Pruitt cancels scrimmage (due to covid-related absences and injuries)

[WBO]

I know seven people who tested positive. Only one showed symptoms. How old are your friends? In the cluster I know, they are all 17 or 18 years old.

Ages 25 to 65. Most below 45.

 

[dobre_shunka]

In your example KKK had a negative connotation before the new group was formed. BLM was a popular idea and slogan before a group formed to try to take ownership of it. A more apt comparison would be if a group of anarchist from TN called themselves “The TN Volunteers.” If they started attacking gov’t buildings and the news covered their attacks would you want UT to change their name to avoid the association? Or do you think UT would assume people would understand that the two groups are different even tho they have similar names?

Anyone remember the movie with Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy called Bowfinger? Eddie Murphy plays an actor who is sort of nuts and he gets a script to review. He uses his computer to count the number of times the letter K appears in it and finds its something like 333 times which Murphy's character intreprets to mean KKK appears 111 times and its obviously racist. Was funny in the 1990's but sort of true to life now.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

I have to admit, the issue of Trey Smith is one of the few areas where I really disagree with Pruitt. Sometimes a coach has to be the one that says no, that doing something is not in the best interests of the athlete.

I remember Condredge Holloway's senior year when he badly injured his shoulder. They were injecting him to be able to play. It was so bad they would drape a towel over his shoulder to hide the needle marks when he gave interviews. Bill Battle, thinking Holloway was going to play pro baseball, told him at mid-season he had given enough and his health was at risk. He was benched the rest of the season.

Then there was Todd Helton who wanted to come back from a knee injury to play against Alabama. Fulmer said no, that he wasn't going to risk Helton's baseball career.

The point is that if you've ever been part of a real team on a big stage, you want to be there for your teammates. It's why Trey came back. It's clear he loves his teammates. Sometimes that can cause you to made a bad decision.

I'm sure they are taking extra precautions with him but I really believe that he shouldn't be taking this risk and Pruitt should be protecting him.

But you are right, he's a grown man and he has a right to make whatever decisions. I just disagree with facilitating that.

I think if Trey were in that conference room, sitting at that table with his parents, and the team physician, and his personal physician, and a couple of specialists, and a few of the coaches, and all the experts were saying, "Trey, you shouldn't," then...and only then, under those conditions, should the coach deny the young man's wishes. I would agree with you. But only under those conditions.

On the other hand, if the medical professionals are saying, "We think we can do this in a way that minimizes risk for you, it will take some extra effort on your part and buy-in from the coaching staff, but it is manageable," then that's a wholly different story.

And every report we've seen over the past three years has been of the latter variety.

Trey is not making these decisions in a vacuum, and the coaching staff is not without expert advice. Let's give them all the benefit of the doubt, and respect the young man for being devoted to something he loves.

We need to stop second-guessing from our arm-chairs, I think.

 

[sona]

Ages 25 to 65. Most below 45.

Crazy how it can wreck one demographic and leave others unscathed. You would not know that these kids had it at all minus one who had a mild fever and then chills.

 

[clinical]

I talked with a friend yesterday who told me he had been home for a week because he tested positive along with 5 others on his work team. Absolutely no symptoms from anyone but they all had NO CHOICE but to go home and stay there (they are government employees). Said it kinda feels like stealing. His son is getting ready to start his college baseball career but had to be tested before he could report. He's afraid he'll show positive as well. Something weird is going on....

Sounds like my wife's school, one teacher had a positive test and they sent 3 others home. None of the 4 ever had any symptoms, got 2 weeks off though!

 

[RDU VOL#14]

I have to admit, the issue of Trey Smith is one of the few areas where I really disagree with Pruitt. Sometimes a coach has to be the one that says no, that doing something is not in the best interests of the athlete.

I remember Condredge Holloway's senior year when he badly injured his shoulder. They were injecting him to be able to play. It was so bad they would drape a towel over his shoulder to hide the needle marks when he gave interviews. Bill Battle, thinking Holloway was going to play pro baseball, told him at mid-season he had given enough and his health was at risk. He was benched the rest of the season.

