Should basketball be “paused” for 30 days?

[visitingcock]

Would you favor pausing the ( men’s and women’s) season for the month of January, then restarting in February. Play the entire season and push March Madness to April?

For or Against and why.

NO POLITICS PLEASE.

 

[Blakeon18]

If what you claim would happen would happen, then 'pause away'.

 

[BobbyJ]

Bueckers thinks it's a great idea.

 

[msf22b]

Some version of it may happen involuntarily

 

[oldude]

It’s not a bad idea in theory. Unfortunately, as we have all come to learn, trying to predict the course of this terrible pandemic has proven to be a fool’s errand.

 

[Inthepaint]

No
Once you impose a comprehensive postponement of ALL games everywhere, what will be the rationale for restarting things?
Circumstances may require some games be cancelled in certain locations.

 

[JellyBean]

Yeah. Like Oldude said, the idea of pausing the season sounds good because we do care about public safety. However, after 18-19 months of this pandemic, we have seen that there are variants for the variants within a variant. It is never ending.

 

[visitingcock]

It’s not a bad idea in theory. Unfortunately, as we have all come to learn, trying to predict the course of this terrible pandemic has proven to be a fool’s errand.

Oh I agree. However, we know that we are in a huge spike right now - especially in the big cities. Probably will see a huge spike when students return to school from the holidays. Those spikes have, in the past, peaked and begun to decline in about thirty days.

In fact, I think schools should delay the return to school for 30 days.

Second thought: If this does "pause" not happen, should UConn cancel the Tennessee and South Carolina games to keep the dates open for potential makeup of conference games. I know that many stupid opposing fans would hurl wimp-out insults, but aren't the conference games so important that it should be considered. I think South Carolina needs some flexibility for conference rescheduling. I know the Vile fans would be nearly insufferable if it happens but the school should look at the importance of opening up a date for re-scheduled conference games.

 

[cancontent]

With what we're seeing with the protocol changes in the NFL and NBA, I fear conferences will now find ways to tweak what they have in place instead of going with a pause. Heck, the NHL had a "pause" which lasted 5 days or so.

The logistics with pushing everything back could be another challenge too. The venues hosting conference tournaments and March Madness may not have the flexibility to change dates

 

[oldude]

Oh I agree. However, we know that we are in a huge spike right now - especially in the big cities. Probably will see a huge spike when students return to school from the holidays. Those spikes have, in the past, peaked and begun to decline in about thirty days.

In fact, I think schools should delay the return to school for 30 days.

Second thought: If this does "pause" not happen, should UConn cancel the Tennessee and South Carolina games to keep the dates open for potential makeup of conference games. I know that many stupid opposing fans would hurl wimp-out insults, but aren't the conference games so important that it should be considered. I think South Carolina needs some flexibility for conference rescheduling. I know the Vile fans would be nearly insufferable if it happens but the school should look at the importance of opening up a date for re-scheduled conference games.

Every decision must start and end with the predominant concern of the health and welfare of players, coaches, fans, healthcare workers, etc. Per the CDC, the US exceeded half a million new cases yesterday.

 

[Charliebball]

that would be fine by me..........having game after game canceled at the last minute is difficult for all concerned.........the medical folks seem to think this wave will be big but quick so perhaps a month from now the coast will be relatively clear........from a homer perspective it would also be great to have a healthier UConn team ready to roll.......

 

[dtbtbtb]

It sounds like a good idea but who said that in 30 days the situation will be good enough to restart? most likely another pause will be indeed (for another 30 days?) and then the question will be, if to finish the season at all or just cancel it.

 

[Sifaka]

. I know the Vile fans would be nearly insufferable if it happens …

Since when does that bunch need an excuse or provocation to be insufferable?

Back on topic…I think a pause makes sense for the well-being of the players, staff and others involved. It might originally be aimed at 30 days, and extended if necessary based on public health considerations. A hiatus and a tournament in May or June is better than people getting sick and even dying.

