Tom Mars Weighs In Conferences That Decide to Play
Tom Mars is the attorney that kids/players used to turn to to get immediate eligibility after a transfer.
August 12th, 2020 at 4:47 PM ^
It’s Saul Goodman
August 12th, 2020 at 8:41 PM ^
It's all good man
August 12th, 2020 at 10:48 PM ^
Huh, was that intentional? Interesting.
August 13th, 2020 at 10:29 AM ^
Yes. It’s a reference to the show “Better Call Saul” which is a show on the back story of the character Saul Goodman from Breaking Bad.
August 12th, 2020 at 4:49 PM ^
I would rather Michigan not play and be wrong than play and be wrong.
But personally I don't think anyone is actually going to play except maybe the SEC for a game or two.
August 12th, 2020 at 5:02 PM ^
I figured they had 2-4 games, tops, before the wheels fell off. I'm still a bit surprised they cancelled it now, instead of the week before games
August 12th, 2020 at 5:09 PM ^
I’m very curious how it will play out. If it’s not safe to play football, is it really safe to be on campus at all? Where is the line? This seems like a lawyers playground.
August 12th, 2020 at 5:11 PM ^
We live in the lawyers' playground.
August 12th, 2020 at 5:27 PM ^
Luckily it's very low risk to be both on campus and on the field. Not that it matters because lawyers and "what if" scenarios
August 12th, 2020 at 6:21 PM ^
What? Where do you even get this data from?
I would like to see the FMEA on your risk analysis when not a down of football has been played or campuses aren't yet fully opened.
August 13th, 2020 at 7:17 AM ^
From the CDC. Everyone can check them. And when they do they'll see that the risk for athletes and students is higher from the flu and car accidents than from Covid. That is a statistical fact. But the majority on this board, who usually at all times respect facts and using them to base decisions on, for the first time because of Covid, discount the facts that we know, in favor of anecdotes, speculation, and fear.
We know they are at lower risk, we know that schools can open, we know that the athletes can distance from at risk people, it's been done. The EPL just finished their season in England with no major spread or incident.
But the board thinks we should speculate on what we don't know yet, and alone among any other decisions we make privately or in public policy, make Covid decisions on what if scenarios. And worse, they want to make the decisions for the athletes, against the will of those athletes.
https://data.cdc.gov/NCHS/Provisional-COVID-19-Death-Counts-by-Sex-Age-and-S/9bhg-hcku
August 13th, 2020 at 8:15 AM ^
Yup.
August 13th, 2020 at 11:47 AM ^
Cases are surging among young people and now among children. People 0-22 were mostly home in March-June; now they're not and they're getting sick. Younger people are less likely to die of everything because they are healthier. But that doesn't mean the risk is zero and it may not stay that low.
It's a *novel* virus.
August 13th, 2020 at 10:07 PM ^
I miss the days when we had chicken pox parties so all the kids would get infected at once. Now we live with a bubble wrap mentality. In its current incarnation, this is a weak virus, especially to the young. Where were all you Worried Walters every year during flu season, a virus that actually does kill young people? People brush off the flu like its no big deal because we are used to it, just like people seem to do about gun violence here in Detroit. 30% of the STAFF at our hospital sign the waiver and don't get a flu shot each year. Soon we will look back and shake our heads at how panicked we behaved and regret the devastation of the shut downs.
Kudos the conferences who play. Kudos to Harbaugh, the players and their families who fought to play. Sadly we have gutless men making decisons in the Big10. Valenti made fun of Harbaugh quote of Teddy Roosevelt but I have to give Khakis credit. It was a perfect quote, we do this “so that our place will not be among the cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."
Well said coach.
August 13th, 2020 at 1:37 PM ^
FFS, dying isn't the only bad thing that can happen to someone.
August 12th, 2020 at 5:44 PM ^
I don't think that is the way to look at this. Football is non-essential and sanctioned by the university. And It has been shown that gyms are ideal environments for spread. Sweating, heavy breathing, etc. doesn't happen in classrooms. Which isn't to say that classrooms and campus are not risky but thats a different environment than sports training facilities. And its a communicable disease so for all the 'they are young people so they are not going to die' advocates out there that is shortsighted. The young men, most of them black, have friends and family members (as well as family members of friends) that certainly fall into higher risk categories.
