The Virus and Basketball, Solution

[HSWIZARD73]

Obviously attending a game last night combined with the crazy news of games being cancelled and forfeited and all the talk on the stands, and now with the positive test of the parent at Riordan, who knows if they will now to have forfeit and everyone has a opinion.

Now let’s be serious here. Many have posted what about the flu, kids play with the flu. Real simple answer, we have many things in place to battle the flu. Here you have a virus that is a huge threat to the elderly and people with cancer, and other major conditions, and we are many more several months with a solution and in turn if a kid gets it he or she most likely will think it’s just a flu.

During a game, you have several kids touching each other, sweating, touching the same ball over and over. You name it, so easily spreadable should a kid have it. So personally being my father in law is very ill at the moment and was tested, and will be home for quite a while when he gets out, I get the precautions and concerns.

However with that said we also have kids who have busted their tails, worked hard, Sheldon deserves to go for it, and Riordan does as well.

So it is my opinion the CIF should postpone the whole tournament for a few weeks. Sit down with health officials and say here is what we feel and is happening. And once real solutions or concerns are covered and cleared, the tournament continues on. All teams could practice, then we get back at it. It just doesn’t sit well with me that a team moves a step closer to a state title cause the other team has to withdraw. And we have another team that may have to as well. If that’s the case and final decision, then put a halt on the entire thing and wait until next year. Just my two cents.

 

[ayalar09]

The person I really want to hear from is Renard. He actually has a son on the team, so he could give us a first hand opinion on how the kids feel and how he feels about the whole thing. This is Bryce/Jelani's last chance at a State Championship. They worked hard for years and years to get into this point. If you watch the last video of their win against Vanden, they were just starting to click.

I personally hope they move the game somewhere else...maybe San Mateo or maybe even in Marin somewhere. Anywhere...so long as this game gets played!

 

[HSWIZARD73]

The person I really want to hear from is Renard. He actually has a son on the team, so he could give us a first hand opinion on how the kids feel and how he feels about the whole thing. This is Bryce/Jelani's last chance at a State Championship. They worked hard for years and years to get into this point. If you watch the last video of their win against Vanden, they were just starting to click.

I personally hope they move the game somewhere else...maybe San Mateo or maybe even in Marin somewhere. Anywhere...so long as this game gets played!

But again Ayalar you are speaking of kids who we have no clue if they are infected or not based on what is taking place at their given schools. I remember telling the Kately and Tofi team back in 2002, you are one of ten boys teams practicing today. That’s pretty damn awesome and I would rather see Riordan and Sheldon play it out. Versus Sheldon having to withdraw and Riordan up in the air at the moment. Postpone it all and come up with some viable solution so all the efforts of the kids, the travels of the parents, fans and alumni isn’t just dropped off the side of a cliff

 

[Jaw Knee]

Is the opportunity to win a state championship worth potentially risking the lives of your family and friends and at a larger scale the entire community? IMO, no. I like the idea of postponing the entire tournament or even completely canceling it.

 

[jordan24]

It took extraordinary circumstances to come where we are today with Covid-19. Why not take extraordinary efforts to postpone the Tournament so ALL the teams get their fair shot? The safety and health of ALL should be the priority right now. We've never been in a situation like this before, so why not be creative and properly seek "out of the box" alternatives to ultimately see this Tournament through?

 

[Renard Monroe]

The person I really want to hear from is Renard. He actually has a son on the team, so he could give us a first hand opinion on how the kids feel and how he feels about the whole thing. This is Bryce/Jelani's last chance at a State Championship. They worked hard for years and years to get into this point. If you watch the last video of their win against Vanden, they were just starting to click.

I personally hope they move the game somewhere else...maybe San Mateo or maybe even in Marin somewhere. Anywhere...so long as this game gets played!