Inconvenient for fans? No. We can always use the time to prognosticate, speculate based on scant evidence, and lament
the crisis of the moment, e.g., we need bigs, we are doomed, etc.

 

[Monte]

Keep going. Many people have to be told to take the same precautions as they did last year. I hardly know ANYONE who is wearing a mask as often, and being careful as much, as they were a year ago.

In addition, pushing back the season may cause a problem with the availability of arenas (especially the Tournament) which have probably scheduled other events for April into May.

 

[#12in21]

For personal reasons I am all for a month pause as I have to work Wednesday and Friday evenings thru February into early March. Noting the very real logistical concerns mentioned above in terms of venue availability the pause may be difficult to do, but from a health concern for our team and the fans in attendance I would think a month pause would be a positive choice. As mentioned above as well, these large spikes seem to have declined over the next 30 day period. That coupled with the anticipated greater availability of the promising new pills by Pfizer and Merck(?) for treating covid within the first few days of being infected would suggest we may be in a better place in fighting the virus a month down the road.

 

[Zarathustra]

I'll say "no". I think most people are in the " do the best in
a bad situation!". They might have to go to the one site for
the whole tournament ( just to make sure that it gets played!)
with limited audience ?? Future is " so much" in the future!

 

[Cornell Lt]

For selfish reasons I would say no way, I enjoy the 4-6 hrs a week of UConn basketball.

The sensible response is that the conferences/NCAA need to do what's in the best interest of the student athletes.

 

[Puppy Love]

I’d be in favor of either pausing the season or going to a ‘no fans’ rule. Neither one is ideal, but the situation is getting worse every single day. People seem to forget that sports is really only for fun. Yes, I know people make a career out of it and that livelihoods are at stake. I just think public health and the health of the athletes is more important.

 

[sun]

No pause.
There are other steps that can be taken such as Yale did by not allowing spectators for their next 3 games.
Postponement for an entire month could cause too much of a set back for all the make ups that would be needed.
Players are in shape and the schools and conferences have made commitments based on the rules that are already in place that allows individual schools to decide.
I'm not even sure that the NCAA has the authority to pause the season.
IMO these decisions can best be made by the schools and conferences themselves who would seem to have the direct authority to vote on any new policies that affect them and their media contracts and obligations to their membership.
This is about protecting athletes & programs that are ready, willing and able to play.
They already have rigorous testing in place and make accommodations for those programs that can't play.
Anything more restrictive than reducing or eliminating spectators would be employing too broad of an authority with scheduling consequences that could be worse than playing under current scenarios.

 

[visitingcock]

I should'da done a poll.

 

[Sifaka]

I should'da done a poll.

Here ya go…

Why do chickens miss so many bunnies?

 

[Vowelguy]

At this point I don’t know that a pause would do much — I’m gonna doubt that transmission is happening because of game travel, so not sure that stopping would change much.

I would however be in favor of pushing the tot and the back a week or two, assuming that were feasible ( arenas, hotels availability). The further into the spring, I think the less likely games get cancelled. And with the F4 in Minneapolis, better chance that fans/players could spend some time outside.

That extra time could be used to make up games.

But I agree the logistics are a bit of a challenge if it means that conference tournaments also get moved back.

 

[cancontent]

ACC adding shorter isolation period options

The ACC is adding shorter isolation options for individuals who are vaccinated.

www.espn.com

Not sure if anyone else has seen this. This is what I was thinking could happen now that the CDC has adjusted their recommendations for isolation.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Yeah. Like Oldude said, the idea of pausing the season sounds good because we do care about public safety. However, after 18-19 months of this pandemic, we have seen that there are variants for the variants within a variant. It is never ending.

But the variants have become vastly worse. Connecticut now has nearly a thousand residents in hospital with Covid, triple the number just before Thanksgiving. We're one of the least infected states in the nation, having done most things right for nearly two years. Yet we're looking at the highest test positivity rate of the entire pandemic. Covid does what it does, and mutates as it wants, regardless of what we're expecting or planning.. We're going to see season pauses and cancellations of programs, whatever we want. Can't stop it.