Is your anticipation for football lower/waning this year?
Typically, at this time of the year I'm reading every article I can find about college football and of course, M football. Anticipating the start of fall camp with great enthusiasm and checking this here site a lot, and several times a day in August after camp starts But I've found a distinct lack of enthusiasm in myself for the upcoming year, and I think it has nothing to do with the disappointing finish of last year, and everything to do with the fact that I'm skeptical that we will play the season. While I think the season should go forward, even in the face of what is sure to be increases in athlete cases (cases are more accurately labelled positive tests), that is separate from what I think will happen, which is that the pressure to cancel the season will be overwhelming given any spike in cases or even a single hospitalization, much less a death. And since we can all agree that football is awesome but not essential, it just seems inevitable that the season won't finish. Do you guys feel less enthused for the season ahead as well?
Snowflake threads starting in July
If Lifetime can have Christmas in July movies, surely we can have MGoBlog Snowflakes in July.
But really, this isn't snowflake stuff. This is just, like, life man.
Think the worst, and hope for the best.
I am not as hyped up as I usually am. I guess I’ve taken it for granted for years but this conference only stuff doesn’t feel like a real season to me. It’s going to make any kind of potential post season (bowls and playoffs) a huge mess. And if there’s no true champion by the end of it or if everything is riddled with asterisks, it’s hard to get excited about it. Maybe I’m just a Debbie downer.
Neither. We’ve already had football in Nebraska.
I firmly believe there won’t be Michigan football this fall. I want to be wrong. I’ve had the Washington trip in my calendar since it was announced years ago. I was going to make a week long trip based on that game starting in Whistler.
I think everyone is whistling past the graveyard regarding college football happening. I also predict dates will keep sliding for several things including in person school at all levels. Nothing will bring back normal until a vaccine.
My brother went to Michigan, my niece (his daughter) went to Washington and my mom turns 80 on August 31st. We were all planning on going to the game in Seattle for the festivities. This is disappointing.
I'm in the same camp. I'm a sports junkie but my expectations are tempered by the grim reality of a highly infectious disease with the potential to make one very sick or worse.
Hate to be a Debbie Downer, but it just seems that a serious breakout of Covid in one or more of the B1G teams/student bodies will take place and the fall season will disappear along with it.
If my normal enthusiasm level in the middle of July for College Football is a 10 of 10 (it is), then this year it's about a 1.5.
Football. Is. Essential.
Sometimes I wonder if a disgruntled Michigan fan (maybe one of us!) was lounging around last December and said out loud "Man I wish that Michigan does not lose The Game to OSU in 2020", not knowing that they were sitting on a cursed monkey's paw.
Does that sound crazy and far-fetched? Yes. Would it explain... *waves hands wildly in every direction*?
Also yes.
I'm very ticked at the southern states for just saying 'fuck it' and essentially abandoning all plans to fight this pandemic weeks ago. It's hard to believe its mid-July and we're dealing with the same shit we were in March.
My advice to America is this: Unless you WANT a Thanksgiving with no turkey and no football, stay inside and wear a mask when you go out for essential items.
Lol...stay inside and only go out for essential items. Got all winter for that bud. Stop living scared. Just wear a mask.
I'm so tired of people saying stuff like "I don't live in fear", "stop living scared" because it's diversionary and most people who think that way won't wear masks for whatever BS reason they come up with. I'm glad you're good with wearing a mask because a significant portion of this country won't and it's why we're the laughingstock of the 1st world
It turns out that the people who refuse to wear a mask, especially those that profess their masculinity and bravery, do so because they are the most scared subconsciously. According to psychologists of course. It’s similar to the phenomenon that the dude who is often the most arrogant and annoying is usually the most insecure.
You call it living scared, I call it being smart. Lockdowns are the best way to slow the spread and several states have demonstrated this already. Millions of people like me have been doing this for several months now (and we're tired of it) but there are millions of others who did not do what they were supposed to. And several governors thought it wiser to listen to business owners rather than epidemiologists. So that's how we end up in July still dealing with a tricky-yet-manageable health crisis that is now threatening to cancel football. Being a tough guy won't intimidate the virus; just be smart and avoid unnecessary risk.
Can turkeys get corona? Why is my TG turkey in danger?
3 major meat-packing plants in my state got it, leading to meat shortages. Thank god they were only temporary. But, still, it never should've come to that.
I get dirty looks for wearing a mask and businesses that require customers to wear masks are not requiring employees to wear masks. Things are messed up down here. 10 years and 11 months until I can leave.