I do feel for the players. They obviously want to play and they work so hard to do so. I can't even imagine their disappointment. The coaches..well they have a LOT on the lines and a clear agenda. Yes, some coaches have done their best to manage their teams and keep them safe. But others...I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for these guys to ever advocate shutting down their season no matter how bad things get.
The southern schools are basically saying, once again, screw it wrt the potential risk to the health of their players and their families..ect. falls well below the money and the fans needs. Those areas were late on mask, social distancing and damn near everything else that could have helped the U.S. get this under control before the midnight hour.
Seems like the country is pulling itself apart over this...North vs. South. Blue vs. Red...
August 12th, 2020 at 6:14 PM ^
It’s weird because usually we agree on everything.
August 12th, 2020 at 10:11 PM ^
Gyms have been open for 2 months in Maryland, and we’ve been fine with case counts. It’s almost as if wearing masks and taking other precautions allows for normal activities to continue. Not sure it’s possible with football, but other sports and activities can be reasonably accommodated.
August 12th, 2020 at 10:45 PM ^
Gyms should be open.
August 12th, 2020 at 11:02 PM ^
Stop trying to be logical about this. Of course the two are illogically inconsistent. Just go with the hysteria. Covid 4ever.
August 13th, 2020 at 12:36 AM ^
Not only are the football players going to be on campus, but they will be under far less supervision - and have much less incentive to avoid contracting COVID - than they would be if the season were on.
I've yet to hear a rational explanation of how that's supposed to work out better.
August 13th, 2020 at 2:11 AM ^
Your logical and self-preserving argument is the only viable one. If only humans would use it on things like climate change and masks mandates.
August 12th, 2020 at 4:58 PM ^
Bingo
August 12th, 2020 at 5:00 PM ^
I love how it's the ACC, SEC and Big XII portrayed as "greedy" in that quote. NOT the lawyers who are "praying" for an opportunity.
August 12th, 2020 at 5:03 PM ^
They’re all greedy. But this would be a career making class action lawsuit if players start getting sick and have bigger health issue related to COVID... and if a player dies ohhhh boy
August 12th, 2020 at 10:13 PM ^
This is clear assumption of the risk. I really don’t think these lawsuits are the slam dunk some are making them out to be. If players can opt out without losing their scholarship, and they choose to opt in, whatever happens to the player is on the player.
August 12th, 2020 at 11:17 PM ^
I think the lawyers would get their way. The SEC, ACC, Big XII would be in a PR nightmare if a kid who unfortunately got gravely sick from this was denied compensation from the conference. It could also have an impact in recruiting... “mom don’t send your son to play in that conference, they don’t have his true well-being at heart! They only see him as a commodity.” This could back fire spectacularly on those conferences, that why I feel ultimately they all will postpone one the next few weeks.
August 12th, 2020 at 6:09 PM ^
I'll handle an occasional personal injury claim. The client is already injured by the time we get there. Weird to say you hope for large damages because it suggests you want the kids to be injured. Should the conferences and schools be sued for exposing these kids to harm if and when it happens? Sure.
August 12th, 2020 at 8:11 PM ^
We already know they're lawyers. No need to be redundant.
August 12th, 2020 at 11:28 PM ^
Yea that was not a flattering quote for plaintiffs lawyers. Not that they needed anymore bad press.
August 12th, 2020 at 5:01 PM ^
I have nothing against the people whom Mr. Mar euphemistically refers to as "plaintiff's lawyers."
I do, however, have something against a plaintiff's lawyer, or anybody else, who is "praying" that kids get sick or injured. He is making a point, sure, and it's an interesting one. But that quote is beyond repugnant.
August 12th, 2020 at 5:10 PM ^
Repugnant? Maybe.
Truthful? Absolutely!
August 12th, 2020 at 7:05 PM ^
Is it any more repugnant than an 'educational' institution that is willing to put its students/player's lives/livelihoods at risks for an even larger pile of cash?
I think they deserve each other.
