Experts: College Football Player COVID-19 Deaths a sure thing if 2020 season is played

[UConnSportsGuy]

If articles like this continue to come out and are eventually backed up by the experts, then I can't see college football happening in 2020.

What college President would want to be held responsible if one of the players from their school dies as as result of playing football games? The insurance companies will probably try to force the universities to require a waiver to be signed by all players to release liability--but you know how that will play in the PR department if you are forcing 'amateurs' to sign a 'death waiver' to play a game to earn colleges billions of dollars.

Does Vegas have any odds on if a college football season will actually be played at this point?

CBS Sports Article

 

[UConnJim]

If articles like this continue to come out and are eventually backed up by the experts, then I can't see college football happening in 2020.

What college President would want to be held responsible if one of the players from their school dies as as result of playing football games? The insurance companies will probably try to force the universities to require a waiver to be signed by all players to release liability--but you know how that will play in the PR department if you are forcing 'amateurs' to sign a 'death waiver' to play a game to earn colleges billions of dollars.
Tickle
Does Vegas have any odds on if a college football season will actually be played at this point?

CBS Sports Article

Massachusetts does a good job of reporting COVID data. The death rate in Massachusetts for those under 30 to date is less than 1 per 100,000, not 1 per 1,000 as quoted in the article so I’m not sure where the article is getting their number.

Based on health, I would think college students on campus have a higher risk of contracting a serious case of COVID than athletes with close medical attention. If universities are thinking they can’t have sports due to COVID, then they probably shouldn’t allow students on campus.

Unfortunately, I think we are going to have to live withCOVID for the foreseeable future as vaccines don’t appear close. I would guess that treatments will get better so the death rates will decline over time. Thus, we are going to have to wear masks, social distance, protect the most vulnerable,...

 

[UCFBfan]

Well and then you have this nonsense and you have to imagine that something will happen. It might not be during their time as an athlete, but long term there may be deaths resulting from purposely getting COVID so they could have a competitive advantage.

Should teams actively seek herd immunity from the coronavirus?

Would it make sense for teams to intentionally create herd immunity? Experts say not so fast.

sports.yahoo.com

 

[huskymedic]

Well and then you have this nonsense and you have to imagine that something will happen. It might not be during their time as an athlete, but long term there may be deaths resulting from purposely getting COVID so they could have a competitive advantage.

Should teams actively seek herd immunity from the coronavirus?

Would it make sense for teams to intentionally create herd immunity? Experts say not so fast.

sports.yahoo.com

 

[freescooter]

Massachusetts does a good job of reporting COVID data. The death rate in Massachusetts for those under 30 to date is less than 1 per 100,000, not 1 per 1,000 as quoted in the article so I’m not sure where the article is getting their number.

Based on health, I would think college students on campus have a higher risk of contracting a serious case of COVID than athletes with close medical attention. If universities are thinking they can’t have sports due to COVID, then they probably shouldn’t allow students on campus.

Unfortunately, I think we are going to have to live withCOVID for the foreseeable future as vaccines don’t appear close. I would guess that treatments will get better so the death rates will decline over time. Thus, we are going to have to wear masks, social distance, protect the most vulnerable,...

The early states saw worse outcomes especially among older adults but the recent outbreaks in the south and west are showing bad outcomes among younger people as well. Not necessarily deaths but severe illnesses resulting in hospitalizations. Not to mention long term impacts that are not yet understood. I don’t see how you can have a season honestly. I had considered lots of things related to covid as an illness, things like the impact of sending a couple of hundred people to virus hot spots (you REALLY want to send your team to Phoenix right now, for example? They just authorized hospitals there to essentially triage who does and who does not get ventilators.)plus whether it is either practical or even morally right to keep 100 guys essentially locked up for 6 months to play in football games. But now there are rumblings of families already lining up lawyers (Or lawyers lining up families, not sure which) to sue if their kids get sick. I love college football but seriously? In my mind the entire college athletic season needs to be shut down for the first semester. We can reevaluate in 2021. A 8-10 game spring Football season or even none at all And 20 game basketball and hockey seasons wouldnt be the end of the world.

 

[UConnTrumbull]

I’d bet on schools moving football to the spring. Bides them some time before making a real decision. Basketball becomes the first domino to fall.

 

[TMB4405]

This is a personal decision and the media fed frenzy will take that decision out of the hands of the athletes. Any athlete runs the risk of death or serious injury every time they play or practice. Some players will choose not to play and that’s fine. I am just of the opinion that we need to move on with life with everyone being as responsible and respectable as possible ( ie wear a stupid mask it sucks but whatever). It just seems there will always be the argument of “it’s not worth it”. For some it seems like the hurdle is so high we may never see college sports again.

