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Post by Bornthrilla on Oct 4, 2020 8:37:43 GMT -5
Sources: NFL, NFLPA investigating whether Titans violated COVID-19 protocols
9:15 PM ET Adam Schefter ESPN Senior WriterThe NFL and the NFL Players Association are investigating whether the Tennessee Titans, who have had 18 members of their organization test positive for COVID-19 in the past week, violated the league's coronavirus-related protocols, sources told ESPN. After the Titans' recent outbreak -- during which nine players and nine team personnel members have tested positive, one source observed to ESPN that "This isn't a failure of the protocols; it is a failure to follow the protocols."Officials from both the NFL and NFLPA have been in Tennessee since Friday, seeking answers to an issue that some sources believe ultimately will wind up with the league making an example of the Titans. The NFL and NFLPA have asked the Titans to turn over multiple videotapes of team activities so they can get a better idea of the root of the outbreak, according to sources. Read more: www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/30032965/sources-nfl-nflpa-investigating-whether-titans-violated-covid-19-protocols
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Post by ohsixrain on Oct 4, 2020 14:04:43 GMT -5
Okay, the protocols didn't fail, the people did. But, you ha e got to allow people to be human and if people cannot be human without contracting the virus, you may want to take a look at that. At the end of the day, it's a gamble.
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Post by Bornthrilla on Oct 4, 2020 14:38:19 GMT -5
It's called a calculated risk. I promise that you yourself have made dozens of similar calculated risks in your personal life this past week alone. We all have.
Some of us just dont get on a message board and pretend like we don't.
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VA's Finest
Official BDF member
BDF Riders
Posts: 3,018
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Post by VA's Finest on Oct 4, 2020 16:57:10 GMT -5
I love football just as much as the next, but I really don't think we are taking this COVID-19 thing seriously. If protocols are followed and testing is accurate then play until your hearts content. However, if someone tests positive for COVID-19, when youu contact trace, all those in close contact should quarantine for 14 days. And as Dr. Sanjay Gupta on CNN has constantly repeated, "when you are in close contact with a positive case, and you receive a subsequent negative test, YOU ARE NOT in the clear, you should still quarantine for the 14 days because of the incubation periods and you can still test positive in the coming days. So the presidents crew should be quarantined and the Patriots Chiefs should NOT be played on Monday. The Patriots roster and support staff should be quarantined for 14 days, am I right? What are we doing?
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Post by Bornthrilla on Oct 4, 2020 17:16:21 GMT -5
Nah, 14 days is kinda excessive for a negative test. These guys are tested every day so you have to just trust the results at some point.
You can find a middle ground and still be safe.
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Post by ohsixrain on Oct 4, 2020 17:21:39 GMT -5
It's called a calculated risk. I promise that you yourself have made dozens of similar calculated risks in your personal life this past week alone. We all have. Some of us just dont get on a message board and pretend like we don't. Dude, you keep saying that but, my calculated risk is based on priorities, not just to be hanging out. Grocery store shopping is different from a game...eating is a necessity in order to live...college football isn't! I'm just sorry...
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Post by Bornthrilla on Oct 4, 2020 17:42:42 GMT -5
Tell these people that college football is not a priority. Just because your income or livelihood is not personally affected by college football does not mean it isn't a priority to others. Stop it with this "holier than thou" attitude and understand that everyone is trying to operate in the midst of a pandemic as best they can.
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Post by ohsixrain on Oct 4, 2020 19:20:23 GMT -5
I can't tell...
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Post by Bornthrilla on Oct 5, 2020 15:33:25 GMT -5
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Post by aggierattler on Oct 5, 2020 20:37:21 GMT -5
I think that every professional sports organizations is doing this. I definitely know that the NBA and MLB are, and that MLB's investigation of the Miami Marlins didn't warrant any penalties.
