UMass Announces Intention To Play Football in Fall 2020

[Exit 4]

Well, I look forward to watching that puke of a program UMass play. New England football and all that.

#dissappointed

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Exit 4]

Development opportunities - cant mimic these in practice....not even close. Walt Bell not afraid of losing.

 

[Drew]

Absolutely love that for UMass and there will be other game opportunities for them as well because of cancellations I can almost guarantee it. If they're able to snag future home and home series out of it even better.

 

[gwhuskyfan]

Absolutely love that for UMass and there will be other game opportunities for them as well because of cancellations I can almost guarantee it. If they're able to snag future home and home series out of it even better.

Mack Brown was quoted today as saying he tried to call 15+ schools to get a game on the schedule for this weekend and couldn't find one. UMass will have plenty of opportunities.

 

[Drew]

Mack Brown was quoted today as saying he tried to call 15+ schools to get a game on the schedule for this weekend and couldn't find one. UMass will have plenty of opportunities.

Exactly. Fortune favors the bold. I'm glad to see UMass step up and give their student athletes a shot at safely competing even if UConn wants to sit on their hands and do nothing

 

[Slick]

I base my first argument on the CDC guidelines that more people together increases the risk of transmission. Football has more players and coaches than basketball. The transmission risk in football is evident in your rebuttal to my second point; the reason why "there are cancellations all the time." In pushing back on my second point, you reinforce it by acknowledging "games are being scheduled a week in advance". That is the definition of scrambling to get a schedule. I concede on the third point and am glad the players are staying active. However, I stand by my original position that the right decision is to not play football, try for hoops with the safety measures in place, but be ready to cancel hoops if the virus spikes.

The Coach of the National Championship Team LSU said his ENTIRE TEAM has had Covid. They quarantined them, test them again and they are ready and healthy to play football . Now that the whole team has antibodies Coach Orgeron said they should stay healthy for at least the entire season.

 

[kibblesnbits]

More chance of transmitting on a basketball court than a football field! The discussion not to play was wrong from day one. Should have delayed the start of season and we would be preparing for first game now. No games this fall and we will not be better in 2021! We already lost one good recruit yesterday

We lost "one good recruit" to Penn. What do we have in common with Penn? Oh yeah, neither school is playing football this semester.

 

[kibblesnbits]

The Coach of the National Championship Team LSU said his ENTIRE TEAM has had Covid. They quarantined them, test them again and they are ready and healthy to play football . Now that the whole team has antibodies Coach Orgeron said they should stay healthy for at least the entire season.

I wondered whether some teams would have COVID parties to get herd immunity before starting play in a few weeks. More than a bit risky and costs valuable practice time but a potential winning stratgy in this strange year.

 

[UCONNJACK]

I wondered whether some teams would have COVID parties to get herd immunity before starting play in a few weeks. More than a bit risky and costs valuable practice time but a potential winning stratgy in this strange year.

ND vs Wake game has been postponed due to ND players testing positive.

 

[hardcorehusky]

Anyone who thinks this is RE skirting "exposing" the team really doesn't understand how this works. It starts in Hartford with the governor. It trickles down to the UConn administration that is 1 year into its current reign and doesn't have any gravitas or pull to go against the governor. Oh yeah, the budget deficit isn't helping here either. RE has no choice but to toe the company line - he is not the best spokesperson in these situations but RE is the face of the program.

 

[Exit 4]

Anyone who thinks this is RE skirting "exposing" the team really doesn't understand how this works. It starts in Hartford with the governor. It trickles down to the UConn administration that is 1 year into its current reign and doesn't have any gravitas or pull to go against the governor. Oh yeah, the budget deficit isn't helping here either. RE has no choice but to toe the company line - he is not the best spokesperson in these situations but RE is the face of the program.

Why can't both be true; lack of Gov support and a serious desire to hide the team? I think they are both in play. Randy has much to lose with his thin support if the team plays flat. Meanwhile Walt Bell has nothing to lose, they are officially at the bottom and he wants to dig out anyway he can.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

If you are a UMass fan and you want to see FB this fall, this is what you are likely to get: Army on Oct. 31, and three or four FCS schools in November.

Army: convenient, relatively limited SARS-2 risk, good, makes sense. 3 or 4 FCS schools?

Or, UMess hopes to be a last minute fill-in opponent for FBS schools in relatively responsible states. IF UMess is required to comply with current Bay State COVID19 regs, travel potential to/fro most SEC, CUSA, and Sun Belt states, most of the ACC and Big XII, and increasingly some B1G states may be limited. Citrus, BCU, and Rutgals? Time will tell!

 

[Rosebud70]

Let them play I’m sure the kids would rather play than practice

 

[Chief00]

This is fascinating. What a crazy timeline from 8/5 to 9/21.

Chief was out in front. Next time UConn needs to go with the science rather than emotion when making a decision.

