The lead question of the 2021 CWS ...

I feel terrible for the kids who got caught up in the current culture wars. Many of these same kids wouldn’t lose a minute of sleep over the risks of CTE, spinal cord injuries, sports related surgeries, dietary supplements, Steroids, HGH, etc. To say they declined the vaccine because of potential side effects is nonsense (even though they do believe that). They made their decisions based on choosing a side, just like most of the comments here.

A few years from now when covid-19 has been usurped by other deadlier viruses, and the covid-19 vaccines didn't cause a mass extinction event.. and these guys have had time to think about how close they were to winning that beautiful trophy, I can’t image they won’t all regret the decisions they made.

Note: No one in their right mind thinks that the NCAA rules/guidelines make much sense at this point, or that a more equitable solution couldn’t have been reached, but every school understood those rules, and they knew that 4 teams from other sports had already been sent home.

@baseballhs posted:

If you are sick, go home, that's it.  

Player #1 who played while sick with "the bug" went home. Supposedly without the team they played knowing about it.

@TPM posted:

Player #1 who played while sick with "the bug" went home. Supposedly without the team they played knowing about it.

And everyone that wants the vaccine has it. It’s not an issue. Everyone else is playing at their own “risk”.

This is true, and I tend to agree.  At this point you would have to be living in a cave not to know about COVID.  But . . . if a hospital's intensive care unit is full of COVID patients and the doctors and nurses are spread thin and exhausted, and you show up with a heart attack, you're going to care.  That's just one example of why it's not just about you.

@anotherparent posted:

This is true, and I tend to agree.  At this point you would have to be living in a cave not to know about COVID.  But . . . if a hospital's intensive care unit is full of COVID patients and the doctors and nurses are spread thin and exhausted, and you show up with a heart attack, you're going to care.  That's just one example of why it's not just about you.

Well said.

Theres also the issue of herd immunity.  If not enough people get vaccinated soon enough, this thing is going to keep mutating to even worse variants that get through the current vaccine, and the entire country is going to be shut down again.

Except next time it could be worse because 1) the new variant may be deadlier and 2) a certain segment or two of the population is going to be even more reluctant to mask up or stay at home.

@3and2Fastball posted:

Well said.

Theres also the issue of herd immunity.  If not enough people get vaccinated soon enough, this thing is going to keep mutating to even worse variants that get through the current vaccine, and the entire country is going to be shut down again.

Except next time it could be worse because 1) the new variant may be deadlier and 2) a certain segment or two of the population is going to be even more reluctant to mask up or stay at home.

I heard a story on our local news the other day, that in a few certain states where people won't get vaccinated  there are overcrowded ERs with serious cases of covid.  Doctors and nurses are really upset having to do this all over again just because people won't get the vaccine.

Another example of why it's not just about you.

So I guess when Mississippi State is kicking Vanderbilt's ass the Whistler goes home?

@Smitty28 I think he just got out cheered.

@Smitty28 posted:

You're making a good argument that as long as you are vaccinated you shouldn't worry about those who are not.  I agree with this.

So simple it deserves a repost.

@Smitty28 posted:

So I guess when Mississippi State is kicking Vanderbilt's ass the Whistler goes home?

He was whistling. But it was restrained and limited even early in the game before it got out of control. Like last year the CWS and ESPN people may have had a talk with him. I was one of hundreds of people who called ESPN (I asked if others had called) and complained Monday night.

I turned the game off Monday night. He was obnoxious. I went as far to make my point to ESPN to cancel my ESPN+ subscription. I didn’t tell them I was going to cancel before the next month since college baseball will be over.

@RJM posted:

He was whistling. But it was restrained and limited even early in the game before it got out of control. Like last year the CWS and ESPN people may have had a talk with him. I was one of hundreds of people who called ESPN (I asked if others had called) and complained Monday night.

I turned the game off Monday night. He was obnoxious. I went as far to make my point to ESPN to cancel my ESPN+ subscription. I didn’t tell them I was going to cancel before the next month since college baseball will be over.

That wasn't the reason.

@Smitty28 posted:

So I guess when Mississippi State is kicking Vanderbilt's ass the Whistler goes home?

Neither was this.....

Herd immunity can also be attained by people acquiring the virus and having the antibodies. Maybe teams would have been smarter to expose the team early December or January) and get it over with since the risk to a 20 year old is close to 0

@edcoach posted:

Herd immunity can also be attained by people acquiring the virus and having the antibodies. Maybe teams would have been smarter to expose the team early December or January) and get it over with since the risk to a 20 year old is close to 0

The NCAA allows 120 days after covid to be safe from another reinfection. After that you have to be back on covid protocol.

@TPM posted:

That wasn't the reason.

