OT: Baseball is screwed!

[superjohn]

Not to derail this thread, but this sort of thing just makes it obvious that kids going back to school is going to be a disaster.

Kids at home is also a disaster.

 

[Rico444]

Kids at home is also a disaster.

It is, but to a lesser degree. Lots of at-risk teachers, aides, nurses, and adminstration are going to die if kids go back to school.

 

[superjohn]

It is, but to a lesser degree. Lots of at-risk teachers, aides, nurses, and adminstration are going to die if kids go back to school.

I disagree, I think kids not being in school for this prolonged amount of time is creating a lost generation of kids. They aren't being educated and socialized, physical and sexual abuse is way up. They aren't really dying from the virus but children are by far the biggest casualty of the virus.

 

[UCfor3]

Kids at home is also a disaster.

There are no good options. Just degrees or levels to which disaster is more palatable. Nightmare scenario for so many...

 

[August_West]

I disagree, I think kids not being in school for this prolonged amount of time is creating a lost generation of kids. They aren't being educated and socialized, physical and sexual abuse is way up. They aren't really dying from the virus but children are by far the biggest casualty of the virus.

Better lost than dead, brain damaged, organ damaged or heart damaged, no?

We simply dont know enough about this virus but what we are learning is it could be terrifying even for survivors.


You dont have kids, do you?

 

[TXHuskyFan]

Do teachers have that option this fall?

No. My wife started back today. This morning was spent in conference room with maybe 100 teachers, poor ventilation, barely 3 feet apart, most without masks. We have done everything possible to avoid the virus, but it’s out of our hands now. If she “opted out” of this year, there is a year penalty before she can return, so you lose 2 years. I’d be ok and try to survive without her salary, but it screws up retirement dates, rehire potential, etc. No testing for teachers, staff or students so I have to believe there were several people in that room with Covid.

 

[selles]

Better lost than dead, brain damaged, organ damaged or heart damaged, no?

We simply dont know enough about this virus but what we are learning is it could be terrifying even for survivors.


You dont have kids, do you?

I have elementary-aged kids and I agree with sj.

 

[jibsey]

Better lost than dead, brain damaged, organ damaged or heart damaged, no?

We simply dont know enough about this virus but what we are learning is it could be terrifying even for survivors.


You dont have kids, do you?

I love people who try to argue that kids going to school is saving lives. No proof. Hey, I just drove in my car and didn’t kill someone. I saved lives. In this pandemic I am more believing that stopping the spreading of this virus saves lives. And that happens in hot zones if kids are NOT in school.

 

[superjohn]

Better lost than dead, brain damaged, organ damaged or heart damaged, no?

We simply dont know enough about this virus but what we are learning is it could be terrifying even for survivors.


You dont have kids, do you?

Where are all the dead and brain damaged kids? The virus has been around for 6 months, we should see evidence by now of all these dead kids, schools have been open in Europe for a while and I still haven't seen evidence from there either.

 

[August_West]

No. My wife started back today. This morning was spent in conference room with maybe 100 teachers, poor ventilation, barely 3 feet apart, most without masks. We have done everything possible to avoid the virus, but it’s out of our hands now. If she “opted out” of this year, there is a year penalty before she can return, so you lose 2 years. I’d be ok and try to survive without here salary, but is screws up retirement dates, rehire potential, etc. no testing for teachers, staff or students so I have to believe there were several people in that room with Covid.

Thats distressing to hear and I hope for the best for you and your family.

When people point to MLB employees having a "choice" as a way of saving an idiotic sports season in the short term (and I love idiotic sports, thats why we are all here on this message board obviously) I cant help but think that there are actual working people in this world that have NO choice, yet so many think baseball is important. And I have to ask? Why? Covid can kill us . No baseball in 2020 may be unpleasant but we can survive that. I may feel like I wanna die when the UConn men's season is subsequently suspended, but Im not actually gonna die from it, loaded team and first season back in BigEast nonwitstanding.

 

[August_West]

Where are all the dead and brain damaged kids? The virus has been around for 6 months, we should see evidence by now of all these dead kids, schools have been open in Europe for a while and I still haven't seen evidence from there either.

We should? Are you sure about that?

