NCAA tournament update

[UConn Dan]

0 chance they cancel it unless the colleges themselves pull out.

TV contract is just too much money.

The NCAA has insurance to cover itself for losses even if they have to fully cancel the event. Not a zero chance at all, but my guess is they still play without general public in attendance.

 

[CTMike]

You realize the Italians also switched sides in WWII the minute things got rough.

What an out and out hilarious response.

 

[auror]

The NCAA has insurance to cover itself for losses even if they have to fully cancel the event. Not a zero chance at all, but my guess is they still play without general public in attendance.

The insurance company is going to pay out a billion dollars?

 

[Husky25]

If they play to empty arenas, they should just give the top 4 seeds in each region a bye. 1st round upsets are predicated on the lower seeds feeding off the crowd's energy. Minus the crowd, the talent gap is just too wide. Those games should be taken off the Vegas board.

If I do a bracket this year, it will be absolute chalk.

 

[Marbles90]

Speaking of first four...

"UD also announced it would close campus housing at 6 p.m. Wednesday, two days before spring break begins. The notice gives students less than 24 hours to leave campus housing."

Yep. My daughter goes to Dayton and now she is scrambling to get on a flight back to CT. They are also doing remote online classes for 2 weeks after Spring Break. The last thing she wants to do is be at home in CT during her junior year of college with no friends here, etc. It really kinda sux for these students.

 

[Dogdeacon]

It is shocking to me that the type of news people receive combined with people's political opinions influence the way they see this thing. For example, I work with a very smart guy in TX, he & his wife got on a plane to Israel on Sunday. I think if he lived in the northeast, he does not get on that plane. I am concerned about elderly family members in FL and worry about the quality of their information & lack of knowledge, local groupthink.

Complaining about media hysteria is especially weird - So you you are worried that people will be too cautious? The economic downside of that is worse than the potential health benefits?! When 'the media' over-hypes things that end up being nothing burgers like traffic or snowstorms it isn't political. And our current over-reactions to snowstorms saves lives and makes the long-term cleanup more efficient.
Why is this different? In this case I think there are many more important positives to come from being overly careful and taking this seriously vs downplaying it.

 

[UConnRock]

Yep. My daughter goes to Dayton and now she is scrambling to get on a flight back to CT. They are also doing remote online classes for 2 weeks after Spring Break. The last thing she wants to do is be at home in CT during her junior year of college with no friends here, etc. It really kinda sux for these students.

My son is a freshman at Northeastern. Harvard, MIT, Tufts, Babson and others are all going online and shutting down dorms. BU, BC and NEU are still doing in-person classes. We think it is just a matter of time. The flights back to Nashville are cheap, but I just don't know how much notice we will have. Seems like they would have to provide at least a week's notice. As a freshman, he still doesn't mind coming home. Interesting to compare a freshman reaction to that of a junior.

 

[Edward Sargent]

It is very real/a cause for concern but it is also overblown. Both can be true. If nothing is done it will spread like wildfire. But there’s no reason for the media to cause panic convincing us this is the end of the world. The fear-mongering induced by the media is more dangerous than the virus itself. Take commonsense precautions and avoid large gatherings of people. If everyone does that the virus will be contained. If they don’t, well that’s a different story.

As I said before our Government officials haven't helped in calming the public in any way

 

[Edward Sargent]

It is shocking to me that the type of news people receive combined with people's political opinions influence the way they see this thing. For example, I work with a very smart guy in TX, he & his wife got on a plane to Israel on Sunday. I think if he lived in the northeast, he does not get on that plane. I am concerned about elderly family members in FL and worry about the quality of their information & lack of knowledge, local groupthink.

Complaining about media hysteria is especially weird - So you you are worried that people will be too cautious? The economic downside of that is worse than the potential health benefits?! When 'the media' over-hypes things that end up being nothing burgers like traffic or snowstorms it isn't political. And our current over-reactions to snowstorms saves lives and makes the long-term cleanup more efficient.
Why is this different? In this case I think there are many more important positives to come from being overly careful and taking this seriously vs downplaying it.