Then there was Todd Helton who wanted to come back from a knee injury to play against Alabama. Fulmer said no, that he wasn't going to risk Helton's baseball career.

The point is that if you've ever been part of a real team on a big stage, you want to be there for your teammates. It's why Trey came back. It's clear he loves his teammates. Sometimes that can cause you to made a bad decision.

I'm sure they are taking extra precautions with him but I really believe that he shouldn't be taking this risk and Pruitt should be protecting him.

But you are right, he's a grown man and he has a right to make whatever decisions. I just disagree with facilitating that.

I see what youre saying and in large part I agree. I’m surprised Trey is playing and even if he still decides to opt out he will always have my respect as a guy who “Gave His All For Tennessee”. I just think given the climate of our country, that there is no stone that has been unturned in his decision making process. He is our most public and visible player, our best player and the one that we know of that has the highest risk of being adversely effected by Covid. We don’t really know how succeptible he is, and I say this as a transplant recipient of just over 15 months ago. I’m imminusuppressed because of my anti-rejection medication, but my WBC is still within range and my doctors at Duke tell me that those transplant patients that have contracted the virus have had minimal issues. I’m careful, but I still go to the grocery store, eat at restaurants, etc.. I wear a mask, even though I’m not sure how much it works, but I do it, and I just wash my hands and use hand sanitizer religiously. IMO it comes down to using common sense as much as possible and not putting myself in uncomfortable situations. I don’t know that playing football qualifies as being dangerous for him. I don’t know if any data suggests so far that it is an issue. I think doing other extra-curriculars like going to bars, parties, and yes even participating in a peaceful protest probably are not the best places to avoid Covid for our guys and girls.

Bottom line, I’ll trust Trey, his family, Pruitt, Phil and the medical staff to use all the info at their disposal to make the best choice for him and his future. He has my support 100% no matter what he chooses to do. We’re lucky to have Trey as the next great ambassador for our University and I don’t think we’re going to make the mistake of taking that for granted.

 

[Nocleats]

How can Tenn have 43 players out, more than 28 just for SEC protical that says if they were around someone who tested positive, and they have to miss 2 weeks of practice, and no other teams are missing over half their roster during preseason?? Is Tenn just snake bit or are other schools not holding out players who have tested negative but been exposed? it’s less than 3 weeks to kickoff and we haven’t even scrimmaged yet! Why HS only?

 

[butchna]

How can Tenn have 43 players out, more than 28 just for SEC protical that says if they were around someone who tested positive, and they have to miss 2 weeks of practice, and no other teams are missing over half their roster during preseason?? Is Tenn just snake bit or are other schools not holding out players who have tested negative but been exposed? it’s less than 3 weeks to kickoff and we haven’t even scrimmaged yet! Why HS only?

Had a scrimmage two weeks ago.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

How can Tenn have 43 players out, more than 28 just for SEC protical that says if they were around someone who tested positive, and they have to miss 2 weeks of practice, and no other teams are missing over half their roster during preseason?? Is Tenn just snake bit or are other schools not holding out players who have tested negative but been exposed? it’s less than 3 weeks to kickoff and we haven’t even scrimmaged yet! Why HS only?

 

[MWAVolfan]

I think if Trey were in that conference room, sitting at that table with his parents, and the team physician, and his personal physician, and a couple of specialists, and a few of the coaches, and all the experts were saying, "Trey, you shouldn't," then...and only then, under those conditions, should the coach deny the young man's wishes. I would agree with you. But only under those conditions.

On the other hand, if the medical professionals are saying, "We think we can do this in a way that minimizes risk for you, it will take some extra effort on your part and buy-in from the coaching staff, but it is manageable," then that's a wholly different story.

And every report we've seen over the past three years has been of the latter variety.

Trey is not making these decisions in a vacuum, and the coaching staff is not without expert advice. Let's give them all the benefit of the doubt, and respect the young man for being devoted to something he loves.

