Perhaps this will be the last ESPN jab this season

[Lucy]

WTH is “woke”[/QUOTE
Anti-Neanderthal

 

[madtownvol]

I'm certainly worried about the Corona Virus; but no more than any of the myriad viruses of the past couple decades. My wife's a nurse; my favorite daughter-in-law is a pharmacist; they're worried about the Corona Virus - that's enough for me.



Having said all that, I think we've been played. And, this is no condemnation of our media (and I don't know which ones you like, or hate; doesn't matter) after all, what choice do they have? But, a certain unnamed place on this earth, where this Virus supposedly originated, suddenly seems to have righted the ship, and they're staged to blitzkrieg our economy. How this plays out (politically) is anybody's guess, but our incumbent president stands to have the most to lose. At any rate, how it goes, economically depends on how many more bad checks our "leadership" is willing to write, though I can hardly see how it can be enough. Because, a few billion here, a few billion there, will not be enough. So, a no-win. Because the damage will have been done.

Yes, I'm scared of the Corona Virus! And tick bites, so many cancers; and the flu, etc; and none of them in any particular order ...but, the "cure" we're gonna need for the Corona Virus will require much more than anything medical science can deliver; though a certain "philanthropist" who "invested" fifty-million in a vaccine, stands to make a little money for his "helping" hand.

Cheers!

I have been seeing this idea a lot; "Well, China contained it so we don't need to impose all these draconian measures that will hurt our economy."

But that argument begs the question of how did China flatten the curve--which means slowing the rate of new outbreaks so the health care system is not overwhelmed. They did it by imposing Draconian measures that carried huge economic and social costs and, unlike the US, China had a system in place for widespread and accessible testing that allowed infected individuals to be quarantined.

China shows COVID-19 Coronavirus can be ‘stopped in its tracks’

China epicenter's 2 month ordeal

And here is the unsettling thing. Once the virus is contained, via mass quarantining and closing of public places (in the case of the Hubei province; now at 8 weeks -- notice the alignment with the CDC recommendations?), we don't know how much longer these suppression procedures will need to remain in place. In other words, there is a good chance that another crisis inducing spike in the infection rate would occur if China relaxed all these restrictions.

Also, more recent reports from Italy show that the later the response, the more difficult it is to attain this level of manageable containment and these sites are also reporting (as well as other locales) that younger people (who are now being identified through testing) can also be prone to serious respiratory consequences. That is another factor about this virus; it is not well understood, like the flu and, hence initial pronouncements, like younger people are not at risk may prove to be incorrect.

A report from Dallas, TX for example: "Notably, three of the new cases are now in critical care at local hospitals -- including some patients in their 20s and 30s with no underlying medical conditions. Two others are also hospitalized and four others are self-isolating at home."

Nine new COVID-19 coronavirus cases confirmed in Dallas County, three in critical care

Bottom line, we are in for a world of hurt, on many dimensions, unless medical professionals are able to find some combination of existing drugs/vaccines that will treat the disease (as opposed to having to develop a new drug and which would have a much longer time line before it could be mass distributed.)

Last but not least, it is worth remembering that this virus does not give a damn what political party any one votes for.

 

[tennrich1]

Sports intersects with society so, sports stories are bound at times to have politically charged implications:

ESPN is no more political than Fox Sports, with high profile personalities like Jason Whitlock and Clay Travis lambasting Colin Kaepernick, the US women's soccer team among others and condemning the #metoo movement:

"On the politics front, it’s not hard for Fox to stand out as a better alternative to ESPN to disgruntled conservatives, given that the Fox brand is already synonymous to conservatives thanks to Fox News. Fox News has been ramping up their sports coverage by covering divisive sports stories like White House visits or lack thereof by championship teams, Colin Kaepernick, the NBA’s bungled response to Daryl Morey’s Hong Kong tweets, and even Don Cherry’s firing." Sports Blogger Says Fox Sports Attracting Disgruntled Conservatives


So let's be clear, you are not mad because ESPN has an agenda; you are made because it differs from your ideological agenda and it may present ideas and in some cases, facts, that you would rather not hear.

I’m not mad at all. But we will just disagree and that’s ok too.

 

[tennrich1]

Without the free press we would still be hearing corona virus is nothing to worry about. There is planned indoctrination at some media outlets, both sides, but the vast majority of news outlets strive to present the truth to the people.

As a former member of the media and a wife who was a journalist for over 40 years I can confidently say that train left the station many years ago. I wished our media was the way you described but that’s clearly not the case.

