Thank you. I get enough of that crap elsewhere, can't we just talk about officiating?

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Across The Board ...
 

Our state association (CIAC) based it's protocols (see post #4) in full coordination with the State of Connecticut Public Health Department. Officials, players, coaches, and fans are under the same protocols. Same thing last year, across the board, but with slightly different protocols than this year. My local interpreter actually had a seat at the table when the CIAC (we have a CIAC Officials Association) came up with the protocols, both years. We were kept in the loop all along the way.

Please see #30
I didn't intend for it to go there

I'm not calling anyone out, nor upset at anyone. I just feel things are starting to get heated so we need to move on.

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Post #30 ...
 

One of my favorite posts in this thread.

Nice to get back to our local programming, i.e. basketball officiating.

https://tse3.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.8...=0&w=300&h=300

**** **** ****

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Working Hard Or Hardly Working ...
 

Last year (before vaccination) 40% of our local guys chose not to be assigned games due to COVID.

This year (with vaccinations) 20% of our local guys chose not to be assigned games due to COVID.

We also had a ton of guys retire over that time period, with many saying that while they were thinking about retiring, COVID was the tipping point that pushed their decisions.

Over the past few years our local membership has gone from 320 members (active and inactive) to 270 members (active and inactive), baby boomers now getting too old to run up and down the court, pulling up roots and heading south for warmer temperatures, cheaper taxes, early bird dinner specials, and pickle ball courts.

Trainee classes have been in single digits over two consecutive years.

Still covering the same 70 high schools and many middle schools.

Every year officials get a year older and the schools stay the same age. Wait ... I'm being told ... Players? ... Really? Never mind.

https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.z...=0&w=227&h=183

We were specifically asked to keep that with the school and coaches. We play no role in that even though the participants are to be masked.

Peace

Just The Facts Ma'am ...
 

Same here in Connecticut. Last year officials were the "Mask Police".

https://tse2.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.l...=0&w=181&h=165

JRutledge: Do the coaches, site directors, and athletic directors in Indiana and Illinois do good job of making sure that the players are wearing masks properly because game management is doing a poor job of doing that so far this season in Connecticut.

I would disagree....not for ~0.1% reduction. The burden being imposed upon millions (even billions) is just too great for that small impact.

That said, I believe masks are much more effective than that in stopping the ejection of potentially virus carrying droplets into the air. It really isn't that hard to understand. I still hate wearing it, but you really can't argue against the fact that they stop people from spraying stuff into the air. It is basically like covering your nose and mouth when you sneeze/cough. Anyone arguing that masks do nothing must also be arguing that no one ever needs to cover their mouth/nose when they sneeze and should be ok with someone sneezing on them.

And that’s exactly the way it should be and the way it is this year in my area. Unfortunately last year we were tasked with being the mask police which was completely ridiculous and next to impossible.

“If it saves just one life” is quite literally the worst argument ever for imposing a certain restriction.

Numbers ...
 

Yeah, my numbers were faulty (I almost changed it to 10,000 in my original post).

But with 800,000 deaths and millions on ventilators, hospitalized, or just very sick, what would be the "tipping point"? 10,000 dead? 50,000 dead? 100,000 dead? For a simple, common sense, and low-cost strategy to mitigate COVID transmission, with few serious side effects?

Make It Personal ...
 

In general, I agree with you, but it depends on the restriction, and I doubt that this young lady, her parents, and siblings, would agree with you.

It's very different when it's made personal.

As the basketball coach, I had parents (some with no medical insurance) complain every year about mandatory annual physical exams for students who simply wanted to try out for the team, with no guarantee to actually make the team.

Back in the late 1960's, when I was in high school, we got free annual pre-tryout physical exams in the nurses office by a school appointed doctor.

Remember a friend of mine's older brother having a previously undetected major heart problem discovered during such an exam, preventing him from trying out for the football team.

Knee Jerk Reaction ...
 

Agree that it's often stated (see Connecticut's Ethan's Law) as a knee jerk reaction, but I'm pretty sure that most supporters of a restriction do not mean it literally, but figuratively, and that the restriction would actually save many lives. But how many? And at what cost? Aye, there's the rub.