NCAA Tournament: Should it happen?



  • With the Big 12 tourney still in place… it is best we treat that like the Final Four because this will mark the end of our season.

    And a loss will raise criticism that we didn’t finish the season #1 in the nation!



  • @dylans The issue regarding playing the NCAA Tournament is the travel involved. Most teams playing in the NCAA Tournament have to fly commercial because they don’t have chartered planes due to the budgets of the school. You also have these players coming into contact with fans at the hotels.

    Using KU for example, KU does charter so the flights aren’t an issue, but there’s still interactions with fans in Omaha. Whoever KU’s 16 seed is will be a program that flies commercially. Let’s say that one of their players picks up the virus from another asymptomatic passenger and passes the virus to a KU player during the game. Fast forward a couple of weeks to the Final Four in Atlanta and Devon Dotson starts showing outward symptoms OF COVID-19 on Saturday mid afternoon of the semifinals game. Medical officials scramble to test Dotson and it comes back positive for COVID-19. Now KU can’t play their Final Four game because they are locked in quarantine in their hotel in Atlanta while everyone is being tested.

    Because of what happened in Oklahoma City last night involving the Utah Jazz, this escalates very quickly and if a player tests positive.

    What would’ve happened to the B10 Tournament today had Fred Hoiberg tested positive for COVID-19 last night? Would Indiana have been allowed to play today after that exposure last night?



  • @dylans Also keep in mind these players are still students that have classes with hundreds of other students on a college campus where the local clinic is not prepared to deal with mass exposures. These players are exposed to a lot more people on a regular basis than adults are because they are still students.



  • Logistically it’s pretty simple, but maybe I have a simple mind. Get on a bus and don’t get off until you’re there.



  • @Texas-Hawk-10 said in NCAA Tournament: Should it happen?:

    @dylans Also keep in mind these players are still students that have classes with hundreds of other students on a college campus where the local clinic is not prepared to deal with mass exposures. These players are exposed to a lot more people on a regular basis than adults are because they are still students.

    I believe you corrected my wording on this yesterday, so you know there are no students on KU’s campus. How many more campuses will be the same in a week?

    Also less exposure than anyone who uses the subway - 1 million passengers a day.

    Either everyone should be forced to stay home and not work or these kids should be allowed to play the game they’ve worked their asses off for.

    Jay Williams wasn’t telecommuting. Tell the kids to stay home while going out himself. He didn’t miss his opportunity to get his face on tv, but the kids should? Nah. That’s not right.



  • I think these conference tournament games with no fans will be kind of a litmus test for the tournament either happening or not happening. If none of the players/staff etc get sick from now until Sunday, the NCAA might feel better proceeding with the current scenario of a tournament with no fans. If we have an incident like the NBA had with Rudy Gobert, I’m guessing the tournament will be cancelled or postponed.



  • @dylans 2 big flaws with you statement here.

    1. Campuses are not empty because many students cannot afford to travel home for spring break and are still on campus. Also, not every school has spring break the same week so not every campus is taking this step yet.

    2. The timeframe of being outwardly symptomatic is about 2 weeks from exposure. Players were still going to classes 7 days ago so it’s not out of the question that a basketball player, coach, trainer, manager, or someone else affiliated with the basketball team of an NCAA Tournament team currently has COVID-19 but is asymptomatic and won’t show outward signs until in the middle of the NCAA Tournament.



  • Again the tournament is in 5 days. Testing can be done in 24 hours or less. If the NCAA cared they could test the players. They don’t care about the players, but they do care about the pressure the media is putting on them to panic and cave while still going about their daily life - going to work etc. The players can be quarantined in McCarthy Hall -a regular death sentence - until cleared upon returning. No parade though.



  • @dylans The CDC tested 8 people yesterday so testing EVERY player would be a huge increase in the current testing going on right now.



  • @benshawks08 said in NCAA Tournament: Should it happen?:

    @dylans The CDC tested 8 people yesterday so testing EVERY player would be a huge increase in the current testing going on right now.

    Our government at work.



  • I ask anyone who thinks the kids should give up their dream, what have you giving up? Are you going to work? How is that any different? As a college student I was never around the elderly. As a middle aged man I talk to people in their 70s and 80s weekly. I can’t get sick, it would be disastrous. I will try to communicate thru email and the phone as much as they will allow, but it’s the wrong generation for that.