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Post by aggierattler on Oct 6, 2020 9:08:15 GMT -5
Florida Memorial accused of hiding COVID-19 clusterUnlike almost all HBCUs, Florida Memorial University didn’t shut down fall sports for COVID-19. But students say an outbreak is being ignored.
By Steven J. Gaither HBCUGameday Posted on October 5, 2020
Unlike most other HBCUs, Florida Memorial University decided not to postpone fall sports due to COVID-19.
Multiple sources tell HBCU Gameday that...
LINK to the rest of this article: hbcugameday.com/2020/10/05/florida-memorial-accused-of-hiding-covid-19-cluster/------------------------------NOTE: The key word is "accused." This has not been substantiated as of now. (I'm hoping that it's proven not to be true.)
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Post by Bornthrilla on Oct 6, 2020 10:42:56 GMT -5
Cam Newton is asymptomatic, could play Sunday if he tests negative twice Posted by Michael David Smith on October 6, 2020, 10:07 AM EDTPatriots quarterback Cam Newton may end up missing only one game after testing positive for COVID-19. Newton has been asymptomatic, according to multiple reports. That means if he tests negative for COVID-19 twice, and those two tests are at least 24 hours apart, league rules would permit him to return for Sunday’s game against the Broncos. PFT has been told that the Patriots still hold out hope that Newton could return this week. The Patriots’ offense struggled without Newton in Monday night’s loss to the Chiefs. Brian Hoyer started and was benched for Jarrett Stidham, and it’s currently unclear which one of them would start if Newton can’t go against the Broncos. But the Patriots may not have to make that decision, as Newton’s absence may be a short one. profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/10/06/cam-newton-is-asymptomatic-could-play-sunday-if-he-tests-negative-twice/
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Post by Bornthrilla on Oct 7, 2020 8:53:48 GMT -5
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Post by aggierattler on Oct 8, 2020 11:56:02 GMT -5
UPDATE Florida Memorial is having COVID-19 issues. Some athletes are irate with its handling.BY DAVID WILSON THE MIAMI HERALD OCTOBER 07, 2020 04:09 PM UPDATED OCTOBER 07, 2020 05:47 PM
Florida Memorial University football helmet on display at a ceremony celebrating the college’s return to football, May 4, 2019. FMU Board of trustees announced the revival of the FMU football team at the Berry T. Ferguson Recreational Complex where their games will be played.
COVID-19 cases have surged on Florida Memorial University’s Miami Gardens campus in recent weeks, and the athletic programs, which compete as part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, have been hit hard.
Florida Memorial, which resumed its football program for the first time since 1958, has now twice postponed its first home game.
South Florida’s historically Black college was founded in 1879 as Florida Baptist Institute in Live Oak — a town about 80 miles from Jacksonville. About 1,100 students attend the university, which moved to Miami-Dade County in 1968. Only about 500 students are currently on campus. Athletes returned to the facilities in August to prepare for the fall sports season.
The university also postponed a men’s soccer game last week. Five athletes, one parent and an athletic department employee told the Miami Herald the outbreaks are significant, in at least one case forcing an entire team into isolation. Speaking out on social media about the issues cost at least one athlete a spot on her team, a parent said.
All sources requested to remain anonymous for fear of further retribution. ::bluesad::
On Monday, the school’s student government association hosted a conference call with athletes on video conferencing to discuss concerns and options moving forward, according to a recording of the call obtained by the Herald. Athletes could be heard saying they did not believe the school’s administration has done enough to keep students safe amid the pandemic.
Students say the university is lax about contact tracing, and isn’t requiring students who have been exposed to the virus to isolate. The athletic department tests athletes every three weeks, athletic director Ernest T. Jones said. That is much less frequent than in other, larger college programs. The Miami Hurricanes and Atlantic Coast Conference, in comparison, test athletes three times per week.