I am keeping my comments to a minimum right now and really have not come on the site much since Thursday. We lost a family member on Thursday to a car accident that has torn my family apart. With that being said" Life is so Precious " I am not qualified to answer the solution on how this Coronavirus issue should be handled but I will say in my opinion there should not be any gray area. In the Southern Section no schools has been closed, no games have been canceled. Southern California has a bigger population than Northern California. If we are going to shut one team down, one school down then it needs to be clear cut across the board. No way should Dublin be advancing if Sheldon isn't. In my opinion what's right is right, if there is a real fear then no games should be played and Mitty and Odowd should not have played because Riordan played Mitty which means everyone has been exposed at Miity since you canceled Riordan's game saying they may have been exposed. All of this is an emotional rollercoaster.
Yesterday Bryce cried thinking the season was over only to hear later they may play again. Hopefully they get the opportunity to finish something they worked so hard for all season but if not let's be fair. No games should be played, nobody should be going to work, the world should just be on pause until we figure this out. If we are only worried about basketball games then there is something really wrong. All I see being canceled is concerts, schools and selected sporting events. I guess the Coronavirus will not affect the people at work, in the malls, people handling currency which everyone is exposed to, etc...
If it's the last game for Riordan it will be a shame just as it is for Sheldon but what can you do? I would just hope it's no grey area. None of this, one team can play but the other team can not. That will leave a bitter taste in everyone's mouth. At the end of all of this I truly hope in the near future we get a handle on the Coronavirus, the rumors, the Press ...all of it.

 

[observer22]

It took extraordinary circumstances to come where we are today with Covid-19. Why not take extraordinary efforts to postpone the Tournament so ALL the teams get their fair shot? The safety and health of ALL should be the priority right now. We've never been in a situation like this before, so why not be creative and properly seek "out of the box" alternatives to ultimately see this Tournament through?

There’s no way to postpone the tourney. Teams are not going to continue to practice indefinitely. Some kids move on to baseball. And who’s to say this paranoia won’t increase 10 fold in another month? It’s not like it’ll just end if we delay the tourney 2 weeks.

 

[jordan24]

I am keeping my comments to a minimum right now and really have not come on the site much since Thursday. We lost a family member on Thursday to a car accident that has torn my family apart. With that being said" Life is so Precious " I am not qualified to answer the solution on how this Coronavirus issue should be handled but I will say in my opinion there should not be any gray area. In the Southern Section no schools has been closed, no games have been canceled. Southern California has a bigger population than Northern California. If we are going to shut one team down, one school down then it needs to be clear cut across the board. No way should Dublin be advancing if Sheldon isn't. In my opinion what's right is right, if there is a real fear then no games should be played and Mitty and Odowd should not have played because Riordan played Mitty which means everyone has been exposed at Miity since you canceled Riordan's game saying they may have been exposed. All of this is an emotional rollercoaster.
Yesterday Bryce cried thinking the season was over only to hear later they may play again. Hopefully they get the opportunity to finish something they worked so hard for all season but if not let's be fair. No games should be played, nobody should be going to work, the world should just be on pause until we figure this out. If we are only worried about basketball games then there is something really wrong. All I see being canceled is concerts, schools and selected sporting events. I guess the Coronavirus will not affect the people at work, in the malls, people handling currency which everyone is exposed to, etc...
If it's the last game for Riordan it will be a shame just as it is for Sheldon but what can you do? I would just hope it's no grey area. None of this, one team can play but the other team can not. That will leave a bitter taste in everyone's mouth. At the end of all of this I truly hope in the near future we get a handle on the Coronavirus, the rumors, the Press ...all of it.

My sincere condolences and prayers for you and your family regarding the tragic loss of your family member. In my field of work, all employees are now working from home. All of my client meetings are now virtual. Our FY Global Kickoff meeting has also been changed from meeting in NYC to being a virtual conference! As I stated above, and reinforcing your thought - there should be no grey areas - every decision on games should be across the board. Again, we have never faced something like this, so there is no precedent. Let's be creative so we can bring Sheldon, and Menlo back to the Tourney. Let's hit the pause button and take care of business in dealing with this menacing virus. Then let's be just as diligent to make things right for these young people to finish out their season!

 

[TurtleLoveCA]

The idea to postpone the tournament is moronic. Period. It can't be done. And if I stepped on the toes of someone I know, oh well.

 

[iamgearyblvd]

The idea to postpone the tournament is moronic. Period. It can't be done. And if I stepped on the toes of someone I know, oh well.

