Just read an article that the AAC is the first conference to make this decision. No bands or cheer squads allowed on the field for pregame or halftime performances. Suggest that bands might be in the stands but the number of members may be restricted and social distancing required. I’m a huge Cougar Football fan but I will definitely miss our band!!
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another dumb decision…if they are practicing together in a band hall,or gym like cheer squads do. what difference does it make if they are on the field or not.
it only makes sense if you are going to cancel cheerleading and band practice all together for the semester
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Im now in the boat where I don’t think college football is happening this fall…5000+ new cases in Texas today…with just 2 months before the season starts I don’t see how that will happen.
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I am not sure but our band and cheerleaders are probably not on campus. With COVID-19 not slowing down I doubt there will be any spectator sports anytime soon.
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Without a strong testing and tracing program which really should have happened by know is just going to make having a football season extremely difficult.
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I truly don’t see how it’s happening either. With hospitalizations spiking nearing the end of June (a hot month that some were saying would deter the spread), the state hasn’t even had a chance to see a downward trend at all, much less a month’s worth. Outdoor activities are showing that the virus doesn’t care whether you’re indoors or out.
Another wasted buzz phrase. Can someone explain in detail how contact tracing is going to do anything about whether bands are present or if football is played?
I can see football without bands or cheerleaders as I think it is likely there will be limited fans at the game. I think being able to watch football on TV at a minimum will do wonders for keeping a hint of normalcy for peace of mind for the general public and students.
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Unfortunately, I think we aren’t having any football this year. Teams will have so many players testing positive in no time that playing games just won’t be possible. The only faint hope I have is if we can look at what the Bundesliga (German soccer) has done, as they restarted around mid-May and have been doing OK. Of course, it’s hard to implement policies similar to a contained professional league in an enterprise as huge and widespread as college football.
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A lot of people thought the virus would disappear with the summer hot weather. It didn’t. Reality is the virus isn’t going away until people start following the CDC guidelines. So long as that doesn’t happen, we can forget about sports as we know it. Perhaps games will be played without fans, which makes more sense, but the idea of packing people into a stadium isn’t going to happen so long as people keep ignoring the CDC guidelines. I don’t like it, but that’s where we’re at in this country.
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Contact tracing can do wonders to prevent the spread of a virus. You know who has it, who they have been around, and who needs to be tested and/or quarantined. Specifically for the band it could be something where a member knows he was exposed to the virus, gets tested and skips practice/game that week which could prevent many others in the band from getting it. It certainly can be a help if implemented correctly.
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Thanks for the explanation, but something just doesn’t work for me.
Band member positive:
What if the band member had for three days (up to 14 days) before being tested, thus potentially exposing everyone at practice, the grocery store, and wherever else that person went. Then it also can take several days for results. That would mean shutting down everyone in the band plus those in the grocery store and anyone they came into contact with across the city at their work. Essentially, shutting down potentially hundreds/thousands of people assuming they can even be identified.
Member passes someone positive:
So if someone at a grocery store test positive that the band member went to, then he/she was exposed and must sit out until test results came back. But could have potentially been spreading for those days before the original person was positively tested, thus everyone at the previous days practice. Under those guidelines, it would be impossible to ever have a practice.
with 6 degrees of separation, Tracing seems an effort in futility.
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Lesson: get rid of your cell phone (or at the very least your smart phone)
It’s not a novel concept, it is currently being used in other countries and definitely helps. Nothing is perfect, but the counter shouldn’t be throwing it out as a tool in reopening/restarting things because it isn’t perfect. The hardest thing right now with contact tracing is the virus spread is crazy high. If it is more under control by August/September, then it is easier to use directly for something like sports.
With your examples, if there is no contact tracing then most likely the whole band gets the virus because there is no head start. Same with sports teams during the season, it will be a thing that can be dealt with if like 5 players get it, but if 40 on the football team get it then football is done for the year (or at minimum forfeiting multiple games). Also there are tests with same day results, those I am guessing are more expensive which is another hurdle for college athletics.
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Don’t disagree that it can be a useful tool, as I do understand the concept of it. I keep seeing people responding here and other places like it will be some great thing that must be used to end the virus. I fear people are going to develop some sort of protection theory from tracing then panic again when the virus does not disappear from it. It is more of a historical reference and not a preventative measure in this community…
A player, band member, etc goes to buy groceries and is stuck in line behind someone positive, but without knowing it. That person gets tested two days later and the results come 5 days after that. Now it has been 7 days since the player was exposed. That member has been around the other band members for a week before being notified - and that is assuming the player is able to be notified through some credit card receipt or other method.
Now are we supposed to put the entire band in quarantine? what about people the band came into contact with? and at this point it is only one band member that has been near someone and not even tested yet. Do wee quarantine everyone simply because of proximity without even knowing if anyone has it?
Possibly the most wrong headed thing done lately. People are in more danger seated closely together in the stands than performing on the field outside. Just plain stupid.
No, you would test them all and get results that day. That would be the simple way to do it. Without contact tracing you wouldn’t ever know if a member has been exposed until another member starts showing symptoms which could be a couple weeks, then you would test them, then end up testing everybody else. If your example is a week without knowing, without contact tracing it would be 3+ weeks possibly. That is a lot of more cases in those 2+ weeks.
If you are saying don’t even bother with having a band, then cool, that probably is the best thing to do. If you want to have them this fall, contact tracing will definitely help.
Let’s be honest - are the bands any factor to where we’ll miss them? How many even come to Houston?
Northerncoog Quote - Possibly the most wrong headed thing done lately. People are in more danger seated closely together in the stands than performing on the field outside. Just plain stupid.
OK, so where do the band members sit during the game?
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Whether right or wrong, CBY always said that when on the road, having our Band was worth 7 points…just passing this along…
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Has anyone here ever played a brass instrument.
There is saliva all over the place.
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