I officially lost hope the other day, when the ACC canceled it's virtual press day. It's only a matter of time.
Don't get me wrong, I'll watch the games with glee if they're played. The season itself wouldn't mean much - a loose collaboration of conference games with no discernible national comparisons, whoop-de-doo... But I will watch with anticipation and excitement!
Still mixed signals.
OSU resumed practicing yesterday after shutting down for covid (without releasing any numbers).
Yet the NIU AD is the latest figure to come out supporting a move to spring football.
Meh...
At best, I can see the P5 conferences playing some abbreviated, conference only, fiasco of a schedule. They have the money, and TV will be happy to underwrite it. The smaller conferences, I don't think, will have the funding to play a season, however abbreviated. The end result will be some patchwork of weekly games, some of which will be entertaining. But nothing will resemble what we understand CFB to have been yesterday. It will be a money-grab - get a revenue generating product in front of TV cameras.
And I'll watch, (somewhat) happily...
That's just it. Some conferences, like the MAC, aren't going to have the $$ and organization to implement screening, testing, and putting the players into a bubble.
There's a little over 3 weeks before full practices can start. If states like Texas, Florida, Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana (which still have ridiculously high infections) with multiple teams in large conferences are still pretty much locked down, good luck getting anything that resembles a season in. They'll schedule a game or two a month or so after infections drop and that'll be it.
I wouldn't be surprised to see a home-and-home or two. for example, if Michigan and Wisconsin are the only 2 teams in the conference that are clear to play and nobody else is, why have them play just one game? 2 games means more money.
Other problem is that, if/when the rest of the students get back in late August, the shit really hits the fan. Good luck locking down 105 male college students long enough to get a season in, especially when there are likely to be parties (with girls and alcohol) going on several blocks away. One house party in Saline led to 43 cases. College football players are disciplined, yes, but they're still college kids; some will violate the rules and if it leads to multiple infections within the team, the season gets jeopardized.
And that's assuming that the players aren't reckless/negligent in intermingling with other students in classrooms/labs and assuming that, even if they are, the profs/TAs are tossing out unmasked students.
I think they'll be real lucky to get in a few games. As a result, I'm not going to get on high alert only to have my heart broken.
I was wondering about the Buckeyes. Glad they didn't wait another week. Wonder if Maryland will follow suit?
The season itself wouldn't mean much - a loose collaboration of conference games with no discernible national comparisons, whoop-de-doo
Damn, so basically every national championship season in Michigan football history?
HE SHOOTS, HE SCORES.
Yes, it is not looking good IMO. It would be very odd to have a Fall without football.
I'm leaking confidence in any College Football being played this Fall. The band-aid is slowly being ripped off. For me, what makes the fan experience of College Football so great is being at the games and that was already not going to happen this year so I'm not sure how enjoyable the season would be anyway.
Pro football is going to happen. That has always been more of a sink into the couch kinda thing, and I'm still optimistic that the fan experience will be somewhat similar.
I almost don't care anymore although the university has a couple thousand of my dollars already.
I guess I can get a refund on the tickets but the $1000 fee is not refundable
If you're referring to your PSC, Michigan has already come out and said that if the season is canceled you will have the option of getting a full refund.
I have no interest in college football. I really don't have any interest is sports. I think my enjoyment of sports only applied in a certain context that does not exist anymore. I doubt I will watch a whole lot even if they do play.
Do you guys feel less enthused for the season ahead as well?
Yes, football ain't happening and if it does it won't be a very long season. So yeah...I'm not too enthused. That being said, I think UM fares better in 2021 than most because OSU loses Fields and most of it's o-line. I don't think UM loses anyone assuming they retain eligibility.
OSU will obtain eligibility waivers for all their people and probably most will postpone their draft entry. Just watch.
Of course, they will. OSU is the college equivalent of that schmuck couple everyone knows (and hates) that can fall into a pile of shit and find the fucking diamond.
Make it a double...
If you read any thread relating to Rona, you know how most of the blog feels, at least the posters that are still active. I'm convinced plenty are avoiding threads like these because of their redundancy.
It remains to be seen whether those feelings are either genuine, a self defense mechanism to deal with anxiety or shield from disappointment (the same reason many bemoan the OSU game), or an attempt to manipulate others to either quarantine or wear fabric.