They cancelled SXSW. A $500M hit to the Austin/local economy. Italy just quarantined 1/4 of their population. The Seattle area (Kirkland) has COVID-19 spreading to their health workers. Nothing is more important than life and being vital. And your focus is wanting to see high school basketball? Be well and be healthy Turtle.

 

[observer22]

Postponing the tourney and cancelling the tourney are 2 different things. Postponing is just delaying the inevitable. They either need to play it or cancel it. I’d rather the games get played, and if people don’t want to attend, they can watch it online. But I know these are tough decisions everyone is wrestling with. As I see it, the virus is not going to stop spreading if a few games are cancelled. Just make sure those at risk are being protected.

 

[cougar15]

I have a good friend that is an infectious disease doctor. Yesterday he presented to 300 medical professionals about Coronavirus. When I told him about Sheldon, his response was, “That is ridiculous”.

So far the mortality rate on this looks high, but there’s a good chance we are severely underestimating how many people have been infected, as many won’t seek medical attention, as the symptoms are typically mild.

Sadly, most of the people that have died likely would have died if they got the flu too. Realistically, we could probably save tens of thousands of lives every year by never leaving our houses.

 

[ankleassassin]

Curry out with the flu now... he so soft

 

[Rimcrawler24]

This whole situation is bad for all parties. Poor communication, no back up on CIF's part, the virus has been area for about a month. Most of all the kids who been training for this opportunity to win a championship.School districts un We will never know the outcomes, but we do know the virus is here to stay and I'm sure this will open some eyes. But the memories of theses teams not fulfilling the dream of a High School champion will be life time memory never forgotten.

 

[Rimcrawler24]

This whole situation is bad for all parties. Poor communication, no back up on CIF's part, the virus has been area for about a month. Most of all the kids who been training for this opportunity to win a championship.School districts not knowing what do. We will never know the outcomes, but we do know the virus is here to

 

[cougar15]

How about people make their own decisions. If there’s a kid that isn’t comfortable playing, don’t make them play. If there are people that don’t want to go to crowded places, stay home. Let the rest of us carry on with our lives like normal.

 

[ayalar09]

First off @Renard Monroe I am so sorry for your loss. All of us go back and forth about Basketball...but there are a lot bigger fish to fry. That being said, I agree with about everything you had to say. Socal isn't cancelling their games. Some Norcal games cancelled....others are not. It's just not consistent...kinda like how the CIF seeds the whole tournament now. No consistency.

Right now its starting to look like they are going to cancel everything tomorrow. I just don't see how they can continue when a ton of these teams are in areas "affected" by Coronavirus. Also I want to make it clear I am in no way saying this disease isn't something serious....but at the same time I don't think it's as serious as people are making it out to be.

 

[SFcityfan]

I am keeping my comments to a minimum right now and really have not come on the site much since Thursday. We lost a family member on Thursday to a car accident that has torn my family apart. With that being said" Life is so Precious " I am not qualified to answer the solution on how this Coronavirus issue should be handled but I will say in my opinion there should not be any gray area. In the Southern Section no schools has been closed, no games have been canceled. Southern California has a bigger population than Northern California. If we are going to shut one team down, one school down then it needs to be clear cut across the board. No way should Dublin be advancing if Sheldon isn't. In my opinion what's right is right, if there is a real fear then no games should be played and Mitty and Odowd should not have played because Riordan played Mitty which means everyone has been exposed at Miity since you canceled Riordan's game saying they may have been exposed. All of this is an emotional rollercoaster.
Yesterday Bryce cried thinking the season was over only to hear later they may play again. Hopefully they get the opportunity to finish something they worked so hard for all season but if not let's be fair. No games should be played, nobody should be going to work, the world should just be on pause until we figure this out. If we are only worried about basketball games then there is something really wrong. All I see being canceled is concerts, schools and selected sporting events. I guess the Coronavirus will not affect the people at work, in the malls, people handling currency which everyone is exposed to, etc...
If it's the last game for Riordan it will be a shame just as it is for Sheldon but what can you do? I would just hope it's no grey area. None of this, one team can play but the other team can not. That will leave a bitter taste in everyone's mouth. At the end of all of this I truly hope in the near future we get a handle on the Coronavirus, the rumors, the Press ...all of it.

