Kansas Crimson

Well kids, it seems by Sunday it will probably be announced there aren't going to be fans allowed at tournament games - at least in the states of Washington and California.
Looking like both states will be announcing in the next couple of days that all NCAA events will be spectator free. Some schools already announcing it tonight.

People are so over reactionary.
There are many diseases, viruses, and acts that cause so many more deaths per day.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.usatod ... 5016117002

Right. I agree. I think a major issue is that schools all across the country are being advised to not allow students to attend classes and not allow fans to attend NCAA sporting events - how and why is it not being advised for people to not attend NCAA tournament games in the same metropolitan areas those schools are located in?
I received the following message last night....

UCLA Fans,

In accordance with the decision released today by UCLA, attendance at all UCLA Athletics home events will be completely spectator-free, effective immediately through at least April 10.

Only essential personnel will be permitted at UCLA Athletics home events during this time period. Essential personnel include student-athletes, coaches, team trainers and medical personnel, game officials, operational and administrative staff and credentialed media members. We are continuing to closely monitor developments regarding COVID-19 and are fully committed to acting with an abundance of caution for our student-athletes, fans, coaches and staff.

Spectators who have pre-purchased tickets for scheduled events during this time period will be fully refunded via original method of payment. Please contact UCLA's Central Ticket Office if you have questions regarding your refund.

Thank you for your understanding and commitment to the health and safety of the entire Bruin community. We will provide any pertinent updates via uclabruins.com and our official Twitter account @UCLAAthletics.

Not cancelling events but not allowing the public in seems like a defendable position. It really is a tough call.

There seems to be two poles of positions: those that say it’s just a mild flu, so ignore it and those that say to live in a bunker for 2 months. Both are dumbassery.

pdub wrote: ↑Wed Mar 11, 2020 6:14 am People are so over reactionary.
There are many diseases, viruses, and acts that cause so many more deaths per day.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.usatod ... 5016117002

That's just not how this works. Yes, Flu, currently, kills probably dozens more folks a day right now. This is a novel disease, and in its infancy.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/

Just in the US, the number of new cases, in a country that is currently testing 15 people per million, is exponentially increasing. We have no real way to test for it yet on a large scale, and the fact that healthy folks under 50 are generally fine, but it's relatively very fatal for those with health issue or older than 50, thus everyone under 50 can be a carrier, and spreading without our knowledge.

The idea of the current changes is to slow the spread enough so we can either get a foothold on research, or figure out a better solution than "don't touch your face." Currently, the only way we know to slow the spread is to basically lock down the country (China, Italy). That won't work in the US because we are too stubborn to change our lives, and the 200 million or so that live paycheck to paycheck couldn't maintain their current standard of living without going to their jobs.

The reason why people get flu shots every year is to prevent the spread of infectious disease that can be fatal. That's the same idea that officials have by banning large gatherings. I'm bummed too (I had some events canceled that I had tickets to last night), but I'm more of a realist that this should be both a test of our epidemic/pandemic emergency preparation, and I'm super thankful that this disease seems to affect older folks the most, and doesn't wipe out younger kids and/or generally healthy adults.

The fact that anyone is politicizing this shit is sick, and how about we just work together as a community instead of worrying about little things such as background sounds of a basketball game.

CrimsonNBlue wrote: ↑Wed Mar 11, 2020 7:25 am Not cancelling events but not allowing the public in seems like a defendable position. It really is a tough call.

There seems to be two poles of positions: those that say it’s just a mild flu, so ignore it and those that say to live in a bunker for 2 months. Both are dumbassery.

And you would have to assume that it would be at all tournament sites not just areas of high risk. I was thinking of that this morning on my drive in. Will stadium sound systems pump in crowd noise or will it just be the sounds of coaches, players, the bouncing ball and sneakers squeaking? Can you imagine playing in the Final Four at the Benz Stadium with 200 people in it. Unreal.

The flu killed 80,000 Americans in 2017-18.
I understand this is a new virus without a vaccine but I don't think it will kill 80,000 Americans.

Do I think that having March Madness open to the public will cause some death from the virus?
Very likely.
Is that alone enough to cancel it? For me, no, people are going to die from other things involved with March Madness, including seasonal flu, car accidents and heart attacks.

pdub wrote: ↑Wed Mar 11, 2020 8:00 am The flu killed 80,000 Americans in 2017-18.
I understand this is a new virus without a vaccine but I don't think it will kill 80,000 Americans.

Do I think that having March Madness open to the public will cause some death from the virus?
Very likely.
Is that alone enough to cancel it? For me, no, people are going to die from other things involved with March Madness, including seasonal flu, car accidents and heart attacks.

"but I don't think it will kill 80,000 Americans."

And that's the same policy that our current administration has. Which is the problem.