August 12th, 2020 at 5:04 PM ^
Best take I've seen on the topic in the past 24 hours. UM and the B1G should be commended for the leadership they've shown. I hope they get the PR and long term recruiting bump they deserve for putting health and safety first.
August 12th, 2020 at 6:36 PM ^
Leadership? It fear of getting sued is leadership, then yes.
August 12th, 2020 at 7:45 PM ^
The point of the quote isn’t that the schools are inviting lawsuits; it’s that they’re inviting ones likely to succeed. And they’ll be likely to succeed because schools will have risked the health and welfare of student-athletes for the sake of money and football. If there weren’t so much money involved, they would even be trying to play. No other sports are.
August 14th, 2020 at 9:57 AM ^
By this attorney's logic the schools are going to be equally liable for any students who return to campus and get sick. College, glee club, football, it is all voluntary and students assume some risk. If the schools would be liable for football players getting sick then they would be liable for any student getting sick.
August 12th, 2020 at 7:19 PM ^
To get that bump you have to use it. You have to be willing to tell a recruit and his parents, "SEC / Big XII Coach X doesn't give a shit about you. You just saw that with the pandemic when politics and money took precedence over the basic safety of their players, etc. etc."
The problem is that I think most every coach out there believes they should be playing and won't do that.
August 12th, 2020 at 10:11 PM ^
Kinda hard to make that argument when you were also out there defying the safety experts (except those on your side) and saying you should play. (Frost, Day, and--to a lesser extent--Harbaugh.)
August 13th, 2020 at 1:39 PM ^
So the cdc isn't credible this week?cdc says children are more susceptible to the flu than covid and they should be in school.
Hospitalizations and deaths continue to go down.
cdc.gov/covid
August 12th, 2020 at 5:11 PM ^
Tom Mars is just jealous of the bravery being shown by the SEC and ACC. They're not cowards like the Big Ten.
{NOT SERIOUS}
August 12th, 2020 at 5:18 PM ^
I also have serious fear about some of these schools lying about positive COVID results so games can continue. It's that bad in spots. That's where the real money will be.
August 12th, 2020 at 5:18 PM ^
And now the veil gets pulled back and we now know why everything is cancelled until the far future.
August 12th, 2020 at 5:57 PM ^
Maybe I’m being presumptuous, but haven’t we known legal liability was going to be - at minimum - a reason for months? Financial liability, player and staff health and safety, general ethics about amateurism during a pandemic, relationships with city councils, epidemiology of exposure to non-athlete staff and students, etc. would all be factors in this decision-making calculus.
As fans, we latch onto the health and safety piece as the single throat to choke, and each offer our perspective for the “right” levels of risk tolerance. As leaders though, university administrators have to consider an ecosystem of variables, like those I mentioned...Certainly immunology and epidemiology are parts of that equation, but I don’t believe they are exhaustive considerations (nor is liability)...
August 12th, 2020 at 6:18 PM ^
Yep, we're agreed. Just making the point that I don't think health and safety was nearly as big of a deal as all of the ambulance chasers that were referred to in the Tweet the OP referenced.
August 12th, 2020 at 6:29 PM ^
Yes, I think you’re right. I have a feeling the financial risk outweighed the medical risk...
August 12th, 2020 at 6:52 PM ^
I’ve heard it said many times and repeated the phrase myself: “Whenever someone says, ‘It’s not about the money,’ rest assured, it’s about the money.”
August 13th, 2020 at 1:52 AM ^
Lawyers can't bring a case unless a player gets sick and is seriously injured (or dies) as a result.
Say what you want about lawyers, but lawyer don't determine whether or not a player gets sick or not.
If the health risks were really so inconsequential then there weren't be any concern about laywers or lawsuits.
Bringing laywers into the equation simply shifts the risk of loss onto the schools, instead being borne 100% by the (amateur) players themselves.
August 13th, 2020 at 7:23 AM ^
I don't believe anyone thinks that the lawyers would be in the wrong to sue on a sick players behalf, I believe everyone thinks that it is wrong for a lawyer to "pray" that a healthy player would get sick enough so that they have the opportunity to sue.
Big difference.
August 16th, 2020 at 9:11 AM ^
Yep, that pretty well sums up my objection to the whole thing.