Tennessee's season opener in basketball canceled yet again
Tennessee’s basketball program just can’t catch a break.
For the third time in recent days, the Volunteers have had to cancel their season opener.
The first two times came following COVID outbreaks within the Rick Barnes’ program, including the coach himself getting testing positive for COVID, but this time, it’s Tennessee’s opponent that can’t make the game.
Tennessee announced on Friday morning that UT-Martin has returned some positive COVID tests, leading to the cancelation of next week’s season opener.
The Volunteers will continue to seek opponents in order to play at some point next week.
SCORE UPDATE: 2020 5, #Vols 0
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Due to positive tests within the UT-Martin program, Wednesday’s contest has been canceled.We are actively seeking another opponent for next week.
We will continue to provide scheduling updates as they become available. pic.twitter.com/BVOkQThy8x
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) December 4, 2020
This is ASININE!!! “Positive Tests” are virtually MEANINGLESS!!! Are these coaches and athletes actually sick?!!! Otherwise, why are we testing these physical specimens when we KNOW that they are in less danger from this virus than they are from the flu?!!! And what’s more, the data have made clear that young people are NOT significant spreaders of the virus! Additionally, a positive test–if we can even rely on the tests (we often can’t)–is NOT a “case!” The CDC itself provides a specific “case definition.” It does NOT say that a Wuhan virus “case” results from a positive test alone! END THIS FOOLISH FEARFUL REACTION TO THIS VIRUS!!! And END THESE LOCKDOWNS AND CANCELLATIONS!!!
It may not be the right thing to do, but it is easy to understand why these are the rules. The minute somebody dies as a result of not being quarantined when somebody else was exposed but never experienced symptoms, the subsequent legal action would bankrupt the parties involved.
Let’s say that Joe Smith from Florida is exposed but shows no symptoms. He then plays in the game against Bill Jones from Alabama. Jones was negative and during the contact of the game, Smith passes it along to Jones. Jones, not knowing he will be positive the next time he takes a test now makes out with his girlfriend, and she now gets it. Unlike the football players, girlfriend lives at home and then infects granny, who gets the virus. Granny is diabetic and has respiratory issues, so her outcome is a tragic death.
Smith was exposed and allowed to play, and Granny is dead. Granny’s family files a wrongful death suit against Smith, Florida, Alabama, the SEC, and the NCAA. It gets nasty, before the schools, the league, and the NCAA agree to settle out of court, and by the time it is all said and done, other schools’ recruiters use this against Florida. To save face, the NCAA puts restrictions on the Florida program.
It is much easier to just have the player quarantine for a few days until he is verified not to have it. This is a free year any way, so Smith doesn’t even lose a chance to play the normal amount of time and can even get a 5th year of eligibility.
Your hypothetical (like SO MANY on this subject) ignores the data: Young healthy people are NOT spreaders of this virus! And as I’ve pointed out multiple times before, your diabetic Granny is eventually going to get exposed to this and have to rely on the world’s best health care to recover. Let’s say we were nowhere close to a vaccine (we still don’t know that what is coming will work). What are we to do to keep Granny safe? Stay locked down and masked up (neither of which stop the spread) for years? Decades? We cannot shut down our economy and our culture when something such as this virus comes along while waiting on a vaccine that may or may not work!