(08-25-2020 12:36 PM)Dukester Wrote: (08-25-2020 11:49 AM)ShadyP Wrote: I agree with DukeDawg there has to be a limit on fall games, practice, etc.....or the entire reason of canceling the season for player safety is a load of garbage. It is much more dangerous to short term and long term player health and safety to play 20+ full contact games within a calendar year
I certainly share your concern for player health, and while I want to see JMU on the football field, I admit I'm relieved a little that we are not taking a risk we might later regret.
Personally I've selfishly fantasized the last couple days about an ad hoc home and home with NDSU this fall. Perhaps even getting ESPN to cover the travel costs.
Personally I'm more concerned health wise about Covid than football players playing in the fall and a mini spring league. Teams play fall and spring ball every year now. Playing a few more weeks will add more physical stress. Covid could cause life time affects or worse.
Are you really that concerned about the NDSU players health, or that they could gain a short term competitive advantage?
I think a lot of people/fans want solid structure to this Covid era for sports, but it simply won't be there. Structure will return once Covid is behind us which will not be until Fall of 2021 at the earliest.
You are slightly confusing/misinterpreting what I am saying.....let me better explain/re-phrase:
1. My own opinion I have zero issue with JMU playing a full season this fall or a partial fall season + a spring conference season + playoffs in the spring and then a full 2021 fall season. Personally I am fine with either.
2. I do recognize potential COVID risks for a fall season but I think (my opinion) the short- term and long-term likely effects (not outliers and 'what-if's') of a football player contracting COVID are LESS than the potential short-term and long-term effects of playing 20+ full contact, full speed, real games in a calendar year. Talking about knees, ankles, head injuries, amount of full speed contact over and over (like car crashes over and over) without providing ample time and dead periods for the body to properly recover.
3. Once again my opinion if the NCAA does not impose and enforce some kind of limit their player safety rationale for not playing this FALL is moot and invalid.
4. Currently full contact action and game speed with repeated collisions is primarily limited to Fall on Saturdays. There are a few full contact sessions in pre-season August practice and maybe during in season practice......but both a very limited and controlled. Also Spring practice has very few full pad sessions and even when in full pads very controlled and often stopped on 'thud' not really full contact. Even the annual Spring Game is a simulated game in a controlled environment, to limit true in season contact.
5. This concern has absolutely 100% nothing to do with NDSU getting a 'leg-up'. Unlike 90% of the posters here I am not obsessed with everything NDSU does and in a D*** measuring contest with them on a daily basis. They are free to do whatever they want and what best suits their situation.
6. I would be satisfied just as long as JMU gets a 'real' spring football session this fall in order to do the proper preparation for Spring competition.
7. The NCAA and typical NCAA fashion has made this whole thing a 'S***-Show' by inability to make some decision and punting the decision.
8. The primary mission of Colleges and Universities is to provide in-person, on-campus higher education. And if that primary mission cannot be met, I don't think any sports should be getting played by an institution that cannot first meet their primary mission prior to extra-curricular activities.
* These are all my opinions and I do not intend to go scour the web to provide links and background research.