I am sincerely sorry for your family’s loss, may God and loving memories comfort you all.

 

[iamgearyblvd]

Curry out with the flu now... he so soft

lol the Warrior hate never ceases. Guy could be laying bleeding to death on the street and you probably would not stop to help save his life. Do you feel the same way about Ayesha and the kids? Does the hate extend to them?

 

[TurtleLoveCA]

AyalaR, your info is erroneous. They're not cancelling everything tomorrow

 

[Renard Monroe]

First off @Renard Monroe I am so sorry for your loss. All of us go back and forth about Basketball...but there are a lot bigger fish to fry. That being said, I agree with about everything you had to say. Socal isn't cancelling their games. Some Norcal games cancelled....others are not. It's just not consistent...kinda like how the CIF seeds the whole tournament now. No consistency.

Right now its starting to look like they are going to cancel everything tomorrow. I just don't see how they can continue when a ton of these teams are in areas "affected" by Coronavirus. Also I want to make it clear I am in no way saying this disease isn't something serious....but at the same time I don't think it's as serious as people are making it out to be.

Appreciate it. Honestly

 

[Renard Monroe]

I am sincerely sorry for your family’s loss, may God and loving memories comfort you all.

Thank you. Tough situation when they leave two children behind.

 

[ankleassassin]

lol the Warrior hate never ceases. Guy could be laying bleeding to death on the street and you probably would not stop to help save his life. Do you feel the same way about Ayesha and the kids? Does the hate extend to them?

Who are they?

 

[WhistlersMother]

I'm not a doctor. I'm not a school administrator responsible for hundreds/thousands of students. I'm not a lawyer waiting for someone with responsibility to slip up.

I am a basketball fan. I do want those who dedicate themselves towards a collective goal to have a chance to achieve said goal.

However:

Would I ask a player to absolve themselves of academic requirements to achieve said goal? No.

Would I ask a coach to make exceptions to behavioral or admin requirements to achieve said goal? No.

Would I ask school administrators to overlook health and safety risks to achieve said goal? No.

On that last note, if school admins said they'd take the risk, think about lawyers lying in wait when someone at that game complains of flu-like symptoms. Admins would bear burden of proving the game was NOT where person acquired illness. Impossible task. This is why games are being cancelled. It's called preventative responsibility in this litigious society.

Another reminder why the term STUDENT-athletes exists. Risk exposure is a reality for school admins. Easy for everyone on message boards to have an opinion. No consequence if you're wrong. Admins have another reality.

Basketball neither pays my bills, nor protects my health. So why do so many pretend that one basketball game it's more important than health and welfare? These are situations affecting 15 kids whose lives are way ahead of them, and certainly will not be defined by whether they win States or not.

Everyone needs to take a breath and see the big picture.

 

[Rimcrawler24]

Everyone making a big deal. It's the flu, we all get once a year. Just because is so polictally advertised Corina virus, it's labeled dangerous. we have all this hoopla across the world. Eventually this will be our common flu. Plain and simple ,if you don't want to attend game don't go. Many athlete s play with flu symptoms all the time . It a personal decision rather to play or not. If your an athlete or ex athlete you would understand but if your just a want put your too sense into a conversation. You don't understand how athlete thinks and prepares It very simple to be a reclining chair quarter back thinking you know what athlete s go through. Too many on this site, so let the kids play if there up to it.

 

[ankleassassin]

I'm not a doctor. I'm not a school administrator responsible for hundreds/thousands of students. I'm not a lawyer waiting for someone with responsibility to slip up.

I am a basketball fan. I do want those who dedicate themselves towards a collective goal to have a chance to achieve said goal.

However:

Would I ask a player to absolve themselves of academic requirements to achieve said goal? No.

Would I ask a coach to make exceptions to behavioral or admin requirements to achieve said goal? No.

Would I ask school administrators to overlook health and safety risks to achieve said goal? No.

