1 of 1- Gwmayhem
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Note To Tanya
Dear Tanya:
I am thrilled that the NCAA has decided to give its upcoming basketball season "the old college try" so to speak, and I'm sure you are as well. As a former athlete, I know you can appreciate the incredibly hard work that college athletes must put in for the hope of competing for championships and being otherwise personally fulfilled. No athlete should or I'm sure will be forced to compete against their will. Some may have underlying health conditions, or perhaps have family members with such conditions, which may ultimately preclude themselves in their minds from participating. No reasonable person would have any trouble understanding this. The vast majority, however, understand the risks involved (not just Covid risks but others as well) and because of their competitive natures, along with not having any medical reasons for opting-out, simply want to play. I am very glad that at least as of now, they are being given this opportunity.
As a long time men's basketball season ticket holder, I enjoy watching them play. Each season tells a different story and even in seasons where GW is not realistically in line to win a championship, there are always moments of growth and pleasant surprise. While last year's losses to AU and Morgan State were unbearably tough to witness, the 4 OT victory against Davidson should make any GW fan's top 10 list of memorable games. As they say, this is why they play the games.
All of this is a long-winded way of asking for an easy favor...please don't let the fans attend games this upcoming season. I understand that you could leave it up to each individual fan to decide for themselves, and I'm confident that you would protect the season ticket holder seats of anyone who opts not to attend. Nevertheless, if you leave the decision up to the fans, the "fan" part of at least myself is susceptible to take over. The heart will most definitely tell me to show up. That though is the wrong decision. Instead, if you decide for the fans, then there is no decision for us to make.
Those who disagree with me will be quick to point out that there are ways that we can attend safely, wearing masks, and being socially distant from one another. They also may say that we will not know the status of the virus in November, or January, or March. On the first point, what I would respectfully say is that it takes just one person to spoil the whole apple cart. One person who takes off their mask once inside, to accidentally sneeze, to temporarily forget the rules and speak a few feet away from where you are situated. That's literally all it could take to pick up the virus. On the other point, even if the forecasts were such that we weren't going to be headed towards a second wave (in conjunction with flu season), which we are, I think that many would point out that without a FDA approved vaccine that becomes available to the masses, attending an indoor basketball game carries a real level of risk.
As someone who is doing his best to listen to health officials and follow the rules, my head understands that showing up for games flies in the face of why I've been following rules in the first place. If you'd like to open up the games to player family members who can make their own decisions about attending, I would understand this. As for the rest of us, please just say no! Watching each game on television or via streaming will just have to do.
Gwmayhem
- Poog
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Re: Note To Tanya
I’m not really expecting to be allowed to attend indoor events this year but I don’t need the school to ban my attendance so I won’t be exposed. I can make that decision on my own as my current ear covering hair and mullet can attest. Student safety will and should be the paramount consideration in whatever decision is made. My only request would be to invest in video equipment and crews at all venues so that those of us who regularly attend sports other than men’s basketball can continue to enjoy GW athletics. As long as I’m making my fantasy wish list, this would include multiple cameras for baseball and softball and an all events simultaneous coverage capability during gymnastic meets so that the camera focus isn’t exclusively just on GW competitors.
- russianthistle
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Re: Note To Tanya
Poog, You have said what I would to a T.
- Gwmayhem
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Re: Note To Tanya
Intended to be far more of a figurative post than a literal one, but whatever.
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Thread Starter- GWRising
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Re: Note To Tanya
Poog - I agree.
Gwmayhem - assuming attendance is allowed, you are free to choose not to attend or to attend. I don't begrude you the right to make either decision. Just don't make one for me or anyone else.
Last edited by GWRising (9/18/2020 12:39 pm)
- Gwmayhem
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Re: Note To Tanya
Oh, have I violated your personal freedom GWRising? What the hell is happening in this country?
The point of my post is to suggest that I really enjoy watching the games in person. Unless something radical were to change, I understand that the smart decision would be to take a pass on seeing the games from the Smith Center. And yet, this will be difficult for me (and I'm guessing others) because of the enjoyment we derive from being at the game.
So, if the decision were to be taken away from us, that would make things easy. This was never meant to suggest that I NEED to be told what the smart thing or even the right thing to do is.
And, it was certainly never meant to tell anyone what decision they should make. GWRising's last sentence is beyond ridiculous.
Last edited by Gwmayhem (9/18/2020 2:17 pm)
- •
Thread Starter- GWRising
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Yes, Gwmayhem. And apparently not just mine. Your suggestion that Tanya not allow fans because YOU don't think it is appropriate denies those who believe it appropriate the right to attend. Of course, this presumes that it has been blessed by the relevant health authorities. Everyone can put on their big boy pants here.