  • The WHO has said to release dogs out of quarantine, they don’t carry Coronavirus. WHO let the dogs out!?!



  • @dylans Do you deal in your job with agricultural diseases, or just crops? What happens in a situation where one cow dies of anthrax?



  • @drgnslayr basically where it says .4% of people in age group died that 99.6% of the people in the age group didn’t.



  • It’s not a matter of if it’s when is the tournament going to be called… I’d say at this point it’s less than a 5% chance it’s played.



  • A second Jazz player just announced to be positive.



  • @mayjay said in NCAA Tournament: Should it happen?:

    A second Jazz player just announced to be positive.

    Donovan Mitchell



  • So, millions are riding subways and elevated trains each day in major cities. The whole country is still working and going to school for the most part. But we are worried about 20k at a basketball game. Just doesn’t sound remotely logical to me.



  • @mayjay said in NCAA Tournament: Should it happen?:

    @dylans Do you deal in your job with agricultural diseases, or just crops? What happens in a situation where one cow dies of anthrax?

    Crops and the diseases that naturally populate the fields. I own cattle as well and my dad is part owner of a feedyard, so I’ve been around a few million cattle (literally). Anthrax is rare here, thankfully. There is a dead hauler that picks up the carcasses normally, but under a positive test result I’m not sure what they do. Isolate and incinerate? Burying only preserves the problem for later.

    https://www.beefresearch.ca/research-topic.cfm/anthrax-62



  • The AAC and Big-10 just canceled their tournaments



  • SEC tournament canceled



  • @kjayhawks not even 20k now. Less than 1000 with only 250 total spectators allowed in.

    I’m becoming more and more doubtful there will be a tournament.

    On here’s a scenario that may work. Delay the tournament 10-14 days. During that time any teams that want to play, and any essential staff, and the 125 fans from each team should be quarantined and monitored by medical staff. That weeds out the infected; should be plenty long for the incubation period. (And it gives Garrett time to heal 😉 )



  • There will be no tournament at this rate. All the conference tournaments have been canceled…



  • @kjayhawks said in NCAA Tournament: Should it happen?:

    So, millions are riding subways and elevated trains each day in major cities. The whole country is still working and going to school for the most part. But we are worried about 20k at a basketball game. Just doesn’t sound remotely logical to me.

    It’s not and that’s why Italy was essentially shut down.

    I’m a teacher on spring break right now. My district hasn’t made any announcement yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they sent an email out sometime before Monday that they are delaying the return of students as well to minimize risks.



  • @BeddieKU23 ACC just shut down…maybe. Clemson isn’t taking the court.



  • @Texas-Hawk-10 they should. Schools foster disease. Kids are great at spreading colds and such. It’s as if they’re meant to supplant us.



  • @kjayhawks Bidet ??



  • Rick Barnes says the UT players were very worried about playing. ESPN reported their Asst AD for communications is very relieved: had a liver transplant in 2018 and is still on immuno-suppressing meds, and is one of those ancillary people who would be affected by any decision to play.

    Jazz players report Gobert was touching everyone in the locker room, and the news conf showed him picking up all the reporters’ mics (not sure when). What an ass.



  • Big 12 cancelled.



  • @dylans said in NCAA Tournament: Should it happen?:

    @Texas-Hawk-10 they should. Schools foster disease. Kids are great at spreading colds and such. It’s as if they’re meant to supplant us.

    And if my district says I have to be there, I’m still going to be there because I still have bills to pay. As much as I would disagree with that decision, I don’t have the PTO saved up to take an extended break until this outbreak settles down.



  • ACC just announced they are cancelling their tournament. 11:23 am. Announcement is sad to listen too. Big12 next… 😞



  • Wonder if they would try to move it back to like May if this stuff clears out?



  • Just named FSU the ACC champ and Leonard Hamilton coy



  • Big 12 done too



  • 💩 💩 💩 💩 💩 💩 💩 💩 💩 💩 💩 💩 💩 💩 💩 💩 💩 💩 💩 💩 💩 💩 💩 💩 💩 💩 💩 💩



  • @kjayhawks said in NCAA Tournament: Should it happen?:

    Wonder if they would try to move it back to like May if this stuff clears out?

