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12/15/2021 4:09 pm  #1


No Fans

Dear GW Fans
This week, GW's testing program identified a significant increase in positive COVID-19 cases among members of our university community. While these cases are not severe and vaccination continues to provide strong protection, the university is taking measures to limit the further spread of cases, as according to the CDC[/url], the Omicron variant is spreading more rapidly as compared to other variants.This decision impacts our home basketball games on Tuesday, December 21st (Women's Basketball vs. Lehigh) and Wednesday, December 22nd (Men's Basketball vs. Maryland Eastern Shore), which will now be held without ticketed fans. This decision was made today, effective immediately, and governs all in-peron social gatherings and events on campus. However, decisions for subseque home basketball games have not yet been made.Tuesday's game can still be seen on [url=https://t.e2ma.net/click/n9o9zi/35saq3od/fnqdckb]ESPN+[/url] at 2pm, while Wednesday's game will be broadcast on [url=https://t.e2ma.net/click/n9o9zi/35saq3od/vfrdckb]NBC Sports Washington[/url] and [url=https://t.e2ma.net/click/n9o9zi/35saq3od/b8rdckb]ESPN+ at noon. This is consistent with our foremost priority of protecting the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff, as well as guests to campus. We understand the disappointment that this news brings, and we will continue to monitor COVID-19 transmission among our community members and in the region and will update you with more information soon.Fans holding tickets for next Tuesday's or Wednesday's contest will receive information regarding exchange, donation, and refund options. If you have any questions, please contact the GW Ticket Office at 202-99-GWTIX or tickets@gwu.edu. =16pxThank you for your understanding and support of GW Athletics. 

Last edited by Florida Colonial (12/15/2021 4:11 pm)

 

12/15/2021 4:14 pm  #2


Re: No Fans

The university also moved all finals online starting Friday. Not ideal. Hopefully the spike doesn't last too long and we can get fans back in the Smith Center ASAP 

 

12/15/2021 4:25 pm  #3


Re: No Fans

Sounds like a university decision and obviously correct, given the circumstances described.
Wonder if anyone has contracted Covid from the games? Hadn't heard anything.
Basketballwise, it is the game that has the least appeal given the early weekday timing.

 

12/15/2021 5:12 pm  #4


Re: No Fans

So the "cases are not severe and vaccination continues to provide strong protection" and masks "protect" us at the games but still no fans. There have been no studies that demonstrate that sporting events are superspreader events or that fans pose a risk to athletes or vice versa. Expect this to continue indefinitely because cases of Omicron will likely not recede for months according to the various estimates I have seen. Assume you will be required to have a booster if and when fans are allowed next. Welcome to Season II of COVID. But don't worry dozens of other games will be available for ticketed fans, SMDH

 

Last edited by GWRising (12/15/2021 5:13 pm)

 

12/15/2021 7:29 pm  #5


Re: No Fans

GWRising wrote:

There have been no studies that demonstrate that sporting events are superspreader events or that fans pose a risk to athletes or vice versa.

 

Obviously unaware of this (willfull?).
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/oct/15/liverpool-v-atletico-placed-fans-in-danger-will-anyone-be-held-to-account

The fact is any gathering, even with masks and vaccines, can become a "superspreader". The fact is the virus is real and kills people and has not gone away. And the fact is universities like GW need to play a role in society that promotes responsibile decision making.
Sadly, none of us will be awarded the pleasure of attending the GW-UMES game in person. If that is the only way COVID screws up your life, consider yourself very lucky...

 

12/15/2021 8:06 pm  #6


Re: No Fans

Taking a pause seems like a responsible decision given that Delta making its way to the area and the real threat of Omicron is upon us. Spreading the disease to so many vulnerable people in the area would likely result in a terrible outcome.  Looking forward, since the games are not well attended, maybe it would be possible to socially distance inside the Smith Center if the powers that be decide to allow fans to attend again. For now, kudos to the decision-makers.  Good trade-off to keep everyone safe.

Last edited by 22ndandF (12/15/2021 8:07 pm)

 

12/15/2021 9:43 pm  #7


Re: No Fans

This seems prudent. I would not be upset if they canceled games either.

 

12/15/2021 10:18 pm  #8


Re: No Fans

This seems like a temporary measure from my perspective. The university canceled all in person events going into winter break due to a spike in cases among people in their testing protocol (mostly students) so students don't bring the virus home and spread it even further.

The basketball games seem like collateral damage rather than the main place where they were looking to stop the spread (and I'd be surprised if the virus has been spread at a game considering everyone is masked and vaccinated). The university couldn't move finals online, cancel in person events and then let people go to the basketball games next week.

I am expecting they'll mandate boosters to come to games in the future, considering the university is requiring all students and staff get their booster shots before February 1. I hope the case counts go down and they allow fans in the arena for the game against the Bonnies (they'll need all the help they can get from the crowd  in that one) and in the future.