Florida Memorial sophomore quarterback Antoine Williams evades a Keiser defender while attempting to pass to freshman running back George Young. COURTESY OF KEISER UNIVERSITY
THE CURRENT SITUATION
Although the university has not released specific numbers about positive tests, the president acknowledged last Wednesday the school has experienced an uptick in COVID-19 cases, although he didn’t refer to it as an outbreak.
“Earlier today, we were notified that an increased number of students and staff members who were tested this week received a positive result for COVID-19,” Jaffus Hardrick wrote in an update on the university website entitled “COVID-19 Update 15.” “Upon learning this information, we immediately followed the Florida Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control protocols.”
The university has postponed multiple sporting events and placed dozens of athletes in isolation. Each of the school’s 13 teams has had at least one player or coach test positive for the coronavirus in the past two weeks, an athletic department employee said.
On Friday, the Lions announced they were postponing their first home football game for “COVID-19 related concerns.” They were scheduled to host Miami Gardens’ St. Thomas University on Saturday. On Tuesday, the university postponed the game again until November. The school also postponed a men’s soccer game against West Palm Beach’s Keiser University, which had been scheduled for Saturday, to an undetermined date. The women’s soccer team, however, played as scheduled Saturday on the road against Webber International University in Babson Park.
Florida Memorial’s next scheduled sporting event is a men’s soccer game Tuesday, Oct. 13, after the university postponed all games this weekend.
“There’s nothing wrong with two teams getting together to decide that they want to play a contest at a later date,” Jones said.
Jones declined to reveal the number of athletes who have tested positive for COVID-19. An athlete in a fall sport said the entire volleyball team is in isolation until at least Monday after a teammate tested positive last week. Jones declined to comment on specific cases, citing privacy rules. Students are informed when there’s a positive test on campus, but the university doesn’t disclose numbers to them or reveal who has tested positive.
Florida Memorial University former student and board member Charles George wears a shirt celebrating the college’s return to football, May 4, 2019. FMU Board of trustees announced the revival of the FMU football team at the Berry T. Ferguson Recreational Complex where their games will be played. CHARLES TRAINOR JR CTRAINOR@MIAMIHERALD.COM
HOW DID IT HAPPEN?
The uptick in cases traces to the start of last week, when an athletic department employee, who works closely with athletes in all sports, tested positive for the virus. The test result came just days after the employee traveled on a bus with the football team to and from a game against Webber International in Polk County, the athletic department source said.
After the positive test, the athletic department began testing other athletes and found the virus spreading around the students on campus, about 30 percent of whom are affiliated with athletics, Jones said. About 30 football players have tested positive, the athletic department source said.
This is a big year for the Lions. For the first time since 1958, Florida Memorial, the only historically Black college or university (HBCU) in South Florida, is fielding a football team, and it’s the only HBCU playing the sport this fall. The Lions, who play most sports in the Sun Conference and are an affiliate member for football in the Mid-South, decided to continue. They played three games in September before the postponements began.
The athletic department and university COVID-19 policies include mandatory masks, social-distancing requirements and widely available hand sanitizer. The school itself also offers free weekly on-campus testing every Thursday. In August, the NAIA “determined it was inappropriate to require a single testing protocol for all its members.”
For about a month, everything went smoothly. The school, athletes and employees, following the university’s established protocols, got into the middle of September until a positive test was reported and into October before any sporting events were postponed.
Eventually, athletes said they noticed less adherence to mask and social-distancing rules. Athletes said the JC Sams Student Activities Center, where athletics are housed, is not regularly cleaned and the university has hosted multiple nonessential events, including an athletic awards ceremony with mandatory attendance. Jones said they “bomb the building” after all major events. In other words, clean out the areas.
On Friday, the university “decided to close the campus until further notice,” meaning, “students will not be able to leave campus unless they have a job off campus or need to purchase essential items,” and visitors are banned and commuter students can’t enter residence halls. The university also implemented a $100 fine for individuals not wearing a mask or face covering.