 

[Adios]

The soccer leagues in Europe are doing well.

 

[huskyrob1]

If articles like this continue to come out and are eventually backed up by the experts, then I can't see college football happening in 2020.

What college President would want to be held responsible if one of the players from their school dies as as result of playing football games? The insurance companies will probably try to force the universities to require a waiver to be signed by all players to release liability--but you know how that will play in the PR department if you are forcing 'amateurs' to sign a 'death waiver' to play a game to earn colleges billions of dollars.

Does Vegas have any odds on if a college football season will actually be played at this point?

CBS Sports Article

I'd be very leary of anyone advertising themselves as an expert on this issue and is backing up these articles. Say alternate agenda. The chances of a college football player in the peek of health dieing from Covid19 is like 1 in 100,000. Actually they probably have more of a chance, God forbid, of a severe injury on the field.

 

[UConnJim]

The early states saw worse outcomes especially among older adults but the recent outbreaks in the south and west are showing bad outcomes among younger people as well. Not necessarily deaths but severe illnesses resulting in hospitalizations. Not to mention long term impacts that are not yet understood. I don’t see how you can have a season honestly. I had considered lots of things related to covid as an illness, things like the impact of sending a couple of hundred people to virus hot spots (you REALLY want to send your team to Phoenix right now, for example? They just authorized hospitals there to essentially triage who does and who does not get ventilators.)plus whether it is either practical or even morally right to keep 100 guys essentially locked up for 6 months to play in football games. But now there are rumblings of families already lining up lawyers (Or lawyers lining up families, not sure which) to sue if their kids get sick. I love college football but seriously? In my mind the entire college athletic season needs to be shut down for the first semester. We can reevaluate in 2021. A 8-10 game spring Football season or even none at all And 20 game basketball and hockey seasons wouldnt be the end of the world.

I didn’t say there should be a football season, although I hope there is one. I said if you can’t play football with the players constantly being monitored by medical staff, how can you have students on campus when the general student population is more vulnerable to COVID given the general student population has more underlying medical conditions?

End of the day, schools need students on campus to maintain revenues. If a college can not have students on campus, there is a high likelihood that the college will not survive, especially the small privates.

Unfortunately, college presidents face a tough decision and they will be criticized no matter what decision they make.

 

[metsfan2323]

I have believed all along that the decision on college sports will be tied to the decision to open the school. It doesn't make sense to have football if the campus is closed and it also doesn't make sense to cancel football if the campus is open.

 

[metsfan2323]

The soccer leagues in Europe are doing well.

This is what needs to be followed closely and studied by all American sports. If they can pull it off without harming anyone.......

 

[Marbles90]

Here is a pre-pandemic article from 2018. There has never been no risk of getting sick, seriously injured or even dying. It feels like we went from dealing with a novel virus to flattening the curve to trying to eliminate all risk.

'Junction Boys syndrome': how college football fatalities became normalized

There’s no good reason for college football workouts to be dangerous, let alone fatal. Yet tragedies like the death of Maryland lineman Jordan McNair have become numbingly familiar

www.theguardian.com

>>33 NCAA football players died playing the sport between 2000 and 2016, an average of two per season. <<

 

[JohnFSilver]

This is what needs to be followed closely and studied by all American sports. If they can pull it off without harming anyone.......

Several points:

No. 1: Cases are rising. Look at the curve for EU vs. United States. We can’t do what the EU has done until the outbreak is controlled.

No. 2: Ethically, not sure how we can ask non-paid athletes to play sports. Nfl, nba, there are risks there, but that is a business decision by the players. But college athletes? Quarantined to play football and unpaid...Every state is different, which is the exact problem in this country. Too early to call the season. But not optimistic considering new data.

No. 3: The school experience is gonna be awful. No one is going to be happy. Professors are older, typically. Employees are older. No solution for normalcy.

No. 4: A suggestion: Spring season for all sports. Basketball begins Jan. 20 and they play Conferenxe sked only. Football begins and plays March-May. Bowl games in June.

 

[Exit 4]

Several points:

No. 4: A suggestion: Spring season for all sports. Basketball begins Jan. 20 and they play Conferenxe sked only. Football begins and plays March-May. Bowl games in June.

Certainly seems like we are headed towards a spring season for all sports. Not sure there are any other cards to be played unless we see overwhelming evidence that the treatment process is pushing the survival rate closer to the flu.

 

[UConnJim]

Several points:

No. 1: Cases are rising. Look at the curve for EU vs. United States. We can’t do what the EU has done until the outbreak is controlled.

