OT: AHSAA says "Fuck it, let's ride."

Submitted by Sleepy on July 22nd, 2020 at 11:52 PM

Alabama High School Athletic Asociation will announce tomorrow:

-Fall sports to go on without delays
-Practice can begin Monday
-All students able to participate
-Band/cheer deemed “essential” & can attend home/away games
-No fan limitation

*Local systems will be able to alter

— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) July 23, 2020

The Granddaddy

July 23rd, 2020 at 6:31 AM ^

Disagree with your take.  The Big Ten will use it as a way to take the moral / ethical / logical high road vs the idea of a “lawless south where science doesn’t exist”. It’s going to come down to losing a ton of money vs perceiving themselves to be (and looking) “above” the conferences that still play football.

ldevon1

July 23rd, 2020 at 8:08 AM ^

What I don't think people realize, or aren't willing to admit, AAU basketball, USSSA baseball, and soccer (not sure what their travel leagues are called) are going strong. Kids are playing, fans and families are attending, and these refs and officials are only about 50% of the time wearing masks. I am of the belief that the only reason these schools and leagues are hesitant to proceed is the threat of future lawsuits. It's really not about the welfare for these athletes. Once they decide that the costs of not playing outweigh the possibilty of future lawsuits, they will all be onboard. Again, summer baseball and the AAU circuit in basketball hasn't skipped a beat.  

lilpenny1316

July 23rd, 2020 at 8:52 AM ^

I can attest to AAU basketball going on. One of my relatives coaches a girls AAU team. Unfortunately, they had to miss a tournament last weekend due to one of the girls testing positive for COVID-19. She didn't pick it up from another teammate though, but from someone at a party.

That's the problem with these amateur sports. The kids won't live in a bubble, so there will likely be forfeits or cancellations during the season. I think we'll just have to accept that reality if the powers that be make the kids play.

ThePonyConquerer

July 23rd, 2020 at 12:05 AM ^

Don’t let this distract you from the fact that Heathers the Musical and Mean Girls the Musical are both basically the same musical, just one is set in the 80s and the other (for some reason) was nominated for a lot of Tony awards.

Look it up.

Naked Bootlegger

July 23rd, 2020 at 10:36 AM ^

And dads.  I've done my fair share of cooking and slinging hot dogs in sweltering heat in the booster club concession stand!   

This is not intended to diminish the moms in any way.  My highest praise goes out to our booster club moms - they're the heart and soul of our organization.

NittanyFan

July 23rd, 2020 at 1:32 AM ^

Iowa's had high school baseball/softball for a month and a half now (it's a summer sport there) and 500 fans allowed per game.  

Iowa's like a number of non-Northeast, non-Michigan (states that got hit hard early) states these days, in terms of their trend.  Rt was >1 in March, it fell below 1 in April and early May with closings, it rose above 1 as the state reopened, but it has generally been falling, back toward 1, through the month of July.  There are indications that Iowa is peaking in terms of cases and positivity rate, though we don't know that quite for certain yet.  

These things can be done.  I'm more optimistic (and re-opening focused) than most on CV, but I think AL will be perfectly fine.

MichiganTeacher

July 23rd, 2020 at 8:07 AM ^

I share your optimism, and I also think they will be fine.

I do want to point out that no one knows to the precision you imply what the various R values for this disease are. The various places that report R values are all simply making estimates.

L'Carpetron Do…

July 23rd, 2020 at 10:58 AM ^

I'm glad baseball and softball came back but there have been a few cancellations here and there after some players tested positive. 

Iowa could have done a better job controlling its spread though. I think Iowa's unique location and rural qualities afforded it a lot of advantages. But, instead of getting ahead of it, the governor assumed it would never be a real problem. Honestly, just a slower re-opening phase would have had a significant effect and we might be closer to zero cases by now (not that close but certainly closer than we are now).

I agree that we can do things like sports that resemble somewhat normal American life, but we have to be smart about it. And this doesn't seem like the smart and cautious approach. They're in the midst of a fairly major outbreak right now; telling everyone they can go to football games seems like it will only prolong that outbreak. AL may be fine but this seems like an unnecessary risk. 

MGoShorts

July 23rd, 2020 at 1:50 AM ^

Racism, unabated virus outbreaks, NASCAR.... the Southeast really is the source of most of our problems these days.

fishgoblue1

July 23rd, 2020 at 7:27 AM ^

That could not be further from the truth.  I lived most of my adult life in the Southeast, NC, SC, VA.  I never witnessed outright racism.  Of course their are racists people from all races, but not region based racism.  

Stop pushing a false narrative.

