[teejers1]

Where the hell is Marty with a plea to shut this thread down?

At this point COVID is the blue whale in the pool.  The elephant expression doesn't give COVID enough credit.

COVID-19 protocols have the ability to suspend on-campus learning and academic research.   That drives everything IMHO, not hospitalizations or deaths.   Athletics capable of bringing in a few million in revenue in the best of times, just aren't that important to a multi-billion dollar operation.  

Back to athletics, COVID-19 protocols have the ability to disqualify WBB and MGym teams during post season play at a moments notice.  The recent USA figure skating championships demonstrated that.   So it is possible Stanford's NCAA team title streak will end this year because of COVID-19 protocols.

The AD should do everything possible to make sure NCAA championship level teams remain viable given existing COVID-19 protocols, and at the moment the single biggest thing the AD can do is keep the athletes and coaches away from the fans, especially fans that seem to think getting COVID is not a big deal.   I don't think it is a health or survival thing for this variant, but I do think the choices will impact their chances of navigating protocols and winning titles.

IMHO - Get all the athletes and coaches boosted and get all in the AD to properly use N95, KN95 and/or KF94 masks.  Then create the best possible AD bubble you can create.  The best bubble will not have fans in the stands or in the AD facilities, so I don't expect to be watching any indoor Stanford sports until August 2022.  If it is earlier than that great, but I am OK with the idea that the AD's bubble may not include me.

Look, Stanford can (and will) do whatever it wants re: fans and that's fine - as long as they refund $$ provided by fans expecting to watch in person.

But I must point out that your entire "no fan" safety approach is based on the notion that player-risk from fan attendance is real.  Maybe . . . but it also seems that for hoops (or any indoor sport at Maples) you could lessen risk - probably even eliminate it - if you limit seating areas.  But whatever, Stanford probably thinks it's not "worth it" for whatever reason, including administrative/implementation costs/pain in the ass, so we'll watch on TV (when we can).

Last point:  I have to take this moment to re-raise the issue of overreporting of Covid deaths with BC, who was adamant that all prior reporting was accurate (and frankly, did not understand why I was asking if the deaths were "because of" Covid or died "with Covid").

[teejers1]

Where the hell is Marty with a plea to shut this thread down?

At this point COVID is the blue whale in the pool.  The elephant expression doesn't give COVID enough credit.

COVID-19 protocols have the ability to suspend on-campus learning and academic research.   That drives everything IMHO, not hospitalizations or deaths.   Athletics capable of bringing in a few million in revenue in the best of times, just aren't that important to a multi-billion dollar operation.  

Back to athletics, COVID-19 protocols have the ability to disqualify WBB and MGym teams during post season play at a moments notice.  The recent USA figure skating championships demonstrated that.   So it is possible Stanford's NCAA team title streak will end this year because of COVID-19 protocols.

The AD should do everything possible to make sure NCAA championship level teams remain viable given existing COVID-19 protocols, and at the moment the single biggest thing the AD can do is keep the athletes and coaches away from the fans, especially fans that seem to think getting COVID is not a big deal.   I don't think it is a health or survival thing for this variant, but I do think the choices will impact their chances of navigating protocols and winning titles.

IMHO - Get all the athletes and coaches boosted and get all in the AD to properly use N95, KN95 and/or KF94 masks.  Then create the best possible AD bubble you can create.  The best bubble will not have fans in the stands or in the AD facilities, so I don't expect to be watching any indoor Stanford sports until August 2022.  If it is earlier than that great, but I am OK with the idea that the AD's bubble may not include me.

Look, Stanford can (and will) do whatever it wants re: fans and that's fine - as long as they refund $$ provided by fans expecting to watch in person.

But I must point out that your entire "no fan" safety approach is based on the notion that player-risk from fan attendance is real.  Maybe . . . but it also seems that for hoops (or any indoor sport at Maples) you could lessen risk - probably even eliminate it - if you limit seating areas.  But whatever, Stanford probably thinks it's not "worth it" for whatever reason, including administrative/implementation costs/pain in the ass, so we'll watch on TV (when we can).

Last point:  I have to take this moment to re-raise the issue of overreporting of Covid deaths with BC, who was adamant that all prior reporting was accurate (and frankly, did not understand why I was asking if the deaths were "because of" Covid or died "with Covid").