    I may be mistaken, but I believe the Ivy League has cancelled spring sports already - like baseball.

    I don’t think it’s going away soon. I really hope I’m wrong.



  • The nfl isn’t thinking about canceling, because only Tom Brady and the oldest coaches are at risk. Lol

    https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/28891831/nfl-not-delaying-start-league-year-coronavirus



  • Maybe I’m preaching to the choir, but when I hear people say: “…but there’s only 1000 cases in the US…” I feel they are missing some key points:

    1. There aren’t enough test kits to test everyone with symptoms.
    2. The incubation period is at least 14 days, and consequently…
    3. … an unknown number of people are infected, and unaware and un-symptomatic
    4. It is known to be highly contagious and easily transmitted…
    5. which means you might not have to come in contact with a contagious person, but simply in contact with something that was in contact with a contagious person.
    6. I’m not even talking about mortality rate, which is unclear as well.
    7. It’s a novel virus, which means no one has immunity.
    8. Best estimates are that a vaccine is a year away.

    Given the unknowns, and the few knowns, I conclude that the actions are prudent. It sucks, but the population needs to take 2 weeks pause at least to let the infected people develop the symptoms so we can get a better sense of the scope.



  • Is it possible that all the young folks that statistics have proven will survive the virus will now have anti-bodies to protect them when they are elderly and no longer need to fear the virus? Is it possible it has a latent period like chicken pox and shingles? Are we under or over reacting? Either way it should’ve been done a month ago.



  • @Texas-Hawk-10 My spring break is next week. I definitely didn’t shake every kids hand as they walked in the door today! Stood there with my hands in my pockets and said “Good Morning!”



  • @benshawks08 elbows



  • i’m not a epidemiologist but my understanding is that this virus is corona-style which is not one that people tend to develop immunity as compared to chicken pox/shingles… I think it’s a different strain…

    People can get the coronavirus more than once, experts warn — recovering does not necessarily make you immune

    https://www.businessinsider.com/wuhan-coronavirus-risk-of-reinfection-2020-2

    Not sure of the validity of this, so would encourage looking for other sources.



  • @bskeet said in NCAA Tournament: Should it happen?:

    i’m not a epidemiologist but my understanding is that this virus is corona-style which is not one that people tend to develop immunity as compared to chicken pox/shingles… I think it’s a different strain…

    COVID-19 shares about 90% of its DNA with SARS from what I’ve read.



  • @bskeet said in NCAA Tournament: Should it happen?:

    i’m not a epidemiologist but my understanding is that this virus is corona-style which is not one that people tend to develop immunity as compared to chicken pox/shingles… I think it’s a different strain…

    People can get the coronavirus more than once, experts warn — recovering does not necessarily make you immune

    https://www.businessinsider.com/wuhan-coronavirus-risk-of-reinfection-2020-2

    Not sure of the validity of this, so would encourage looking for other sources.

    That doesn’t sound promising for an effective vaccine then.



  • @dylans said in NCAA Tournament: Should it happen?:

    That doesn’t sound promising for an effective vaccine then.

    Entirely possible. HIV took a long time to get under control. SARS, H1N1, Zika…not sure what’s available.



  • Maybe with the NBA shut down we’ll get a bonus year of Dok (hardship waiver medical or otherwise) and Dot. Ok, I know I’m dreaming…



  • Baseball and NHL suspending as per ESPN



  • Sports Armageddon.



  • Looks like we will all have an opportunity to reevaluate our lifestyles.

    Great opportunity to work on family relationships.



  • @dylans said in NCAA Tournament: Should it happen?:

    The nfl isn’t thinking about canceling, because only Tom Brady and the oldest coaches are at risk. Lol

    https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/28891831/nfl-not-delaying-start-league-year-coronavirus

    The NFL also doesn’t have much going on either right now. It’s easy enough to FaceTime Pro Day drills and interviews and still get the information teams need/want on players.

    The next thing in their agenda that’s going to be affected is the draft in April in Las Vegas. In a little over a month. I’d expect that to be closed to the public based on projections of when the spread of this disease should slow down.


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