Then what was it? It was in the paper last year the CWS people had a conversation with him at the request of ESPN for being over the top and interfering with the broadcast.

When I called ESPN to complain he was making the broadcast unwatchable Monday I asked how many calls. The person said “hundreds.”

Add edit: saw your message

@edcoach posted:

Herd immunity can also be attained by people acquiring the virus and having the antibodies. Maybe teams would have been smarter to expose the team early December or January) and get it over with since the risk to a 20 year old is close to 0

There were some rumors (and a lot of positive tests) Alabama football did this last summer.

@TPM posted:

Neither was this.....

So did the NCAA, ESPN, Vanderbilt or TD Ameritrade go after him?  Or maybe his seat neighbors finally had enough?

2018 game one drew 1.8 million viewers.

2021 game one drew 385k. 

I blame the whistler. 

@RJM posted:

There were some rumors (and a lot of positive tests) Alabama football did this last summer.

aTm definitely did this last summer with the football team.

@TerribleBPthrower posted:

aTm definitely did this last summer with the football team.

So you're saying, with certainty, that Texas A&M University purposely exposed student athletes to the Covid virus.  Just want to be sure I understand your charge in this post.

@9and7dad posted:

So you're saying, with certainty, that Texas A&M University purposely exposed student athletes to the Covid virus.  Just want to be sure I understand your charge in this post.

Yep, and coaches. They aren't the only ones to do it. Other schools encouraged kids who didn't have Covid to be around kids who did have it.

And I wouldn't say it was the university encouraging it.

Do you have a credible source?  Or is this rumor similar to that suggested about Alabama?

It's a pretty serious charge, and one I wouldn't be inclined to believe without verifiable substantiation. 

You find it hard to believe coaches making between $7-10M a year for an organization that brings in $50M+ a year would encourage players to break protocol and get sick now rather than risk missing time during the season? I can promise you this wouldn’t even be close to the worst thing some of these guys do.

What I find hard to believe is there are people willing to make assumptions and then make assertions with no actual basis.  As a parent of a former SEC athlete, I appreciate the economics lesson on the conference, but I already have a pretty good understanding of them.

I wasn't attempting to pick some sort of message board internet squabble with you.  Your singling out specifically of A&M is what caught my attention, under the assumption you knew something directly.  I now have a better understanding.

@RJM posted:

There were some rumors (and a lot of positive tests) Alabama football did this last summer.

Regardless of how they got covid, Nick Saban has made a PSA for getting vaccinated, has encouraged his team to do it:

https://www.cbssports.com/coll...ovid-19-vaccination/

https://www.si.com/college/ala...ccinations-blackwell

@anotherparent posted:

Regardless of how they got covid, Nick Saban has made a PSA for getting vaccinated, has encouraged his team to do it:

https://www.cbssports.com/coll...ovid-19-vaccination/

https://www.si.com/college/ala...ccinations-blackwell

Public image versus behind closed doors

I appreciate State fans turning the Whistler into a “Let’s Go State” cheer.

Bad look for Rocker to leave the mound before Corbin got out there. Karma is a bitch.

This is officially an ass whoopin’

Did the NCAA forget to pay the umps and Whistler off?

Looks like Vandy just checked into the Smack down hotel! Could not have happen to a better shady coach.

Omaha and Starkville will never be the same again. So very happy for this team! First championship of any kind for Mississippi State.

And Mississippi State wins!!

I'm sure State is glad to see the outcome! A little sweet payback!

“The Whistler” just entered the transfer portal.

Arkansas (who didn’t lose any 3 game series in SEC play) has to be crying in their beer. But good for State! That’s a championship that’s both well deserved and long overdue.

@pdogg1 posted:

Looks like Vandy just checked into the Smack down hotel! Could not have happen to a better shady coach.

Serious question: what makes Corbin shady? I may be naive, but I’ve never heard him accused of that.

In case you’re not aware of how far Mississippi State came in a short time …

2021 SEC tournament:

Florida 13 Miss State 1

Tennessee 12 Miss State 2

@RJM posted:

---

In case you’re not aware of how far Mississippi State came in a short time …

2021 SEC tournament:

Florida 13 Miss State 1

Tennessee 12 Miss State 2

And not only that, Vanderbilt beat MS two out of three back in April.  Granted, that series was in Nashville.

Would be pretty tough for a team to play a better overall game than Mississippi State played last night.  Pitching, defense, hitting - they did it all.

@pdogg1 posted:

Looks like Vandy just checked into the Smack down hotel! Could not have happen to a better shady coach.

Ok, we get that you don't like Corbin or Vandy. But did you ever think that there are parents here whose sons play at Vandy.

Enough.  Don't post anything unless you can back it up.