 

[Pappy]

ESPN teed up the NCAA Tournament bubble status once again. They like keeping the subject alive while at the same time plugging their Bracketology as if it were a legitimate part of the process.

What might have been if the 2020 women's NCAA tournament had been played

you and three other people prolly watched that...not many people really care about ESPN unless their team is on the tube IMHO...heck, I'd watch MSNBC if they showed a VOLS game

 

[krichunaka]

I have been seeing this idea a lot; "Well, China contained it so we don't need to impose all these draconian measures that will hurt our economy."

But that argument begs the question of how did China flatten the curve--which means slowing the rate of new outbreaks so the health care system is not overwhelmed. They did it by imposing Draconian measures that carried huge economic and social costs and, unlike the US, China had a system in place for widespread and accessible testing that allowed infected individuals to be quarantined.

China shows COVID-19 Coronavirus can be ‘stopped in its tracks’

China epicenter's 2 month ordeal

And here is the unsettling thing. Once the virus is contained, via mass quarantining and closing of public places (in the case of the Hubei province; now at 8 weeks -- notice the alignment with the CDC recommendations?), we don't know how much longer these suppression procedures will need to remain in place. In other words, there is a good chance that another crisis inducing spike in the infection rate would occur if China relaxed all these restrictions.

Also, more recent reports from Italy show that the later the response, the more difficult it is to attain this level of manageable containment and these sites are also reporting (as well as other locales) that younger people (who are now being identified through testing) can also be prone to serious respiratory consequences. That is another factor about this virus; it is not well understood, like the flu and, hence initial pronouncements, like younger people are not at risk may prove to be incorrect.

A report from Dallas, TX for example: "Notably, three of the new cases are now in critical care at local hospitals -- including some patients in their 20s and 30s with no underlying medical conditions. Two others are also hospitalized and four others are self-isolating at home."

Nine new COVID-19 coronavirus cases confirmed in Dallas County, three in critical care

Bottom line, we are in for a world of hurt, on many dimensions, unless medical professionals are able to find some combination of existing drugs/vaccines that will treat the disease (as opposed to having to develop a new drug and which would have a much longer time line before it could be mass distributed.)

Last but not least, it is worth remembering that this virus does not give a damn what political party any one votes for.

I appreciate all the effort and research that you put into not just this, but your every post; and I take what you say on such matters very seriously. This is my round-about way of saying, Thanks, and I have a lot of respect for you ...even on those rare occasions that you (as do most of us) insert political snipes at one person/party or the other, fully aware that we are instructed not to do so on this forum. Those things I take in context, and even with a bit of humor. It’s all good. So, your point is acknowledged, and just like this virus, where your politics is concerned, I don’t give a damn.

So, all things political aside, I am hugely concerned with this Corona Virus! I mentioned family members associated with the medical profession: My daughter-in-law also has children - two amazing sons. My now forty-year-old daughter also has two sons (but now I’m just bragging). She works for NASA, which is just down the road (by Texas standards) from Dallas. Her husband is also a medical professional. You’re doubtless aware that we literally have doctors on ventilators from dutifully attending Corona Virus patients.

So, I get it!

We have so many cousins, nephews, nieces, even great-grandchildren ...all of us patriotic and very vulnerable. And though I’ve become skeptical of so many things, if COVID-19 has the slightest political hue, it is not, like you, attached to a particular party.

So, if you’re suggesting that my skepticism of the actions and intent of some very powerful people and entities, is akin to downplaying the potential devastating medical ramifications of this disease and all it entails, that is not the case.

We surely are in for a world of hurt, medically, and otherwise, but the fact that the Chi-cons are essentially “up-and-running” - ECONOMICALLY - is, to me at least, worth noting.

Cheers, madtown.

 

[VOLPAT]

Two constants in the sports world:

1. espn will continue to take unprovoked jabs at Tennessee
2. espn will continue to have massive layoffs as their news and analysis continue to suck even more than the previous year!

10 years from now espn will have a whole lot in common with 8-Track tapes in that they will both be obsolete!

I love it Huntland. You are spot on. ESPN lost it's relevance a while back. They are boorish and boring. They are wrong more than right and never own up to their malfeasance.

 

[creekdipper]

I’m not mad at all. But we will just disagree and that’s ok too.

So let's just leave it alone if we can"t see eye to eye
There ain't no good guy; there ain't no bad guy
There's just you and me and we just disagree.

 

[tennrich1]

So let's just leave it alone if we can"t see eye to eye
There ain't no good guy; there ain't no bad guy
There's just you and me and we just disagree.

Well played creek, well played. I like the frivolity! We take ourselves way too serious sometimes when the other guy doesn’t!