Iowa State announces reversal of plans to have fans in the stands for season opener

[jsb]

There were several prior posts debating this but wanted to add to the conversation around will people will want the same standards when in comes to flu season as we do now with COVID. Massive caveat of course is that COVID is NOT the flu. Completely understand and agree. I am very much on board with wearing masks and taking the sensible precautions related to COVID.

Reality is however, that preventative measures for the two ARE largely the same. The best case study we have right now is Australia. They just exited their traditional flu season and turns out the flu was virtually non-existent this year. Why? Because of people wearing masks, socially distancing, heightened focus on sanitation, hand washing, etc.

When we look at a typical flu season in the US, based on 10-yr average CDC estimates, we're talking about 28.6 million symptomatic cases, 446k hospitalizations, and 37,462 deaths every year. Evidence suggests that could be effectively eliminated by following these types of protocols for the ~4-6 month flu season.

In my mind people have taken two stances. 1) "Even one COVID death is too many if caused by people not taking things seriously or following the suggested mitigation tactics" or 2) "It's survival of the fittest and the people who die are largely those who were already in poor health or very elderly"

I guess what I'm getting at is that we, as a population, are willing to accept "Stance 2" and 35,000+ deaths from the flu every year with no concern. Why do some reject that stance and move to "Stance 1" for COVID?

Will this change our mindsets and should we continue these mitigation tactics in perpetuity based on the evidence that we could largely eliminate flu season and likely other respiratory illness? I think it's clearly unsustainable to carry on like this forever, but behaviors may change that lessen flu impact.

Or do we get past COVID, a temporary (although doesn't feel like it) event, lose 200,000-300,000 lives and then turn around and forget it all and start accepting 40k deaths a year from flu like it's a foregone conclusion?

Yes, we believe death rates to be more significant than the flu and I get all that. The point is more about behaviors and how death related to COVID is viewed differently when compared to other viral infections.

Maybe. But right now we are close to 200k in 6 months, so get back to me when we are at 40,000.

 

[agrabes]

And playing football is absolutely nothing like having 25k in the stands for an event. The B1G is practicing so effectively they aren't doing much different yet.

Fans/no fans has always been the issue.

If conferences are going to practice they might as well play no fan games.

Agreed. We know that many of the B1G football teams either are practicing or were practicing for weeks leading up to the cancellation of the season. I would guess at least some PAC12 teams also practiced. It's always been the fans.

 

[exCyDing]

That only works if the entire crowd is from Story county. Now do the state as a whole.

The data isn't broken out that way, but your point brings up the issue again of bringing people from all over the state to one of the hottest spots in the country and then returns them home. Is that a good idea?

 

[cygrads]

Gotta admit watching the games without fans is not as fun - maybe when ISU is playing it will be better but the lack of fans is a downer.

 

[RoseClone]

Yeah, it really is a stupid argument they are trying to make. If the flu killed at this rate, you bet your ass it would cause the same chaos. People still can't understand it's not all about the deaths, it's also about over loading the hospitals and there being no room for people.

Which hasn't even come close to happening

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

Which hasn't even come close to happening

Oh really? Been to South Florida before? They were at 130% ICU meaning they were taking beds from the regular hospital and converting to ICU. They were 1 week from full when I was there not even a month ago.

 

[yowza]

The data isn't broken out that way, but your point brings up the issue again of bringing people from all over the state to one of the hottest spots in the country and then returns them home. Is that a good idea?

Aren't the kids on campus from all around the state and don't they go home sometimes on weekends?

 

[yowza]

Gotta admit watching the games without fans is not as fun - maybe when ISU is playing it will be better but the lack of fans is a downer.

It just has to suck as a player. Has to have a practice feel to it.

 

[Cyinthenorth]

Gotta admit watching the games without fans is not as fun - maybe when ISU is playing it will be better but the lack of fans is a downer.