We need to stop second-guessing from our arm-chairs, I think.

To add to this, there is nothing to suggest that Trey's condition would negatively impact him if he got the virus. Blood clotting issues present a danger when the athlete is injured, not sick. If he gets a concussion and they cant stop the bleeding on his brain THAT's his risk. But a viral infection doesn't cause bleeding and therefore should not be made worse by his existing condition.

 

[KeyVol14]

Can someone elaborate on whether these players that are being withheld due to covid tracing if they have to quarantine for 2 weeks or not?

 

[GBO121]

No, I'm really not into the politics of it. At least, not the American politics of it. International politics, maybe a little.

I don't call it the Wuhan flu because of Trump. In fact, the dude almost made me stop. I use the label in spite of him.

I call it the Wuhan flu for the same reason I call it MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) or the German measles or the Spanish flu or Legionnaire disease or Lou Gehrig's disease. Not necessarily because that's where these things originated (the Spanish flu didn't come from Spain, only seemed that way to Americans at the time), but because we need a name for these things that we face in the world. And calling something by an acronym (covid), or even worse a numbered acronym (covid-19) feels contrived and bureaucratic.

And yes, I admit: I also call it the Wuhan flu out of a refusal to kowtow to China's wishes. They gave us the disease, they can live with the name.

Look, it originated in Wuhan. Calling it the Wuhan flu just makes sense. You do as you wish; I'll do what makes sense to me.

So that's why I call it that. Nothing to do with US politics. Meanwhile, you're like the third person who has made an utterly wrong assumption about my political views (which I do go out of my way not to share) on this forum today.


p.s. Know who made the big stink about journalists calling it the Wuhan flu? China. The Chinese government put on a full-court press as soon as folks started calling it by that name, back in January-February. And they did one thing that was genius: they labeled it "racist". That one little step was enough to make a lot of folks fear the phrase, and before long the American media were jumping on board. When it has nothing to do with race, and everything to do with the geographic origins of a disease.

p.p.s. Do you call that other disease "Ebola"? I bet you do. That's the name of the river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where that disease originated. Know why it's okay to call it Ebola? Because the Democratic Republic of the Congo never said it was racist to use that place name. Or, if they did, they didn't have the diplomatic muscle China has. So what will you call it now, if not Ebola?

Mic-drop post if ive ever seen one.

 

[Orange_Crush]

But
. But CV19 is a added risk that wasn’t there before. My dad is a doctor he has seen a 27 year old with no compromising health issues die from of Covid and a 29 year old.

So, a terribly small outlier of anecdotal evidence is indication of massively screwed up priotities in letting the kids play when they want to play? Are you on crack? Is Inky Johnson proof that they should ban football forever? I mean, he's an incredibly small outlier anecdotal occurrence.

 

[TennVols12]

So, a terribly small outlier of anecdotal evidence is indication of massively screwed up priotities in letting the kids play when they want to play? Are you on crack? Is Inky Johnson proof that they should ban football forever? I mean, he's an incredibly small outlier anecdotal occurrence.

These “my dad is a doctor” or “my aunt is the head of a hospital” are the new “my cousin works for the White House”..

 

[TennVols12]

So....we playing on the 26th? Or nah?

 

[Jravol78]

My dad is a respected doctor so I trust his word and opinions on this virus. He is also a Tennessee alumnus and he doesn’t think we should play football this fall till we have the vaccine which according to him will def be available for everyone by next fall.

 

[FBtime]

View attachment 305733

Perfect

 

[kiddiedoc]

How can Tenn have 43 players out, more than 28 just for SEC protical that says if they were around someone who tested positive, and they have to miss 2 weeks of practice, and no other teams are missing over half their roster during preseason?? Is Tenn just snake bit or are other schools not holding out players who have tested negative but been exposed? it’s less than 3 weeks to kickoff and we haven’t even scrimmaged yet! Why HS only?

How many other teams participated in mass-gatherings that were sanctioned by their universities two weeks ago?