Well said

 

[Edward Sargent]

Yeah I’m not really watching the CNN, Fox News of the world, they do that for sure to boost their ratings, it’s awful. I just go right to the source, aka the experts in the field. That’s why I suggested listening to Joe Rogans podcast with Michael osterholm whose actually on the front lines of this. If anyone hasn’t listened to it, they should, it was a really good interview I like the way he broke it down with real data, projections, impact on healthcare systems, and debunking myths. His projections were pretty startling. No clue what this means for the actual tournament but it seems like it’s at least trending towards playing in empty arenas. I’m in favor of proactive thinking and measures. Because sure, maybe young people (or kids) won’t get sick/die if they get it but it also means a higher likelihood it gets spread to our more vulnerable community members. That’s the real danger. That and not having enough hospital beds, so hopefully that can be avoided. So I get people’s frustration with the shutting down of these events but look no further than Italy who now is working backwards to prevent it from becoming even bigger. We don’t know what the long term effects are so if it means short term things like shutting off the tournament to the public, I’m in favor of that. For now anyway.

Osterholm is good so is Nancy Messonier at CDC

 

[Chin Diesel]

Do you like old people?



Should be nobody if we are being honest. Essential personnel only.

Not particularly. They tend to mumble, have white paste around the sides of their mouths and take a long time at checkout lines.

 

[JimHurley]

As I said before our Government officials haven't helped in calming the public in any way

There’s only so much the government can do to calm the public when the media has their narrative that they’re going to continue to push no matter what facts come out.

 

[UConNation]

My problem with a lot of the reaction is that it seems, to me, to be completely overblown. I'm appreciative of the fact that this virus is real. It has killed people. Albeit far fewer people than the flu, but I do understand the mortality rate is higher than the flu and that the virus is new and there is a lot that isn't known. I'm aware that if our country gets to a similar stage that Italy is at, that our healthcare facilities could be overtaxed. I also understand the risk of spreading the virus is much higher if people are congregated in large masses. Those are real concerns, and I'm sympathetic to people that are dealing with how they should react to them, and we should take precautions.

However...

1) This is not the bubonic plague, and there have been no signs anywhere in the world, yet, that indicate that the virus is mutating into something significantly worse.
2) If we take logical precautions like staying home when you're sick (or suspect you might be getting sick or if you've been in contact with someone who is/might be sick), wash your hands, cover your mouth when you sneeze, work from home if/when possible, self quarantine if you've been to Europe recently, don't visit grandma in the nursing home, etc then we're probably the majority of the way curbing the spread. We're also only a few weeks away from the warmer months which is when doctors believe that the disease is going to die off.
3) The organizational disingenuous CYA-behavior is really... upsetting. Why are we allowing athletes to sweat on each other during a game for 2 hours and then not shake hands? If we're concerned about the spread of disease during athletic events to the point that we're going to cancel (the Ivy Leauge) basketball tournaments, then why are not cancelling all sporting events (lacrosse)? If we're concerned for THE CHILDREN (insert pearl clutching meme) and are cancelling all CIAC events and after school activities, then why haven't we cancelled school altogether?

This is all excluding the ridiculous nature of our society, to the point that we're buying toilet paper in bulk for a respiratory disease. Remember, you've got neighbors that think chocolate milk comes from brown cows (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...brown-cows-and-thats-not-even-the-scary-part/).

This is all to say that we're living in a society that tends to/loves/craves overreaction. We're extremists, to one side or the other.

TL/DR: Take precautions, be considerate of others, but for the love of all that is Holy, this isn't an "I am Legend"-type scenario. Take a deep breath. This will be over soon (just like SARS, West Nile and all the rest of them).

 

[sammydabiz]

This is a dumb statement. Young kid gets virus is probably fine for now. But he can pass it on. You cool with his grandparents dying? His aged neighbors?

And are you an expert on viral mutations? What if this thing mutates into something more dangerous to more cohorts? And you've failed to contain it up to that point.

Taking reasonable precautions = stopping the spread as best as you can. Anything else is straight dumbarsedry

EDIT: if a few fans don't attend a f@#$%ing game is that a big deal in teh long run? No. No it's not.

You’re speaking as if there is a 100% mortality rate in the elderly community... currently it is in the single digits, probably lower due to people having it and not even knowing. The hysteria is out of control. In the grand scheme of things SARS was much worse.... the Wuhan virus is killing around the same rate as the seasonal flu. Let’s not freak out people

 

[McLovin]

I live in Nashville too! Do you know if there are any UConn bars in town to watch the tourney games at?

My son is a freshman at Northeastern. Harvard, MIT, Tufts, Babson and others are all going online and shutting down dorms. BU, BC and NEU are still doing in-person classes. We think it is just a matter of time. The flights back to Nashville are cheap, but I just don't know how much notice we will have. Seems like they would have to provide at least a week's notice. As a freshman, he still doesn't mind coming home. Interesting to compare a freshman reaction to that of a junior.

