The fallacy of the Pandemic

cherryhelmet

There’s no more serious a threat to college football than the current pandemic.

In 1918, all of the Philadelphia high school Thanksgiving Day games were canceled due to the Spanish Flu.

In 2020, there currently is a serious threat about the entire college–maybe even the NFL–season being canceled due to CORVID-19.

helmetstickers

Hopefully, the Owls will get some helmet stickers on ESPN this season

In my mind, that only happens if there is a recurrence after the social distancing ends in May. There are signs where other countries–particularly China and South Korea–are getting back to some form of normalcy so it logically follows that the U.S. will, too.

The fallacy part is that all of the teams are in the same boat and no one program has an advantage over the other. Take Miami and Temple for instance. Miami got a full week of hitting in before suspending its spring practices. Temple doesn’t hit and got one day in before suspending.

Miami is at least a week ahead of Temple, maybe more, and there’s nothing the Owls can do about it if the teams resume summer camp at the same time.

Also, the areas that were harder hit–the Northeast and the Southeast, for instance–probably will lag behind the other more rural areas of college football.

Every day we are hearing about this famous person or that famous person coming down with the illness. So far, we haven’t heard any Temple or Miami players coming down with it and we probably won’t due to health privacy protocols.

Nor do we need to hear about it.

For now, though, let’s just hope that no one on the Owls or anyone they play come down with it because any Temple win should be hard-earned and there should be no excuses coming from either side for personnel issues.

Otherwise, with Miami having that week of practice in the bag, that’s a head start that probably will not be overcome and that’s a legitimate reason for a possible loss, not an excuse.

Friday: Keeping An Eye on the Staff

Monday (4/20): Smoking Out the Winner

Friday: (4/24): Spring Football?

Monday: (4/27): Temple and The NFL Draft

Friday (5/1): Smoking Out The Winners

Monday (5/4): Suspending Campaigns

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7 thoughts on “The fallacy of the Pandemic

  1. Mike

    I think it might be possible that you are exaggerating the value of that extra week of practice.

    By the time this shut-down has been lifted, each team across the country will have been dormant for what—8 to 10 weeks— give or take depending what part of the country your in.

    I kinda think everyone is back to square one. The difference will show in the dedication and LEADERSHIP of each individual team. Will, or can, players get themselves ready? How effective can coaches be in “encouraging” players and units to stick together and stay ready. How quickly can coaches instruct and implement game plans?

    Real leaders are going to show what their worth when and if thus season gets underway. I have my doubts about Carey stepping up and proving he can make something positive out of all this.

    • I’m guessing football coaches are considered non-essential jobs as far as the federal/state guidelines yet most of non-essential employees are laid off or dismissed with no pay. All of the football coaches are getting paid, which they should, but you’ve got to wonder what they can do in this period other than recruit or take vacations. I hope Temple’s recruiting upticks because of this delay but, if I see a lot of MAC-level recruits coming here, it won’t. We need to poach the P5 both in real recruiting and the portal. Good players like the SMU quarterback who started at Texas but lost his job.

  2. Well, it is probably not an apt comparison, but I was thinking about the way in which Buddy Ryan kept that Eagles team motivated and united during the NFL players strike. A Coach who’s earning his money not only is out there recruiting is tail off right now, but also got his team “together” during this shut-down.

    A second tier coach, and it remains to be seen where Carey falls, won’t see his team or have them stick together until the next time practices are allowed. My point, to a lesser degree, also applies to Russo and a leader on the defense.

    I have no idea what the specific guidelines are at the moment, but we all know that there are coaches and teams who are using the time wisely and coaches and teams who are sitting around with their thumbs up their……

    • In today’s computer world with Facetime and Zoom (group meetings online) I would doubt any programs are sitting around doing next to nothing. Unless some kids can’t afford computers/programs or aren’t very competent on them. And I would think the players are motivated enough to work out, even on their own – it’s tougher by yourself but doing something is better than doing nothing – don’t forget they’re competing with each other for starting positions. What they can’t do is practice plays and other things as a team and the QBs and receivers working on their timing, etc. Hopefully Russo has hung a tire in his back yard, lol.

  3. Philly on line had a story yesterday about Carey and the PSU coach conducting recruiting on line. None of this may matter unless the virus is overcome because there will not be a season if it isn’t. Some are predicting that the football season may be pushed to next spring. Another scenario has teams playing only conference games, a plan that would decimate many G-5 programs and could blow up the MAC.

    • Seems like what the NCAA and P5 programs have been waiting for and sneakily working toward – decimate the G5 programs so the P5s can get ALL the money.

      • I have said here before that I would LOVE to see the NCAA create a Tier One Level……any of those P5’s can join. Or leave it at like 40 schools and see how quickly the P5’s cut each others throats.

        The rest of the NCAA programs all go back to REGIONAL FOOTBALL. Temple plays in a conference (or league) with Rutgers, Cuse, Boston College, etc…. Simple schedules, no horse crap travel or “squash” games.

        If there is enough interest, the regional leagues could create their own playoffs.

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