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Everyone continues to refer to UAB’s medical reputation in addressing player safety re: coronavirus. HCBC even mentioned it yesterday. Is the medical side actually engaged with UAB sports (including football, obviously) on this issue? It kind of feels like a blanket response to brush away questions on the topic and assert players are safe. I don’t see how they would have any additional protocols or info that they haven’t mentioned publicly.

Other than getting sound, up to date medical advice? I don't know that anything has been addressed publicly. Very fast turnaround on testing, obviously.

(08-05-2020 03:26 AM)blazr Wrote:  Everyone continues to refer to UAB’s medical reputation in addressing player safety re: coronavirus. HCBC even mentioned it yesterday. Is the medical side actually engaged with UAB sports (including football, obviously) on this issue? It kind of feels like a blanket response to brush away questions on the topic and assert players are safe. I don’t see how they would have any additional protocols or info that they haven’t mentioned publicly.

There are doctors and scientists from the School of Medicine on the UA System coronavirus task force that is making recommendations to the Chancellor and Board of Trustees, and I'm sure the Athletics Department is getting whatever testing they want either free or at the cost of materials. Would not be surprised if Tuscaloosa is getting that same deal, too

Now, when it comes down to are the docs completely in control? Obviously not because I think if you were to ask Dr Marazzo what she really and truly thought she'd probably say it's not worth it to play football. Mandate likely given to them would be "how do we play football as safe as possible" not "is it safe to play"

Those replies make sense. Didn’t think about quick, free (or lower cost) tests.


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It won’t make a difference if we don’t have anyone to play.

I've always assumed it was a reference to UAB's ability to do its own testing.

(08-05-2020 07:05 AM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  I'm sure the Athletics Department is getting whatever testing they want either free or at the cost of materials. Would not be surprised if Tuscaloosa is getting that same deal, too.

It's rather more than that.

"More than $750,000 in CARES Act money will fund the Testing for Alabama initiative and will enable every college student attending a public four-year and two-year college an opportunity to be tested prior to reentry to campus.

UAB, in partnership with the University of Alabama System, will work with the Alabama Department of Public Health to lead a coalition of entities including the University of South Alabama, HudsonAlpha and Kailos Genetics to support this robust reentry testing initiative.

“Our ability to test every student returning to campus will go a long way in helping us maintain a safe environment,” said UAB President Ray L. Watts. “We are excited that, through this partnership with Governor Ivey and the state of Alabama, we will have the ability to make testing available across our system and to public colleges and universities throughout the state. On behalf of UAB and the UA System, we thank Governor Ivey for investing in this important program that will promote health across the state.”

https://www.uab.edu/news/campus/item/114...-statewide

No it doesn't outside of the possibility of faster and more widespread testing than other colleges may have access to. Admittedly, that is very important, but it's not like UAB has access to a miracle vaccine or cure that doesn't exist yet - outside of demon semen, but that's only available at a strip mall in Texas..

I agree that school officials are really just kind of using it as a blanket statement to make it seem like the players are safer and more protected than they are.. The only things that really work to prevent/avoid the virus are stuff that is already widely known about, but still disavowed by huge numbers of Americans - masking, social distancing, hand hygiene, contact tracing, fast/widespread testing, etc...

what I want to know is what is the football team/athletic department doing to ensure that the football players aren't just going out to house parties, bars, crowded places, etc, etc ,etc. The only way that sports have been successful so far during the pandemic is doing some sort of bubble set up. That is not possible with college football, so UAB has to do something to try to ensure some sort of "modified bubble" aka keeping players away from dumb situations

On Jox last week, Ingram mentioned UAB's advantage as being the ability to get tests done quickly/frequently & receive results quickly.

I heard a D1 school without football will spend $1,000,000 on testing for 500 athletes enrolled.
That is a huge burden. Athletes may represent 20% of enrollment and represent less than 20% of revenues. Schools are willfully delaying decisions until fall enrollees have paid tuitions. If sports are not included in college experience many students including athletes will take a corona year or enroll at local community college or start working.