That's also not to say I would decide to attend but if the fans are allowed I sure as hell want the right to decide whether I should attend.
You ask what is happening in this country. What is happening is a growing number of people are getting sick and tired of the nanny state that you apparently would deploy for GW basketball where the authorities have said it is safe to have fans..
Last edited by GWRising (9/18/2020 3:52 pm)
- Joel Joseph
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Re: Note To Tanya
Chill gwrising.
With your access and connections to the program, just ask Tanya what she thinks.
- Tennessee Colonial
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Re: Note To Tanya
Good statement Poog.
- BookGuy
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Re: Note To Tanya
I should note that the Club would also have difficulties considering buffet food during a pandemic and, more importantly, the age off the fan base in the Blue seats. I agree with Poog that it might be best, if games are held, to keep the seats empty and stream the games.
- Gwmayhem
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Re: Note To Tanya
It probably bears repeating, or re-explaining the intent of this post. I really did not think that a post like this required any spelled out contingency, legal or otherwise, as if to say to Tanya that she should shut the general public out only if health conditions are such that the school concludes it will not be safe for fans to attend games. I would have thought that would have been a "that goes without saying" type of thing but I suppose it's important to learn not to take anything for granted with this audience. If health and safety conditions radically improve between now and late November, i.e. we all have been vaccinated, or numbers of cases/deaths are dramatically on the decline, then the whole purpose of this post becomes obsolete.
So, if we can all operate under the assumption for just a second that things will not radically improve between now and then, then the school will need to make a decision about fans. The whole point of the post was to suggest that I greatly enjoy attending games so if you leave the decision up to me, I'm afraid I'll make the wrong decision which means FOR ME, I'm reasonably certain the correct decision will be to not attend but I will be more than a little tempted to attend regardless. So, in a tongue-in-cheek manner, I've figuratively asked Tanya to make the decision for me so that i won't have to.
How we get from there to a post that is denying anyone else their individual freedoms is beyond me. Or that if fans are allowed to attend, that I am denying anyone's right to do so. The whole post had to do with what I'M going to do, not anybody else.
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Thread Starter- 22ndandF
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Re: Note To Tanya
Gwmayhem wrote:
It probably bears repeating, or re-explaining the intent of this post. I really did not think that a post like this required any spelled out contingency, legal or otherwise, as if to say to Tanya that she should shut the general public out only if health conditions are such that the school concludes it will not be safe for fans to attend games. I would have thought that would have been a "that goes without saying" type of thing but I suppose it's important to learn not to take anything for granted with this audience. If health and safety conditions radically improve between now and late November, i.e. we all have been vaccinated, or numbers of cases/deaths are dramatically on the decline, then the whole purpose of this post becomes obsolete.
So, if we can all operate under the assumption for just a second that things will not radically improve between now and then, then the school will need to make a decision about fans. The whole point of the post was to suggest that I greatly enjoy attending games so if you leave the decision up to me, I'm afraid I'll make the wrong decision which means FOR ME, I'm reasonably certain the correct decision will be to not attend but I will be more than a little tempted to attend regardless. So, in a tongue-in-cheek manner, I've figuratively asked Tanya to make the decision for me so that i won't have to.
How we get from there to a post that is denying anyone else their individual freedoms is beyond me. Or that if fans are allowed to attend, that I am denying anyone's right to do so. The whole post had to do with what I'M going to do, not anybody else.
GWMayhem, I understand how you want the school to make the decision about not permitting fans as it would prevent you from feeling badly if you had to decide it was best for you not to attend. I feel it might be risky to attend games also, even with proper social distancing and mask usage. If GW plays and allows fans this season, I probably won't go unless the spread of COVID-19 has dropped to almost nothing and there are some better therapies and a vaccine that has been widely accepted and administered. I wonder, if GW were to permit fans to attend games, if the DC government would step in and prevent that from happening.
I feel if Trump didn't lie, we wouldn't have lost many Americans, COVID-19 would have been under control, and we could have a normal life. It's so sad we have a lying, cheating, racist, nazi-like, negligent and abusive president and it's even sadder to me that so many people are defending his criminal behavior.
Last edited by 22ndandF (9/21/2020 5:57 pm)
- GWRising
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Re: Note To Tanya
First of all, this decision will not be made by GW alone. It's not as if GW will go it alone and ignore the health experts even if they could. So if GW were to even allow fans, there would have to be some basis to believe that both GW and the health experts have concluded that at least some fans can be present in a reasonably safe manner.