 

[superjohn]

There’s only so much the government can do to calm the public when the media has their narrative that they’re going to continue to push no matter what facts come out.

We got no clear messaging from the gov't in the beginning and still aren't getting nearly enough. Guess it's just up to local. People just want some clear messaging on what to do and instead it seems to be all over the place.

 

[UCfor3]

Exactly, when people point to Italy and South Korea or they quote leading virologists, they are not in a panic. They are pointing out the reality of what is happening and projections from people far smarter in this field than anyone on here.

 

[uconngb]

Boehiem would like the tourney and all post season play cancelled.

But not before they self penalize

 

[superjohn]

WHO declared it a global pandemic.

 

[Edward Sargent]

My problem with a lot of the reaction is that it seems, to me, to be completely overblown. I'm appreciative of the fact that this virus is real. It has killed people. Albeit far fewer people than the flu, but I do understand the mortality rate is higher than the flu and that the virus is new and there is a lot that isn't known. I'm aware that if our country gets to a similar stage that Italy is at, that our healthcare facilities could be overtaxed. I also understand the risk of spreading the virus is much higher if people are congregated in large masses. Those are real concerns, and I'm sympathetic to people that are dealing with how they should react to them, and we should take precautions.

However...

1) This is not the bubonic plague, and there have been no signs anywhere in the world, yet, that indicate that the virus is mutating into something significantly worse.
2) If we take logical precautions like staying home when you're sick (or suspect you might be getting sick or if you've been in contact with someone who is/might be sick), wash your hands, cover your mouth when you sneeze, work from home if/when possible, self quarantine if you've been to Europe recently, don't visit grandma in the nursing home, etc then we're probably the majority of the way curbing the spread. We're also only a few weeks away from the warmer months which is when doctors believe that the disease is going to die off.
3) The organizational disingenuous CYA-behavior is really... upsetting. Why are we allowing athletes to sweat on each other during a game for 2 hours and then not shake hands? If we're concerned about the spread of disease during athletic events to the point that we're going to cancel (the Ivy Leauge) basketball tournaments, then why are not cancelling all sporting events (lacrosse)? If we're concerned for THE CHILDREN (insert pearl clutching meme) and are cancelling all CIAC events and after school activities, then why haven't we cancelled school altogether?

This is all excluding the ridiculous nature of our society, to the point that we're buying toilet paper in bulk for a respiratory disease. Remember, you've got neighbors that think chocolate milk comes from brown cows (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...brown-cows-and-thats-not-even-the-scary-part/).

This is all to say that we're living in a society that tends to/loves/craves overreaction. We're extremists, to one side or the other.

TL/DR: Take precautions, be considerate of others, but for the love of all that is Holy, this isn't an "I am Legend"-type scenario. Take a deep breath. This will be over soon (just like SARS, West Nile and all the rest of them).

The only real way we can know the virus is mutating is if vaccines or therapies designed to work no longer do. We have no idea if it has already mutated. There is evidence of transmission to dogs. We presume that this came from the slaughter of a bat in a meat market in Wuhan (yuck!)

 

[huskymedic]

 

[uconngb]

As I said before our Government officials haven't helped in calming the public in any way

Govt officials??? It’s the media whipping everyone into a frenzy. Does everyone realize there are now more people in China that had the virus that now no longer have it, than those that still do?? Of course not, because that does not make for good headlines. Instead we’re focused on the 1,000 people out of 350 million that have it in the US.

 

[JMick]

Govt officials??? It’s the media whipping everyone into a frenzy. Does everyone realize there are now more people in China that had the virus that now no longer have it, than those that still do?? Of course not, because that does not make for good headlines. Instead we’re focused on the 1,000 people out of 350 million that have it in the US.

How are you idiots so dense? We're barely testing anyone! We don't know how many have it.

 

[Edward Sargent]

Govt officials??? It’s the media whipping everyone into a frenzy. Does everyone realize there are now more people in China that had the virus that now no longer have it, than those that still do?? Of course not, because that does not make for good headlines. Instead we’re focused on the 1,000 people out of 350 million that have it in the US.

No I am not focused on the media which I pay little attention to. I am focused on the lack of testing available to hospitals across the country, I am focused on a President more concerned about the stock market than health and who thinks he is smarter than his scientific experts.