On that last note, if school admins said they'd take the risk, think about lawyers lying in wait when someone at that game complains of flu-like symptoms. Admins would bear burden of proving the game was NOT where person acquired illness. Impossible task. This is why games are being cancelled. It's called preventative responsibility in this litigious society.

Another reminder why the term STUDENT-athletes exists. Risk exposure is a reality for school admins. Easy for everyone on message boards to have an opinion. No consequence if you're wrong. Admins have another reality.

Basketball neither pays my bills, nor protects my health. So why do so many pretend that one basketball game it's more important than health and welfare? These are situations affecting 15 kids whose lives are way ahead of them, and certainly will not be defined by whether they win States or not.

Everyone needs to take a breath and see the big picture.

Well put. The attorneys are waiting on this.

 

[DonniePeckerwood]

Everyone making a big deal. It's the flu, we all get once a year. Just because is so polictally advertised Corina virus, it's labeled dangerous. we have all this hoopla across the world. Eventually this will be our common flu. Plain and simple ,if you don't want to attend game don't go. Many athlete s play with flu symptoms all the time . It a personal decision rather to play or not. If your an athlete or ex athlete you would understand but if your just a want put your too sense into a conversation. You don't understand how athlete thinks and prepares It very simple to be a reclining chair quarter back thinking you know what athlete s go through. Too many on this site, so let the kids play if there up to it.

Yep it's the flu. It'll be a non story 3 months from now. The leftist media has effectively stirred up a frenzy for politically motivated reasons. Public school administrators generally lean very far left, so not surprised in the slightest by the absurd overreactions. Really hoping all the games will be played and nobody's senior season ends in a forfeit due to a manufactured "crisis".

- donnie politico

 

[da real]

It's similar to the flu if the data being presented by China is accurate... i do not trust the data from China.

Japan has closed schools for a month. France has banned public gatherings. Italy has canceled weddings and funerals large areas of the country. Italy is playing pro soccer games without fans. The city of Austin canceled south by south west music festival.

We are talking about a school based activity.

Allowing the games to go forward with fans is completely irresponsible and irrational.

 

[mrbig864]

...Allowing the games to go forward with fans is completely irresponsible and irrational.

Just so we can understand your post, are you suggesting all high school basketball games be cancelled, or should the games be played without fans? Is this all high school sports, or only basketball. What about college games, should the NCAA cancel March Madness for both women and men, or play them in empty arenas? NBA games and playoffs? No more fans, or no more games?

I’m not suggesting this is not a serious issue, I’m trying to understand what your view actually is.

For the record, it’s highly likely that many more people have contracted the virus, but likely don’t even know they have it. Many others have already been exposed, unknowingly.

 

[da real]

I would cancel all games although i can understand the rational of playing without fans.

The CIF is chasing profits over public safety. They should be ashamed of themselves.

 

[TurtleLoveCA]

Iamgearyblvd, I said you can't postpone the Tournament. Schedules don't allow it. Kids move on to other sports and a myriad of other reasons. Obviously it can be canceled although there is no medical reason to do so. The canceling of SXSW is an absurd overreaction. Likely Coachella will be canceled, too.

Stanford's decision to limit attendance to 1/3 capacity is insane. They aren't checking to see if people coming in appear sick or have a fever nor are they moving people 4 feet apart.

 

[mrbig864]

I would cancel all games although i can understand the rational of playing without fans.

The CIF is chasing profits over public safety. They should be ashamed of themselves.

I’m unaware of another governing body of sports in the US cancelling entire tournaments, although there are likely a few. But are you only focusing your accusations on the CIF because this is a high school sports website, or are you of the belief that ALL SPORTS events should be cancelled? And those that don’t are merely doing so to “chase profits”? NBA, NHL, NCAA, every other high school association, etc? Should they all cancel? What about local parks & rec leagues? We’ve got daughters playing travel volleyball through USA volleyball, should they cancel their tournaments? AAU hoops?? Little League kicked off this past weekend here in California, should they cancel little league until further notice? Pee wee basketball? Karate tournaments? You get my point

I’m being honest with these questions above. Why should CIF do something that no one else is? And if you are in the belief that EVERY sporting event in the country should be cancelled, do you understand that effect that would have on the American economy? It would be devastating. IMHO, canceling is not quite as a simple as you state.

