Football

I suspect that many progressive members of Team Apocalypse* shrug off the fact that a number of high profile college conferences have cancelled the fall football season because ... COVID-19.  Possibly recognizing the lack of science that supports this decision, catastrophists argue, We MUST keep players safe ... and besides, one never knows what heinous after effects may ensue among players who contract COVID-19. Yeah, that would be the same players who statistics indicate would exhibit absolutely no symptoms today and are VERY unlikely to exhibit after effects in the future. The same players, BTW, who play a reasonably dangerous sport in which serious physical outcomes are statistically more probable that any serious outcome due to the virus.

Subliminally recognizing this, catastrophists become shrill as they virtue signal. Their voices,  muffled by their N95 masks, and tell us that it's only a game, and "safety" is paramount, so cancelling the season is the best course of action. 

Actually, it isn't. It's a symbol of a far more serious and unfounded capitulation  to fear and ultimately to hysteria.

John Freeman writes:

John Bohnenkamp at Sports Illustrated notes a recent letter from parents of University of Iowa players, which takes on one of the Big Ten’s claims:

Conference officials... noted that... athletes who have the COVID-19 virus could suffer from myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle.

In the letter, the parents stated, “Everyone testing positive MAY have an increased risk of this condition... Dr. Andy Peterson, Iowa’s team physician, states, ‘There are other viruses that cause myocarditis, like winter-time flu and things like that.’

“Football players, as well as all athletes of all contact sports, are well aware of the risk involved. They are educated on those risks and accept the consequences of those risks when they step on the field. Risks such as paralysis, infectious disease, cardiovascular and respiratory issues are listed by the CDC. Further risk include concussions that lead to depression, anxiety, aggression, personalty changes, increased risk of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, CTE and other brain disorders. Yet the individuals accepting those risks — our sons — were never consulted, heard from, or even considered in the Big Ten’s decision to cancel the season. No medical findings or opinions of experts have ever been shared.”

Fortunately for all of us, America’s college football families are demanding the serious consideration of costs and benefits, risks and rewards that has been sorely lacking at so many U.S. institutions this year.

Serious "consideration of costs and benefits, risks and rewards" has been a pretty novel activity as we wander through Wonderland (and here). Activated by media driven fear, uncertainty and doubt (along with a completely dishonest presentation of virus data), our major institutions have made bad decision after bad decision. College presidents are no exception.

If the players do play, it's likely that some will get COVID-19, just like kids that age get the flu every year. It's important to note that the affects of the common flu and COVID-19 for an 18- to 22-year old are virtually the same, except that many kids that age show no symptoms whatsoever after they've contracted COVID-19.

Fortunately, some collegiate conferences have rejected the catastrophist narrative and showed some courage and common sense. They're playing. 

Good for them.

FOOTNOTE:

*  Most of whom have taken the week off to watch the Zoom version of a hackneyed political convention in which the Democrats have already blamed Donald Trump for the edge-case death of a 65 year old man from COVID-19 much like GOP candidate Mitt Romney was blamed for the death of a grandmother from cancer. Staying classy as always.