 

[Chief00]

Oh boy. UMass is more serious about football than UConn.

Absolutely no to restarting this fall for UConn. Randy and the players made that decision together. They rather lift weights and practice against each other or some nonsense like that. #RespectTheirDecision LOL

Don’t assume that’s really what happened in regards to the players. It wasn’t. The situation was misrepresented to them. They know that now.

 

[Chief00]

Development opportunities - cant mimic these in practice....not even close. Walt Bell not afraid of losing.

UMass AD says his phone is ringing off the hook.

 

[Hornet22]

Don’t assume that’s really what happened in regards to the players. It wasn’t. The situation was misrepresented to them. They know that now.

Stop lying. Please. Thank you

 

[Chief00]

Stop lying. Please. Thank you

If anyone has ever repeatedly been wrong (and I am phrasing it kindly) about an issue, it’s you. Everything Chief said weeks ago has played out. The UConn players feel the same way as the UMass players (why is that surprising?). Just that the UMass coach and AD listened and acted to correct their mistake.

 

[Bongo Fury]

I’d imagine you are correct about the players except for a few and a couple of vocal parents. The UMass situation will be interesting with all the budget cuts and furloughs. They don’t hate football here, it is just apathy.

 

[Exit 4]

If anyone has ever repeatedly been wrong (and I am phrasing it kindly) about an issue, it’s you. Everything Chief said weeks ago has played out. The UConn players feel the same way as the UMass players (why is that surprising?). Just that the UMass coach and AD listened and acted to correct their mistake.

Chief - a lot of people here have a direct connection to the team and so far none are reporting the team atmosphere to as frustrated as you are presenting it to be.

I think hardcorehusky pretty much outlined the real situation- the Gov office is not supportive of the team playing (risk, cost, travel hypocrisy, etc) and so here we are taking a collective “red shirt year.”

In a typical winter 2 to 5 kids exit the program. Surely that will happen again this year and so I wouldn’t construe these inevitable departures as unusual. If we get more than 5 then perhaps there is some substance to the idea of general frustration with the approach of this administration and the coaching staff.

Me, I think a couple of games this fall has more benefit than harm- but oh well....

 

[Chief00]

Chief - a lot of people here have a direct connection to the team and so far none are reporting the team atmosphere to as frustrated as you are presenting it to be.

I think hardcorehusky pretty much outlined the real situation- the Gov office is not supportive of the team playing (risk, cost, travel hypocrisy, etc) and so here we are taking a collective “red shirt year.”

In a typical winter 2 to 5 kids exit the program. Surely that will happen again this year and so I wouldn’t construe these inevitable departures as unusual. If we get more than 5 then perhaps there is some substance to the idea of general frustration with the approach of this administration and the coaching staff.

Me, I think a couple of games this fall has more benefit than harm- but oh well....

They are very frustrated, Chief doesn’t say things like that recklessly without confirmed knowledge. I guess this is just my point, the time to do something about a problem is to get out in front of it before the exodus occurs. We seem to still be in the denial phase.

 

[Hornet22]

If anyone has ever repeatedly been wrong (and I am phrasing it kindly) about an issue, it’s you. Everything Chief said weeks ago has played out. The UConn players feel the same way as the UMass players (why is that surprising?). Just that the UMass coach and AD listened and acted to correct their mistake.

Again, stop lying to the message board. Thank you

 

[Hornet22]

They are very frustrated, Chief doesn’t say things like that recklessly without confirmed knowledge. I guess this is just my point, the time to do something about a problem is to get out in front of it before the exodus occurs. We seem to still be in the denial phase.

Players who entered the portal have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH UCONN OPTING OUT OF THE SEASON!!!!!!!!!!

Of course the players want to play Captain Obvious and especially after seeing other teams playing- probably more so because former teammates of theirs have played so far. As a fan, of course you can Monday Morning QB this thing and wish UConn would have taken a different path- especially after seeing other teams play.

But let’s not forget- this entire season has been a Shxt Show with cancelled games and blowouts. If I were a UConn player and at the time losing a year of eligibility was in my face not to mention navigating the hazards of contact tracing- I wouldn’t want to play in that either. No fans, no bands equals Doo Doo football. Say whatever you want- this season is a dumpster fire.

This narrative of yours that there’s some impending mutiny within the program because the players feel so betrayed is a sham and fraudulent. Being happy with not playing your sport that you have played for life Is a far cry from hating on a program that decided to preserve a year of eligibility for you without risking injury (Lack of true preparation) or sickness.

Just stop it already.

 

[Scoe]

I commend Umass for having the courage to do something against the mob especially in the state of Mass and Charlie Baker. I wish UConn had the balls to do this.

Might just be 4 games for Umass but let’s be honest for about 80 percent of the country it’s always been an exhibition season. Bowl games are glorified exhibition games. I have always been a proponent of having a 25 team playoff.