiably worried.  Kids from abroad programs have been coming home in droves.  College students coming back from Spring Break and/or heading to games will be a scare to their parents given the multiple messages coming out on almost an hourly basis.  Schools are closing by the minute, sending kids home for the month or the Semester (Midd and Amherst).  The minute you would hear similar about your kid's school, you would not give a hoot about a game.  You and other helicopter parents of today would be breaking records and running red lights to get your kid out of school.  Perspective doesnt matter?  Baloney, it doesnt until it is yours.  Then of course it does.  How lamely disengenuous.  My kid would have been dragged away from school and hoops kicking and screaming, but you know what if I thought it was in his best interest I would have done it.  Why?  Because the games mean crap compared to the bigger picture, and if it was your kid in the school you wouid get it, since it isnt it's easy to be haughty and above it all and say let's not get into motive and perspective.  I have no motive, but I sure as heck have a perspective and it matters.  Spare me. What a crock to suggest otherwise.   

[CNU85]

Please.  Perspective is part of it. Parents of college students all over the country are justifiably worried.  Kids from abroad programs have been coming home in droves.  College students coming back from Spring Break and/or heading to games will be a scare to their parents given the multiple messages coming out on almost an hourly basis.  The minute you would hear similar about your kid, you and other helicopter parents of today would be breaking records to get your kid out of school.  Perspective doesnt matter?  Baloney, it doesnt until it is yours.  Then it does.  How lamely disengenuous.  The games mean crap compared to the bigger picture, and if it was your kid in the school you wouid get it, since it isnt it's easy to be haughty and above it all and say you are above motive and perspective.  What a crock.

That wasn't necessary. Have you ever met Ryan? If you had, you would know better than to write that nonsense.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Please.  Perspective is part of it. Parents of college students all over the country are justifiably worried.  Kids from abroad programs have been coming home in droves.  College students coming back from Spring Break and/or heading to games will be a scare to their parents given the multiple messages coming out on almost an hourly basis.  The minute you would hear similar about your kid, you and other helicopter parents of today would be breaking records to get your kid out of school.  Perspective doesnt matter?  Baloney, it doesnt until it is yours.  Then it does.  How lamely disengenuous.  The games mean crap compared to the bigger picture, and if it was your kid in the school you wouid get it, since it isnt it's easy to be haughty and above it all and say you are above motive and perspective.  What a crock.

I'm just saying people have different perspectives and you disagreeing with me doesn't mean either of us loves our kids any more or less than the other.  That kind of argument is unhelpful.

[rlk]

I've been trying to read up even more today.  Some info I had seen, but not fully processed is that people under 30 are just not showing symptoms very often.  Even if they test positive, it's like minuscule percentages that ever actually get sick.  I can see more reason for colleges to be vigilant with on campus stuff, especially if they're bringing back thousands of asymptomatic carriers from all over the world.

I still think games should probably be played places that are still willing to host fans, but I'd never begrudge schools making their own calls (even if I might potentially disagree with them).

Interesting note, though, currently Amherst and Bowdoin at least - maybe Tufts, too - have said no school sponsored travel to states with States of Emergency.  Ohio is on that list.  That might complicate the women's Final Four (being played in Columbus).

Curious if you have a child who is a college aged student? I'm guessing you don't.   I have a kid who was a NESCAC athlete, and a competetive one at that from the time he was five until he his took his last shot. I can tell you with a great degree of certainty if you were in my shoes or a parents now, you would not be so cavalier and dismissive.

I do not have a college student.  I do have a seven year old.

I'll just propose that perhaps we presume that all of us has the best interests of everyone else in mind regardless of our opinions on how to respond to a virus outbreak.  I don't think any discussion would be super productive if we start attacking each other's motives or perspectives.

I intended the post above to be conciliatory and recognize a perspective and group of facts I hadn't considered before.  I'm sorry if it didn't come off that way.

Certainly came across as thoughtful and anything but cavalier to me.  This is a very difficult and unique situation and schools have to be extremely careful.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

For the record, while I can appreciate parents who have college age kids being fearful of what is going on ... I have also had a number of parents of student-athletes who are beyond frustrated with these decisions and the fact they cannot be at these games. Some are writing the NCAA, the schools making the decisions, and some are considering lawsuits - at least told to me.

So let's also not assume that a parent who has a kid in college thinks in just one particular way.

[SpringSt7]

Also--these things don't have to be mutually exclusive. We can understand that there are people who are understandably nervous about a continued outbreak while also acknowledging that it is an absolute bummer that a lot of kids are playing the biggest games of their lives in front of an empty gym, or having their spring seasons cancelled all together.