 

[HSWIZARD73]

I’m unaware of another governing body of sports in the US cancelling entire tournaments, although there are likely a few. But are you only focusing your accusations on the CIF because this is a high school sports website, or are you of the belief that ALL SPORTS events should be cancelled? And those that don’t are merely doing so to “chase profits”? NBA, NHL, NCAA, every other high school association, etc? Should they all cancel? What about local parks & rec leagues? We’ve got daughters playing travel volleyball through USA volleyball, should they cancel their tournaments? AAU hoops?? Little League kicked off this past weekend here in California, should they cancel little league until further notice? Pee wee basketball? Karate tournaments? You get my point

I’m being honest with these questions above. Why should CIF do something that no one else is? And if you are in the belief that EVERY sporting event in the country should be cancelled, do you understand that effect that would have on the American economy? It would be devastating. IMHO, canceling is not quite as a simple as you state.

You propose some great questions, however the virus is not in every state nor in every county of the states it is in. And the economy is already being hammered. I went to San Francisco yesterday at 11:30AM, and I could have rode a bike over the Bay bridge in the middle lane, it was that dead

 

[ankleassassin]

You propose some great questions, however the virus is not in every state nor in every county of the states it is in. And the economy is already being hammered. I went to San Francisco yesterday at 11:30AM, and I could have rode a bike over the Bay bridge in the middle lane, it was that dead

Well that is a blessing... sitting on that bridge for 40 minutes going to Riordan was going to kill some folks

 

[observer22]

Stanford's decision to limit attendance to 1/3 capacity is insane.

I actually thought that was a pretty good compromise. Attendance would probably be down anyway, as no one is forcing people to attend these games, but if there’s room to go sit by yourself you can do it.

 

[ankleassassin]

I blame Donald Trump

 

[DonniePeckerwood]

I blame Donald Trump

Me too! #metoo

- donnie twenty twenty

 

[ayalar09]

Ok here is my solution...people will probably laugh at it.

For Riordan, test the entire team today to make sure none have Coronavirus. Play the game against De La Tomorrow either at De La, or in a empty gym. No fans allowed. Game is broadcast on youtube, so only people in gym would be players, coaches, refs, stats guys, and camerman/commentators (if necessary).

For every other CIF game, I would finish the tournament in empty gyms. Every single game, socal and norcal so no one can claim an unfair advantage. Broadcast all the games on youtube and the only people allowed in the gyms are players/coaches/stats guys/camerman/commentators/refs.

This would be especially easy to do for the Championship games since all will be played in the same gym.

Thoughts?

 

[observer22]

There aren’t enough test kits to test people who are showing no symptoms.

 

[HSWIZARD73]

Ok here is my solution...people will probably laugh at it.

For Riordan, test the entire team today to make sure none have Coronavirus. Play the game against De La Tomorrow either at De La, or in a empty gym. No fans allowed. Game is broadcast on youtube, so only people in gym would be players, coaches, refs, stats guys, and camerman/commentators (if necessary).

For every other CIF game, I would finish the tournament in empty gyms. Every single game, socal and norcal so no one can claim an unfair advantage. Broadcast all the games on youtube and the only people allowed in the gyms are players/coaches/stats guys/camerman/commentators/refs.

This would be especially easy to do for the Championship games since all will be played in the same gym.

Thoughts?

Ayalar, for one it takes a good 24 hours to get a test back for people who are not showing severe symptoms. Secondly and this is per the CDC website, In the early stages of infection, it is possible the virus will not be detected

Therefore kids at the school may have it, and not know it as of yet. And in the early stages of the virus, it can go undetectable.

So how does it affect the school. Obviously the school will now be closed for more than just today. ICA girls school is closed for the next two weeks as a staff member tested positive. So I assume at this point the archdiocese will do the same with Riordan. And the CDC has been covering the costs of the tests, so I am pretty sure they are going to continue to test sick people and not waste kits over a basketball game.