Couzen Rick's

July 23rd, 2020 at 8:16 AM ^

Hi, my dad lived in NC for 15 years as a proud man of Indian descent, and combining time he spent in TX and GA he lived in the South for almost 20 years. The place he got his gas pumped everyday (the only one on the way to work in Statesville, NC) was owned by a klansman. He was also told to "go home" on several occasions. He loved his time there, and I would consider moving there too, but to imply it's a false narrative just because you never saw it, and write it off as "racist people from all races" is in my opinion extremely arrogant, and denies basic history of the region.

1VaBlue1

July 23rd, 2020 at 10:45 AM ^

You've witnessed outright racism plenty, you just don't care to admit it for what it is.  I've lived in VA for the last 30 years, and I can tell you without reservation that racism - individual, systemic, group strength - is alive and well.  I drive by a GINORMOUS Confederate flag every single day on my work commute.  I see confederate symbolism everywhere - on cars/pickups, in school names, on Civil War memorials, monuments, and battlegrounds (I live near Fredericksburg).  And none of that mentions the fact that you can just look at the way some people regard others, and just know.

Fer crissakes, I live 2 miles from Rt 1 - Jefferson Davis Highway.

It's one thing to teach history, it's something completely different to venerate the people and institutions that seceded from the United States for the sole reason of continuing slavery.

MGoStu

July 23rd, 2020 at 12:29 PM ^

I lived in NC for almost five years and I'm baffled as to how you never witnessed it. I saw it almost daily. Ran into fucking Klan members at a bar out in the boonies. Lived in Durham and Roxboro (1/2 hour N of Durham). Also, my mom's side of the family is Southern and many of them are outright racist.

The Man Down T…

July 23rd, 2020 at 12:31 PM ^

Got news for you...  Spent 25 years up north and 30 years down south. Racism was in both places. The difference is that down here they tell you. You don't have to wonder what the dude who was just joking with you or shaking your hand actually thinks like you do up north where they smile to your face and back stab you due to your race. Some of the most vehement racists I encountered were up north. It just surprised me when they were exposed. Down here they will flat out tell people what they think. I think that's better. You know who to avoid..

SanDiegoWolverine

July 23rd, 2020 at 3:01 PM ^

That was my experience too growing up in the South but spending my summers in the North and now living in California. I saw a lot more outright racists acts, misdeeds, jokes, words in the South but except for those idiots most people got along pretty well, intermingled, and had mutual respect. The percentage of those idiots probably depends on what part of the South we are talking about. But man the North it seems like most white people I met had racial biases even if they were unaware of it. Mostly because the North is a lot more segregated and people just don't mix as much outside certain big cities. 

sbeck04

July 23rd, 2020 at 2:25 AM ^

Given the South’s response to covid I’m starting to wonder if we’ll still be talking about the demographic shift in a couple years.  

Wolverine Devotee

July 23rd, 2020 at 6:33 AM ^

We’re gonna find out just how serious Covid is then. 

All I can think of is the older family members that go watch their son play football that will be there. Yikes

xtramelanin

July 23rd, 2020 at 8:49 AM ^

their body, their choice, isn't that the mantra?  and they obviously then aren't nervous per your post above.  they decided to take the risk and i know if they do, we all hope it turns out great. 

one thing i'd point out is we have all forgotten about liberty university.  remember them, the ones who went right back to school?  has there been a mass die-off there?  if so, given they are a school of faith, little doubt the media would make that front page news/stories for a month.  i haven't heard a peep.  just checked their website.  it appears that news of their demise was greatly exaggerated. 

xtramelanin

July 23rd, 2020 at 5:43 PM ^

faculty doesn't have to teach.  why do they have to shut down the entire school if some people, very understandably, don't want to work?  i have sympathy for those that are wary of going back but what additional good would that accomplish to then mandate everybody else can't work?  if liberty has to find new faculty, so be it.  

blue in dc

July 23rd, 2020 at 9:51 AM ^

I think the analogy is pretty bad because the issue with Covid is the impact of spread on the whole community.   If there is significant spread and hospitals are overwhelmed you bear the risk even if you largely isolated and wore a mask. (The risk that if you need medical service of any type not just covid).

Also, you seem to think you’ve caught everyone with this great “my body my choice thing”, but doesn’t it work both ways?   You don’t believe in my body my choice, so why do you get to pull that card here?   If it were an analogous circumstance then you should be 100% in favor of government mandates on peoples bodies.

xtramelanin

July 23rd, 2020 at 5:50 PM ^

not reading anywhere about places overrun.  i do agree that is something to keep an eye on.  i did read about houston area issues, but a few people here seemed to have a very good handle on the specifics and that it wasn't as bad as the headlines would lead one to believe.  

as to the 'my body' thing, that is sophistry that i suspect you actually espouse in other contexts.  you are the one that needs to defend that stuff, not me.   in the context it is normally used there is basically a 100% chance that at least one life will be lost but, unless i miss my mark, you are fine with that death.  in the context of covid, there is an infinitely small chance of death as long as you aren't co-morbid, yet you resent it usage.