“A lot of people are trying to put it off on the students, and I’m not saying we’re not at fault,” one athlete in a fall sport said. “What they needed to understand is that there was going to come a point in time when stuff started to feel normal again and that’s what happened. I feel like we started to get a little too comfortable.”
Said Jones: “We’re bound by the NAIA, the Sun Conference, the Mid-South Conference, Florida Memorial University, Broward County, Dade County. Being a man or a woman, or an administrator or a leader, we are bound to do the right thing. What happens is that some of these young people may not always do — ’Wear your mask. Hey, can you put your mask up?’ You deal with those. You have to just keep trying, and keep trying and keep trying. That’s why we had to implement a fining process policy on our campus.”
A video also circulated on social media this week showing a tightly packed crowd at a volleyball match inside the school’s gymnasium. While Jones said seats are clearly marked for social-distancing purposes, the rules are not always enforced. Volleyball players asked if they could play games without fans in attendance, multiple players said, and the requests were denied.
Another athlete said she was already reluctant to come to campus in the fall, but did so out of fear of losing her scholarship. Scenes like those only increased her concern.
“I didn’t want to come here to play in fall because of everything and, yes, I did feel pressure to come to play because maybe my scholarship can be taken away,” the athlete said. “They didn’t tell me concretely, but I was afraid. Is this going to happen? Because we didn’t know what was going on.”
Florida Memorial University cheerleaders during a ceremony celebrating the college’s return to football, May 4, 2019. FMU Board of trustees announced the revival of the FMU football team at the Berry T. Ferguson Recreational Complex where their games will be played. CHARLES TRAINOR JR CTRAINOR@MIAMIHERALD.COM
HOW FLORIDA MEMORIAL IS RESPONDING
Like many schools, Florida Memorial has residence halls and dorm rooms set aside for COVID-19-positive students, and the university has also moved some students to a nearby hotel.
One of the athletes, who lives in Living & Learning Residence Hall #4, said the university has also started moving COVID-19-positive roommates into this residence hall, as evidenced by brown paper meal bags sitting outside her neighbors’ doors.
This athlete also said she should be in isolation based on contact tracing — two of her roommates tested positive — but the university hasn’t contacted her about any sort of meal service, meaning she still has to go to the dining hall to pick up food. While she’s there, she also picks up a meal to deliver to one of her teammates.
“Obviously, with common sense, I know that I need to quarantine, but they’re not enforcing it,” the athlete said. “I haven’t gotten an email like, ‘Hey, because of your roommates testing positive, you have to be quarantined. We’re going to have to bring food to your dorm.’”
The parent of one athlete who tested positive said her daughter has even been kicked off of the women’s basketball team in the last week as student frustration has intensified. This athlete was one of the most outspoken on social media in the last week and got a call from her coach about her Twitter activity.
The coach said he spoke with the athletic director, the parent said, and told her, “She can no longer be a part of his program.”
Jones said he is unaware of any athletes being removed from teams based on social-media activity. As of Tuesday, the player was still listed on the school’s online roster.
“I’m not aware of that,” Jones said. “We do a really, really good job here at Florida Memorial University. It’s truly the next day here at Florida Memorial University. We’re about educating these students, these athletes. We’re about giving them a voice, giving them an opportunity to say what it is they want to say and do what it is they want to do, and trying to teach them how to do it.”
Said the parent: “The young adults on this campus, they’re frightened, for one, because the athletic department is dangling their scholarship over their head as though they can snatch it away just like that. Because you don’t want to provide a safe environment, these kids don’t feel safe, they want to leave and you’re telling them, basically, if they do, they’ve violated their contract and it’s null and void.”
David Wilson, a Maryland native, is the Miami Herald’s utility man for sports coverage. 305-376-3406
From The Miami Herald: www.miamiherald.com/sports/college/state-college-sports/article246253870.html
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Post by Bornthrilla on Oct 8, 2020 14:32:28 GMT -5
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