The question is not if we have a "real" advantage but if it is perceived that UAB does with recruits and football player's moms is what counts. IMHO there will no advantage that power 5 money can not overcome. For example the 60 miles to ttown will make little difference if the actual service available to their athletes.

Even then if may not work, Whatley one of the highest recruited guard in state of Alabama history hurt his arm. coach Bartow did a full page article in the then proUAB Post Herald that Whatley needed to commit to UAB and so he could begin immediately be treated by UAB. First year coach Wimp turned it around on UAB convinced everyone that this was a recruiting violation.

(08-05-2020 11:19 AM)notnow Wrote:  If sports are not included in college experience many students including athletes will take a corona year or enroll at local community college or start working.

Athletes, okay, but if people are literally going to drop completely out of college because there is no football then jesus christ we are in way worse shape as a society than I could have ever imagined

(08-05-2020 11:22 AM)uabbean Wrote:  The question is not if we have a "real" advantage but if it is perceived that UAB does with recruits and football player's moms is what counts. IMHO there will no advantage that power 5 money can not overcome. For example the 60 miles to ttown will make little difference if the actual service available to their athletes.

Even then if may not work, Whatley one of the highest recruited guard in state of Alabama history hurt his arm. coach Bartow did a full page article in the then proUAB Post Herald that Whatley needed to commit to UAB and so he could begin immediately be treated by UAB. First year coach Wimp turned it around on UAB convinced everyone that this was a recruiting violation.

I read an article concerning how UAB SOM is involved in making sure UAT football team will be safe as possible utilizing the protocols in development by UAB medical professionals. I found that strange to say the least because they even quoted the Dean in the article. I havent seen a UAB Football article that has quote from the SOM Dean concerning protocols and safety measures for athletes.

(08-05-2020 01:03 PM)kdblazer Wrote:  

(08-05-2020 11:22 AM)uabbean Wrote:  The question is not if we have a "real" advantage but if it is perceived that UAB does with recruits and football player's moms is what counts. IMHO there will no advantage that power 5 money can not overcome. For example the 60 miles to ttown will make little difference if the actual service available to their athletes.

Even then if may not work, Whatley one of the highest recruited guard in state of Alabama history hurt his arm. coach Bartow did a full page article in the then proUAB Post Herald that Whatley needed to commit to UAB and so he could begin immediately be treated by UAB. First year coach Wimp turned it around on UAB convinced everyone that this was a recruiting violation.

I read an article concerning how UAB SOM is involved in making sure UAT football team will be safe as possible utilizing the protocols in development by UAB medical professionals. I found that strange to say the least because they even quoted the Dean in the article. I havent seen a UAB Football article that has quote from the SOM Dean concerning protocols and safety measures for athletes.

They're getting the same expertise/solutions because all of that is happening at the system level, they're not doing it separately for UA and UAB

(08-05-2020 01:24 PM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  

(08-05-2020 01:03 PM)kdblazer Wrote:  

(08-05-2020 11:22 AM)uabbean Wrote:  The question is not if we have a "real" advantage but if it is perceived that UAB does with recruits and football player's moms is what counts. IMHO there will no advantage that power 5 money can not overcome. For example the 60 miles to ttown will make little difference if the actual service available to their athletes.

Even then if may not work, Whatley one of the highest recruited guard in state of Alabama history hurt his arm. coach Bartow did a full page article in the then proUAB Post Herald that Whatley needed to commit to UAB and so he could begin immediately be treated by UAB. First year coach Wimp turned it around on UAB convinced everyone that this was a recruiting violation.

I read an article concerning how UAB SOM is involved in making sure UAT football team will be safe as possible utilizing the protocols in development by UAB medical professionals. I found that strange to say the least because they even quoted the Dean in the article. I havent seen a UAB Football article that has quote from the SOM Dean concerning protocols and safety measures for athletes.

They're getting the same expertise/solutions because all of that is happening at the system level, they're not doing it separately for UA and UAB

Yes, that's correct. I just found it cynical that a article about a power 5 school was chalked full of references and quotes even in the title from a G5 school.