I also found the wording of their statement bizarre. They said no ticketed fans will be permitted in the arena, but students don't need tickets since they get into the games for free. I'd be shocked if they allowed students in but no one else, but the statement was worded weirdly. Not to mention the fact that basically all students will be home for break so barely any students would come even if they could.

Last edited by gwstudent2024 (12/15/2021 10:20 pm)

 

12/15/2021 10:53 pm  #9


Re: No Fans

gwstudent2024 wrote:

This seems like a temporary measure from my perspective. The university canceled all in person events going into winter break due to a spike in cases among people in their testing protocol (mostly students) so students don't bring the virus home and spread it even further.

The basketball games seem like collateral damage rather than the main place where they were looking to stop the spread (and I'd be surprised if the virus has been spread at a game considering everyone is masked and vaccinated). The university couldn't move finals online, cancel in person events and then let people go to the basketball games next week.

I am expecting they'll mandate boosters to come to games in the future, considering the university is requiring all students and staff get their booster shots before February 1. I hope the case counts go down and they allow fans in the arena for the game against the Bonnies (they'll need all the help they can get from the crowd  in that one) and in the future.

I also found the wording of their statement bizarre. They said no ticketed fans will be permitted in the arena, but students don't need tickets since they get into the games for free. I'd be shocked if they allowed students in but no one else, but the statement was worded weirdly. Not to mention the fact that basically all students will be home for break so barely any students would come even if they could.

I’m assuming that the ticketed is used to exclude invited family and recruits

 

12/15/2021 11:08 pm  #10


Re: No Fans

A Wednesday game at noon when school isn't in session against Maryland Eastern Shore.  I couldn't think of a more socially distant environment.

 

12/16/2021 9:29 am  #11


Re: No Fans

It seems like the smart thing to do.  

 

12/16/2021 9:59 am  #12


Re: No Fans

While nobody should be happy with this decision, it does seem like the right thing to do given the spike in on-campus COVID cases.

Let's all remember that there really isn't a blueprint for this.  Nobody has the right to definitively claim that everyone who has been vaccinated and who wears a mask is completely safe.  Nor can anyone say that anyone would be in serious danger.  Rather than wait for a catastrophe to take place and then react, the school is taking a pre-emptive stance which should really be hard to argue against.

The one aspect that's hard for me to reconcile is why are the players still playing on our campus?  If the prospect of unsafe conditions exist for the fans, wouldn't this also be the case for the players (who do not wear masks while they are playing)?

Last edited by Gwmayhem (12/16/2021 9:59 am)

 

12/16/2021 10:56 am  #13


Re: No Fans

In a world where cost-benefit analysis is a foreign concept and headline risk combined with liability risk are as significant as the health risk, this decision makes sense from a university perspective.

I've long given up trying to ascertain what is and what is not meaningful information in the COVID debate.  Eyeball-motivated media headlines are largely useless as are public health pronouncements.  The British government tells us that the first Brit died of the omicron variant, but we get no additional info on the victim's age, vaccination status, or other underlying conditions.  What conclusions are we to draw?  One is that notwithstanding an outlier here or there, young people can get the virus, have relatively mild symptoms, enhance their natural immunity, and get on with their lives. 

The strongest rationale I can see is that we simply don't know enough and better not to have students and fans gather at the holidays and spread the virus to more vulnerable relatives.    

Happy holidays!

  

 

12/16/2021 11:10 am  #14


Re: No Fans

Some very adult and thoughtful responses.
​Somehow, the world will turn without us being able to see in-person, during a busy holiday season the much-anticipated GW-Maryland-Eastern Shore game on a weekday afternoon.
   Sure, the lack of fans at GW-UMES will shock the sports world and certainly could damage the economy, but we can get through this.

 

12/16/2021 11:54 am  #15


Re: No Fans

jf wrote:

Some very adult and thoughtful responses.
​Somehow, the world will turn without us being able to see in-person, during a busy holiday season the much-anticipated GW-Maryland-Eastern Shore game on a weekday afternoon.
   Sure, the lack of fans at GW-UMES will shock the sports world and certainly could damage the economy, but we can get through this.

You are welcome to get through this anyway you see fit. If you don't think the juice is worth the squeeze fine (i.e. the risk is too high), stay home. Not everyone sees it the same. I am triple vaxxed and always wear a mask. If that's not good enough then it will likely never be good enough as long as there are cases on campus. You are fooling yourself if you think this is going to be one game this season.