That said, Gwmayhem, what I was objecting to was even if the decision was made to permit fans from a health perspective, you seemed to be arguing that Tanya should not allow fans to take you off the hook because you, under no circumstances, would attend this year. That's fine and your right. The argument comes when you ask an AD to make that decision for others because you are not comfortable with the idea of attending yourself. If this was tongue and cheek, then I and apparently others missed that. Perhaps being clearer about that in the future will not result in the blowback you got from people all over the political spectrum.
22nd and F, I can respect that you "feel" that way about Trump's decisions regarding COVID-19. But please also tell me how you explain 3 things:
1. How do you explain the 765,000 deaths that occurred outside the U.S. since presumably Trump has no control over those?
2. What country on earth has eliminated all cases of COVID and it is no longer a threat?
3. What country that has had cases of COVID and has returned to a normal life (normal life being the way things were before COVID)?
I'd be interested in your answers to the above.
- BC
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Re: Note To Tanya
GWRising tends to use the straw man argument quite often. No one has said Trump is responsible for deaths outside the US. Name those people if you can.
Few scientists (other than MRI hack Trump has hired as the Covid tzar and Fox hosts) have said Covid is no longer a threat or that people should live a "normal" life.
Until we have an effective vaccine no country will totally eliminate the virus - and maybe not even then. We certainly haven't eliminated the flu. I fail to see the point of #2.
Now to offer a non-scientific, but perhaps reasonable argument about Trumps malfeasance.
The US pop is about 4% of the world's pop. We have approx 21% of the world's deaths.
So a rough calculation: Take 4% of the worldwide deaths (I'll round for ease of my herd mentality) 0.04 x 800,000 = 32,000 (quick someone check my herd mentality math) all things being even. That should be our expected deaths. So if I figure correctly, Trump has under performed the world by a factor of 6 (6x32,000) = 192,000. So he is responsible for about 170,000 deaths in the US. Something for Trump and GWRising to be proud of because maybe 50% of those deaths are Hispanics or Black. Thus lowering the number of people likely to vote against Trump.
Without being too snarky, I often think that part of Trump's lack of empathy and action has to do with who is dying. Ugh!
- BC
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Re: Note To Tanya
If someone comes up with valid reasons why our ratio deaths shouldn't be the same as our pop ration, let me know.
- 22ndandF
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Re: Note To Tanya
First of all, this decision will not be made by GW alone. It's not as if GW will go it alone and ignore the health experts even if they could. So if GW were to even allow fans, there would have to be some basis to believe that both GW and the health experts have concluded that at least some fans can be present in a reasonably safe manner.
That said, Gwmayhem, what I was objecting to was even if the decision was made to permit fans from a health perspective, you seemed to be arguing that Tanya should not allow fans to take you off the hook because you, under no circumstances, would attend this year. That's fine and your right. The argument comes when you ask an AD to make that decision for others because you are not comfortable with the idea of attending yourself. If this was tongue and cheek, then I and apparently others missed that. Perhaps being clearer about that in the future will not result in the blowback you got from people all over the political spectrum.
22nd and F, I can respect that you "feel" that way about Trump's decisions regarding COVID-19. But please also tell me how you explain 3 things:
1. How do you explain the 765,000 deaths that occurred outside the U.S. since presumably Trump has no control over those?
2. What country on earth has eliminated all cases of COVID and it is no longer a threat?
3. What country that has had cases of COVID and has returned to a normal life (normal life being the way things were before COVID)?
I'd be interested in your answers to the above.
GWRising, I feel if I were to respond by giving you the information you're requesting (all of which is readily available from so many credible sources), you'd simply dismiss it, or argue that the information is wrong and I am misguided. Instead, I'll leave you with just a some links (below) and you can believe them or not. I've added a couple of other links that might cause some people to question the honesty and integrity of President Trump. Apologies in advance that none of the links are from Fox News, the Daily Caller, AR15.COM, or Brightbart.
The only thing I will say is that that I don't believe the virus must be completely eradicated to get back to some semblance of normal life in the US. I feel if if we had enough available rapid testing to be assured the national positivity rate was truly low enough, we'd be in pretty good shape as far at COVID-19 goes. What's a low enough positivity rate? I'm not sure, but I've read less than 1% or 2%.
I hope you and your family are healthy and doing well.
Here are some more links below, which might cause some Americans to ask how could anyone could vote for a person with this type of character.
Last edited by 22ndandF (9/22/2020 2:50 pm)