No. 2: Ethically, not sure how we can ask non-paid athletes to play sports. Nfl, nba, there are risks there, but that is a business decision by the players. But college athletes? Quarantined to play football and unpaid...Every state is different, which is the exact problem in this country. Too early to call the season. But not optimistic considering new data.

No. 3: The school experience is gonna be awful. No one is going to be happy. Professors are older, typically. Employees are older. No solution for normalcy.

No. 4: A suggestion: Spring season for all sports. Basketball begins Jan. 20 and they play Conferenxe sked only. Football begins and plays March-May. Bowl games in June.

Spring football doesn’t work. Spring football means players would be playing football in May/June and practices would start in July/August for the next season. Players bodies can’t do that. And, the top players, especially those draft eligible would probably skip a spring season. If you get injured in the spring, you might not have time to recover for the NFL or the fall college season. Heck, they are passing up December and early January bowls to prepare for the draft.

 

[bobbyinaz]

Well and then you have this nonsense and you have to imagine that something will happen. It might not be during their time as an athlete, but long term there may be deaths resulting from purposely getting COVID so they could have a competitive advantage.

Should teams actively seek herd immunity from the coronavirus?

Would it make sense for teams to intentionally create herd immunity? Experts say not so fast.

sports.yahoo.com

I don't think any of us would be shocked to find out this is what is being done already at schools like Clemson & LSU

 

[UConnJim]

Certainly seems like we are headed towards a spring season for all sports. Not sure there are any other cards to be played unless we see overwhelming evidence that the treatment process is pushing the survival rate closer to the flu.

Based on what we know now, the death rate for COVID-19 for those less than 30 is almost identical with the flu. Where the death rates differ is for those over 50. I’m not saying that COVID-19 won’t become more deadly for younger people, but at this time the data says the death rate is similar.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

The soccer leagues in Europe are doing well.

Does Florida or Texas have a team in a European soccer league?

 

[Exit 4]

Spring football doesn’t work. Spring football means players would be playing football in May/June and practices would start in July/August for the next season. Players bodies can’t do that. And, the top players, especially those draft eligible would probably skip a spring season. If you get injured in the spring, you might not have time to recover for the NFL or the fall college season. Heck, they are passing up December and early January bowls to prepare for the draft.

I really disagree with a lot of your reasoning here. For starters college football doesn't exist to serve the NFL or the NFL draft. Yes some players will sit out, oh well and the NFL will surely change the timing of their draft - oh well. What will drive the decision making are the much bigger considerations surrounding liability. There are reasonable risks and unreasonable risks.

 

[Exit 4]

Based on what we know now, the death rate for COVID-19 for those less than 30 is almost identical with the flu. Where the death rates differ is for those over 50. I’m not saying that COVID-19 won’t become more deadly for younger people, but at this time the data says the death rate is similar.
View attachment 56011

Yes but need the CDC and several other major resources to be absolute about the data and youth safety. Need facts that can build a liability defense. In short, the Universities need cover.

 

[Palatine]

Since one of the trouble areas for Covid is morbid obesity. An since many football players need to carry large amounts of weight. This is something that needs to watched carefully. I would think lineman would be at the most risk.

 

[Slasher]

Based on what we know now, the death rate for COVID-19 for those less than 30 is almost identical with the flu. Where the death rates differ is for those over 50. I’m not saying that COVID-19 won’t become more deadly for younger people, but at this time the data says the death rate is similar.
View attachment 56011

There is so much wrong with this chart, I don't know where to start. Firstly plotting on two different x-axis is a real great way to have misleading data. Secondly "estimated flu cases" vs "confirmed covid-19 cases." So you're taking a much bigger number (estimated) and comparing it to a smaller number (confirmed.)

 

[UConnJim]

There is so much wrong with this chart, I don't know where to start. Firstly plotting on two different x-axis is a real great way to have misleading data. Secondly "estimated flu cases" vs "confirmed covid-19 cases." So you're taking a much bigger number (estimated) and comparing it to a smaller number (confirmed.)

You do realize that the CDC is thinking that the actual number of COVID-19 cases could be 10x the positive tested COVID-19 patients? In other words, the health experts think the actual incidence of COVID-19 has been dramatically under-reported.

As for the graphs, no, the layout is not ideal, but the point is made. Based on current data, COVID-19 is not a deadly threat to healthy people under age 30. Could it change? Sure.

Here are some charts from Massachusetts. I think Massachusetts has done one of the best jobs of presenting granular data so you can see what is actually going on with COVID-19. They have also reported that 98.3% of COVID-19 deaths had an underlying medical condition.

 

[huskymedic]