Some of us also believe this is ridiculous especially when you consider that "ticketed" was used on purpose. Apparently the virus is not a threat to family members, friends of the program, recruits and the opponents families who will be in attendance. The University already imposed rules about masks and vaccination status which have apparently worked to some acceptable degree. This is not a case of no one being allowed like last year. Anyone in attendance is as likely as anyone else to carry and spread the virus. There is no "science" behind this and just like a lot of things the University and government are doing with respect to the virus, it is complete window dressing and won't change a damn thing except to make the experience less enjoyable for our student-athletes and few fans. I compare this to the wear your mask when you get up from a restaurant table but not while seated and eating because of course the virus knows to leave you alone there. Just remember we have more people dead post-vaccine than we did pre-vaccine. All the shut downs have accomplished very little. Remember 14 days to stop the spread in March 2020? That was the "esteemed" Dr. Fauci.  How's that been working out? GW, like the rest of us, is just going to have to learn to live with the virus present. 


 

Last edited by GWRising (12/16/2021 11:59 am)

 

12/16/2021 12:05 pm  #16


Re: No Fans

By the way, I make no judgments on each person's tolerance for risk. I am just saying let those who want to come with the restrictions imposed already and for those who don't, offer refunds.

 

Last edited by GWRising (12/16/2021 12:06 pm)

 

12/16/2021 12:24 pm  #17


Re: No Fans

Merrick wrote:

young people can get the virus, have relatively mild symptoms, enhance their natural immunity, and get on with their lives.

  

Wasn´t a GW player hospitalized with COVID last season?
How about instead of relying on "enhanced natural immunity" we actually adopt measures that stop the spread of a highly contagious airborne virus? Far too many people, including too many younger than I, have been unable to "get on with their lives" because they have died from COVID.
Let´s not turn this in to a shouting match about COVID policies (enough of that crap goes on elsewhere) and instead focus on keeping all fans, players, staff, faculty and students safe and alive. If that means a few home games are played by invitation only, oh well. Sorry not being cool enough to get allowed past the velvet rope outside the Smith Center bothers you so much.

 

12/16/2021 1:02 pm  #18


Re: No Fans

GW Alum Abroad wrote:

Merrick wrote:

young people can get the virus, have relatively mild symptoms, enhance their natural immunity, and get on with their lives.

  

Wasn´t a GW player hospitalized with COVID last season?
How about instead of relying on "enhanced natural immunity" we actually adopt measures that stop the spread of a highly contagious airborne virus? Far too many people, including too many younger than I, have been unable to "get on with their lives" because they have died from COVID.
Let´s not turn this in to a shouting match about COVID policies (enough of that crap goes on elsewhere) and instead focus on keeping all fans, players, staff, faculty and students safe and alive. If that means a few home games are played by invitation only, oh well. Sorry not being cool enough to get allowed past the velvet rope outside the Smith Center bothers you so much.

Who is relying on "enhanced natural immunity?"

What measures have effectively stopped the spread?

If the answer always is one death from COVID is too many, good luck. We will never get back to normal because I hate to let you know that the smartest people on the planet believe this is never going away and we will have to manage it.. 

But of course the shutdown is always prudent side only considers one metric and never considers the increased suicides, drug overdoses and economic ruin caused by the isolation and effects of shutdowns. How about the people who work at the Smith Center during games - concessionaires, maintenance, security, etc.. Think they get paid when they don't work? How many restauranteurs lost their businesses in the last 18 months? It's all fun and games (shutdowns) when you can work from home and your livelihood is unaffected. Sure flip on the game - no worries. The minute everyone is put in the same position of jeopardy, we will finally have some sanity to our COVID policies. Unfortunately those making the decisions from Ivory Towers and the Halls of Government have no general concept of the real world.

This isn't about the GW-UMES game. It's symptomatic of the whole failed approach to this virus by all sorts of entities. 

 

Last edited by GWRising (12/16/2021 1:47 pm)

 

12/16/2021 1:19 pm  #19


Re: No Fans

I've seen plenty of GW folks (mostly students) not wearing their masks.  So it's fine with me if we don't increase the odds of idiots taking it home for the holidays to the old folks.

 

12/16/2021 1:41 pm  #20


Re: No Fans

Like many others, I don't have a problem with the University trying to be cautious and proactive, especially considering there is so little information available yet on how dangerous Omicron will be against Western World vaccines. Considering only 200-400 non family/friends/recruits were probably planning on going to this game anyway, it's not like that many people are being affected and it buys the school a week to hopefully have more info before making a decision on Bonnies.

This isn't to say I don't also understand Rising's argument that some of the policies we see regarding Covid can feel like only partial solutions that can have side-effect consequences, but I tend to air on the side of any decisions intended to reduce transmission a decrease the probabilities of the situation becoming dire being good ones. I also feel comfortable saying that as someone who was double un-employed for several months when Covid hit as a product of the NBA and restaurants both shutting down, so my perspective does not come from the "Ivory tower" being referenced above. 

 

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