Do we not try to nip it in the bud any way we can? It's statistically unlikely you will die in a car accident, but we try to make it even less likely for the last 40-50 years. Seat Belts, Airbags, Side Airbags, Crumple Zones, better placed fuel tanks, better frames, we keep trying to make the .000001% chance you die in a car accident down to .0000001%.

CrimsonNBlue wrote: ↑Wed Mar 11, 2020 7:25 am Not cancelling events but not allowing the public in seems like a defendable position. It really is a tough call.

There seems to be two poles of positions: those that say it’s just a mild flu, so ignore it and those that say to live in a bunker for 2 months. Both are dumbassery.

The reality is somewhere in the middle of those two positions.

The bunker theory will save more people and stop the spread but will devastate the economy and destroy normalcy (i think i spelled that wrong)

The mild flu theory will accelerate the trajectory of the spread and result in deaths and MAY still destroy the economy.

We don't know where this is going but we have to at least slow the spread so that we can minimize the stress of the healthcare system and the ICU. Education, information and caution are prudent but unfortunately lacking at the moment.

pdub wrote: ↑Wed Mar 11, 2020 8:00 am The flu killed 80,000 Americans in 2017-18.
I understand this is a new virus without a vaccine but I don't think it will kill 80,000 Americans.

Do I think that having March Madness open to the public will cause some death from the virus?
Very likely.
Is that alone enough to cancel it? For me, no, people are going to die from other things involved with March Madness, including seasonal flu, car accidents and heart attacks.

That is a dangerous philosophy.....in my opinion, based on my fairly limited knowledge of the virus. I hope Im wrong but if we listen to the doctors in Italy and China this is NOT just a mild flu for many.

As i referenced above I am not advocating everyone head to a bunker but we should acknowledge the severity of the issue and address it with facts, education and so what we can to slow it down.

"Do we not try to nip it in the bud any way we can?"

To a degree, yes.
Cancelling March Madness, one of the most exciting events of the year, with KU a no. 1 overall?
Oh hells no.

Sorry humans - Kansas basketball is more important to me than you.

TDub wrote: ↑Wed Mar 11, 2020 8:14 am As i referenced above I am not advocating everyone head to a bunker but we should acknowledge the severity of the issue and address it with facts, education and so what we can to slow it down.

Facts and education is the enemy to a certain portion of the US population. It's better to be placated by balloons and basketball.

^^^ I have a hunch that this convo should head to another bored.

ousdahl wrote: ↑Wed Mar 11, 2020 9:26 am ^^^ I have a hunch that this convo should head to another bored.

kusports.net? I tried. No one would translate the Chinese.

That darn virus is spreading all over our boreds.

jhawks99 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 11, 2020 10:02 am That darn virus is spreading all over our boreds.

ousdahl? He always seemed to be on all boards since day 1.

Patient 0

Seems like things have calmed a bit regards to sporting events and the cancelling/not allowing fans in. Obviously Washington State's Governor is going to announce mass gatherings be abolished for anything over 250 people in counties, the biggest of them being Seattle. Spokane is the site of 1st and 2nd round games, but they are not involved in the ban.

I saw something kind of ironic last night. People talking about the virus can be sent to the floor where athletes are and that is why the tournament should be cancelled. Which is a dumb take, but alas. The ACC tournament had a baby crawling competition on the floor during halftime of the UNC/VaTech game. That made me laugh pretty good. Parents willingly putting their kids on the floor, during this mass hysteria and panic.

I think people just need to try and live their lives normally, but take extra precautions such as washing hands frequently, use hand sanitizer, Clorox commonly touched areas at work/home. But that's not a basketball take, so wrong bored, but it is somewhat important in terms of NCAA tournament talk.

pdub wrote: ↑Wed Mar 11, 2020 8:00 am The flu killed 80,000 Americans in 2017-18.
I understand this is a new virus without a vaccine but I don't think it will kill 80,000 Americans.

Do I think that having March Madness open to the public will cause some death from the virus?
Very likely.
Is that alone enough to cancel it? For me, no, people are going to die from other things involved with March Madness, including seasonal flu, car accidents and heart attacks.

It's bizarre that you think number of deaths is the only measure of its impact.

It's like you've assiduously avoided reading anything at all about the virus, its treatment, or its impact on health care services. You should stop that.

I will stand up and condone bunkering down (unless you live in a very remote area or have an unlimited number of healthcare workers).
This is worse than many of you are thinking.
The death rate (CFR) is much higher than the common flu. It is more contagious than the common flu. When you get a secondary infection (eg pneumonia), the medical facilities will be over run.
I don’t fear dying (I’m relatively young, am healthy, and I don’t smoke). I fear unprepared people raising trouble, not getting care for medical emergencies (car crash, appendicitis), and the unfortunate financial situation too many people will be in.