 

[August_West]

I have elementary-aged kids and I agree with sj.

I get it.

I want kids in school too.


But at what cost? At what guarantee of safety and precaution?

 

[Ewekon]

So travelling from hot zone florida to hot zone atlanta is baseball's solid planning to get in a season.

Hartsfield airport in Atlanta has a sardine can subway transport system between terminals that I have been in 50 times if once. No feckin' way right now. No way.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Thats distressing to hear and I hope for the best for you and your family.

When people point to MLB employees having a "choice" as a way of saving an idiotic sports season in the short term (and I love idiotic sports, thats why we are all here on this message board obviously) I cant help but think that there are actual working people in this world that have NO choice, yet so many think baseball is important. And I have to ask? Why? Covid can kill us . No baseball in 2020 may be unpleasant but we can survive that. I may feel like I wanna die when the UConn men's season is subsequently suspended, but Im not actually gonna die from it, loaded team and first season back in BigEast nonwitstanding.

I get it, but you can die driving to work. You can die from the flu. You can die from pneumonia or bronchitis. And no, this isn't significantly more risky than those are for most people, and is less risky for other people, including kids. Life isn't risk free. People who want to just keep things closed, even baseball are assigning a level of risk to this disease that it doesn't deserve.

Protect the at risk population, definitely. No 66 year old teacher should be teaching in a classroom, put him or her on zoom, hire a 20 year old to watch the class and hand out assignments. My daughter's school is going to employ a version of that.

Meanwhile I see idiotic things like 6 feet apart in a school room. What? Seriously? Distance is irrelevant in a room that small with 20 people in it. Fortunately the results from Europe suggest that kids don't really spread it to adults easily in a classroom situation.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

You can't approach the school (or MLB) topic with a binary either/or solution. There isn't a "good" option between not sending kids to school and sending them to school. They can't be unilaterally kept home for another four months on a vague premise of "saving lives" because of the demonstrable educational/social/mental/physical detriment. Similarly, you also can't unilaterally send them all to school and just hope nothing bad happens because of the demonstrable risk of major virus spread.

Therefore, solutions tailored to specific schools and towns need to be what happens. Monetary investments in PPE and temporary barriers are essential. Long overdue physical upgrades to school buildings along with some innovative though should occur (should have already) - along the lines of upgraded HVAC, installation of germicidal UV lights to increase safety in a space. Out-of-the-box thinking of use of space in a school building, scheduling, class-passing.

There's too much square peg into round hole planning going on utilizing dated infrastructure and untenable ideas. Everyone can agree the ultimate goal should be to have all children in school - however, that's not likely safe or possible across the board. That doesn't mean leaders and educators should throw their hands up and say ah screw it we'll do it all online again.

Other countries are effectively sending kids to school, albeit in an adjusted manner. It *can* be done, we just have to decide to invest the thought, money, and time to make it happen.

Not to mention, it should be 100% mandatory across the board in every school district at all grade levels that some element of mental health education is a component of the curriculum. The underlying secondary pandemic that no one is paying attention to right now is a mental health one. The least we can do is start addressing it with our kids.

 

[freescooter]

What is essential is irrelevant really. Every job is essential to the people who have those jobs. Baseball players have very short careers. The case for college sports is much weaker, but you still have players who will potentially miss their window.

As @superjohn said, at some point we will need to just accept that this disease is out there and people get it and move on with living normal lives. I don't think we are there yet, but people thinking it is going away, even in places with low spread, aren't being realistic. Whether half measures or full measures, this is still going to extend indefinitely.

The trick with this is to minimize the damage. And we know how to do it. In fact it has been done in Connecticut in Europe in New Zealand. But the knuckleheads who claim it is a hoax, won’t wear masks, claim it’s only the flu, young people don’t get it all that nonsense because they don’t want to be inconvenienced a bit

 

[jibsey]

I get it, but you can die driving to work. You can die from the flu. You can die from pneumonia or bronchitis. And no, this isn't significantly more risky than those are for most people, and is less risky for other people, including kids. Life isn't risk free. People who want to just keep things closed, even baseball are assigning a level of risk to this disease that it doesn't deserve.