Fortunately, those in charge of getting back to football don't care about your anxiety. The return of the NBA and MLB in the coming weeks will be indicators, but we are also a few weeks away from NFL and possibly college camps opening. Like Harbaugh said last week, the big ten is deciding and announcing before the end of the month, so we will see.
The complete dissonance in your posting is pretty striking. The irony is thick.
So what, are you implying that I'm anxious because of my interpretation of other people's clear anxiety? Of course I'm itching to get back to normal, but I've accepted that the season starting has little if anything to do with my actions. Either way, I'll find healthy ways to cope. But project if it makes you feel better.
Well, aren't you the successful therapist!
"...other people's clear anxiety."
Somebody says 'wear a mask', and you decide they have anxiety about ... well, you don't know. But they are anxious! How much do you charge per/hour for this awesome consult?
I just said that I'm beyond ready to get back to work and live like we were living last year. You were the one who got incredibly triggered at two words out of those three paragraphs. Anything to say on the rest of it?
Between your OP and your response to Timmmay, you appear to be quite the therapist. I'm not sure what you didn't get from my post?
Not sure how you got "triggered" from that, anyway. I guess it's an easy word to say, when you don't have any others. You spent a lot of words analyzing people who wear masks as if they're the only thing standing between having football, or not. I simply called you on it.
So only psychiatrists can sense why people act the way they do? If you're going to retort the actual things I said instead of mocking me for lack of credentials, I'm very open to that...
You seem to be saying that people wear masks because they’re anxious and scared. Psychologically, it’s actually the opposite. People who refuse to wear masks are over compensating for their true fear. That’s how psychology works. It’s never the obvious.
You’ve caught me. I want to manipulate you into wearing a mask. My devious reasoning? Selfishly I think that kids should be able to go to school, Drs and nurses shouldn’t be working repeated extended shifts in hospitals that are out of ICU space, people shouldn’t be asked to put off those elective surgeries (many of which at a minimum result in significant additional pain and suffering).
Guess your right to not wear a mask trumps kids rights to a good education and others rights to reasonable medical care.
Washington Nationals' reliever Sean Doolittle said it best: "Sports are like a reward for a functioning society." By no measure are we really functioning right now, I hate to say.
If Michigan truly prides itself on being a place for higher learning more than a place for sports, then football season won't happen.
HOWEVA (say it in a Stephen A. Smith voice), if Michigan can be safe and continue to practice while OSU is shut down then this can be a huge leg up in the future. And provided the players and coaches can be safe, then lets get that leg up and get as many practice days in as we possibly can.
I don't expect it and I kind of don't care. In NYS, the numbers are about the lowest in the nation now and travel Qtine and mandatory check in to the state are required for travel from about half of the nation. We're in good shape to start school and most outdoor sports it seems, but given the rest of the nation and the inevitable flu season in Oct-March, I'm afraid we're gonna be set for another shut down. My son does not do well with the online learning (daughter is fine but obvs. it's still not ideal for her).
Teachers in TX have been making/updating their wills allegedly since districts there are saying they are going back but with no mandates re; masks, amoung other precautions.
I'm starting to think NYS and/or the rest of the NE may have to close the borders to prevent this from coming back here in a major way. I'm all for it if it means a better chance of schools staying open/normalcy for the next 9-12 months.
We’re fucked here in NYS. Yes, numbers are looking great and most people are being smart and responsible but some aren’t, looking at you party-goers in Suffolk County! But with 3 Covid positive air travelers arriving in Albany via Atlanta and certainly more than have not been publicly known yet, we’re going to have a resurgence here.
If there is a case anywhere, there is the possibility for cases everywhere and until everyone acts smart and responsible then this is going to be a merry-go-round until there is a effective treatment or vaccine that has widespread availability.
I'm really looking forward to it this year, probably moreso than normal, but not because of anything specific to Michigan. I just want the distraction. I want this country to finally be able to have something else to talk about. Something fun.
I'm not saying that the tough discussions this country has had to face over the past few months haven't been important or worth having. I just think we are all so collectively burnt out from everything that's happened. Its a lot for anyone to have to process. We all deserve something fun to look forward to. We need a breather.
We need something that doesn't have to be politically charged.
Sadly, distractions are not a luxury we're allowed to have. It's just too dangerous to have football return. And I have to imagine our favorite tv shows won't return in the Fall for the same reason.
Just more fallout from an abysmal response to a pandemic. It doesn't afford you even a noteworthy distraction. We're stuck with Netflix and Nick at Nite reruns.