Game last night was awful. If it's a sign of things to come, I'm not sure I'll be watching much more than ISU games

 

[yowza]

Anecdotal but my conservative ER doc friend has always told me the flu shot is worth it and the most common illness related fatality he gets is people arriving too late from flu and dying in his ER within minutes or an hour too far gone.

He just postponed his Oct wedding a year.

Cold feet??????????????

 

[yowza]

There are still pluses and minuses to this approach though. I'm all for wearing masks and taking appropriate measures for the current pandemic or other similar outbreaks. I'm not necessarily in favor of a blanket mask wearing policy for any possible ailment. There are negative effects to doing things like this - living in an environment that is too sterile generally leads to people having weaker immune systems.

Obviously, I'm not a medical professional. But I personally think it is valuable for people to be exposed to regular germs throughout their lives.

Our pediatrician told us to let our son eat dirt once in a while.

 

[madguy30]

Gotta admit watching the games without fans is not as fun - maybe when ISU is playing it will be better but the lack of fans is a downer.

Kinda feels like a small high school game or watching one of the earlier bowl games or that one out in Hawaii on Christmas Eve.

Last night you could hear BYU's bench having a good time so that was new as they're usually not audible.

That was Navy's first time 'live' and they looked like it.

 

[yowza]

Lots of lives would be saved if people wore masks if they believed or knew they had the flu. That is why people in a lot of asian countries wear masks when they are sick. We just live in a more selfish society. if the flu was the same as covid though, yes, masks would be required, social distancing would be practices etc. Not that hard to understand.

And take that last step and admit you have gone out and about when you were sick in the past and you like everyone else are that selfish American.

Americans pride ourselves on dragging our asses to work when we are sick.

 

[IASTATE07]

It just has to suck as a player. Has to have a practice feel to it.

Zero chance these feel like a practice.

 

[Raiders70]

Zero chance these feel like a practice.

It would suck if you played in the Big 10. They have to put in the work at practice every week but don't get the enjoyment of playing the game. Not nearly as exciting to play in an empty stadium but has to be better than not playing games at all.

 

[Raiders70]

Game last night was awful. If it's a sign of things to come, I'm not sure I'll be watching much more than ISU games

Maybe more like only watching ISU games and with a lot less anticipation.

 

[NWICY]

And playing football is absolutely nothing like having 25k in the stands for an event. The B1G is practicing so effectively they aren't doing much different yet.

Fans/no fans has always been the issue.

If conferences are going to practice they might as well play no fan games.

Nope, nope, nope, Having the B1G, PAC12, shoot themselves in the foot is fine with me. Hopefully some of the money from them not playing comes to the teams that are.

 

[HFCS]

It would suck if you played in the Big 10. They have to put in the work at practice every week but don't get the enjoyment of playing the game. Not nearly as exciting to play in an empty stadium but has to be better than not playing games at all.

If I were a player with serious NFL potential I'd be telling my coaches that my "practice only" season is basically lifting weights, bike/treadmill, and film study or I'm heading to another program. Even just running routes is a serious risk to the knees.

Imagine getting a serious injury during a practice only season where there isn't even a lot of potential to impress scouts.

I still don't get why practice without playing fan-free games. Practicing with no games vs fan-free games is 99% of the risk to the players and community with hardly any of the reward.

 

[HFCS]

Nope, nope, nope, Having the B1G, PAC12, shoot themselves in the foot is fine with me. Hopefully some of the money from them not playing comes to the teams that are.

Big Ten I can kind of agree because of the over the top influence they have on the "committee" and the media of the sport in general.

Pac I've kind of forgiven for their idiotic villain role in conference realignment as realities of the universe had already crushed them well before Covid.

 

[Raiders70]

Nope, nope, nope, Having the B1G, PAC12, shoot themselves in the foot is fine with me. Hopefully some of the money from them not playing comes to the teams that are.

It was more about feeling bad for the players and all the hard work they ended up putting in for nothing.