Protect the at risk population, definitely. No 66 year old teacher should be teaching in a classroom, put him or her on zoom, hire a 20 year old to watch the class and hand out assignments. My daughter's school is going to employ a version of that.

Meanwhile I see idiotic things like 6 feet apart in a school room. What? Seriously? Distance is irrelevant in a room that small with 20 people in it. Fortunately the results from Europe suggest that kids don't really spread it to adults easily in a classroom situation.

What we knew yesterday isn’t true today with this virus particularly long term medical ramifications. Kids coming home aren’t spreading it to adults 100%? Let’s see the study.

 

[cohenzone]

Im not rooting for the virus to spread. Im rooting for people to be smart in the face of it. I know thats too much to ask, but Im asking anyway.


How did those awesome protocols serve the marlins?

Amazing how people have no clue about this virus after 6 months. We either do what needs to be done until a vaccine or viable treatment becomes available, or go through having to back off opening constantly which is not any good for the economy. Yanks vs Phils already cancelled. Americans are clearly more thickheaded than the rest of the world. At least if baseball ends today, the Sox finish last.

 

[UCTitleTown]

Yeah, it's weird what quarantine has done. I like following stats, but I don't watch NBA, but I actually plan on watching more WNBA than NBA and I'm a 34 year old who is not a season ticket holder for UConn's women's team. I'd like to check out the teams with multiple UConn representation.

I've also really gotten into English Premier League soccer. Games are on in the day and I'm home.

 

[M.S.G.]

While I think David Price is a gigantic nozzle, I think his tweet hit the nail on the head.

 

[M.S.G.]

Not to derail this thread, but this sort of thing just makes it obvious that kids going back to school is going to be a disaster.

Um duh.

 

[M.S.G.]

No. My wife started back today. This morning was spent in conference room with maybe 100 teachers, poor ventilation, barely 3 feet apart, most without masks. We have done everything possible to avoid the virus, but it’s out of our hands now. If she “opted out” of this year, there is a year penalty before she can return, so you lose 2 years. I’d be ok and try to survive without her salary, but it screws up retirement dates, rehire potential, etc. No testing for teachers, staff or students so I have to believe there were several people in that room with Covid.

What state is this in? That sounds awful...

 

[August_West]

What state is this in? That sounds awful...

I’d assume Texas from the handle ?

 

[Chin Diesel]

Hartsfield airport in Atlanta has a sardine can subway transport system between terminals that I have been in 50 times if once. No feckin' way right now. No way.

I always do the walk between terminals unless I am smashed for time and have to go 3 or 4 terminals to catch connector.

 

[Peacefrog]

What we knew yesterday isn’t true today with this virus particularly long term medical ramifications. Kids coming home aren’t spreading it to adults 100%? Let’s see the study.

Yes, this is already not true. Sorry, I can't recall the source but I was reading an article in the last week or so that was specifically describing instances of children transmitting the disease to adults. Maybe it's less likely, we probably don't know the odds at this point. But we now know it happens. There are legitimate points to be made on all sides and its difficult to know what the best solution is at this point.

Public schools where I live have given families a choice. You can sign up for the "virtual academy" and take everything online. Alternatively, your student can go for in-person classes one day a week. In this scenario, everyone is virtual on Fridays and attends one day a week based alphabetically on your last name. We're going with this option. Our student is miserable at home and struggling with isolation and my wife and I are low risk.

My other student's university pulled a massive eleventh-hour change yesterday. Only freshmen and sophomores will now be allowed on campus in the Fall and only juniors and seniors in the spring (of course all kinds of exceptions for athletes whether or not their sport is in-season). They also have the option to do everything online. My student is a sophomore and has opted not to return to campus. Her best friend is a junior and won't be there and her sophomore friends have all opted to do it virtually or take a leave of absence for a year. So, no point in paying room and board when most or all of the classes will be done virtually anyway. Its going to be a miserable year at home but perhaps this is better than a similarly miserable year away from home that costs a lot more money. Side note, the school had the nerve to increase tuition 3% despite becoming a pseudo-correspondence school for the year. I could have done with out that.

I guess I feel that in the grand scheme of things, trying to squeeze in a ridiculously truncated baseball season is a low priority.