04/25/24
March 17, 2020
SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle:
A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.
Hi everybody! Remember just over a week ago when I was minimizing the danger of this pandemic and taking it flippantly? Remember when I said I would own up to being wrong if it turned out that I was? Here I am. Y'all were dead-on 100% right to recognize the severity of this shit early on, and in no way irrational or alarmist. Carry on and stay healthy, everyone!
posted by tahoemoj at 12:51 PM on March 17, 2020
Let me echo what tahoemoj has said above. I was of the opinion that normal precautions would suffice to keep one healthy, but this thing is different. Time is the most important thing that can be bought now. "Social distancing" and even voluntary isolation will slow the spread, make it more likely that some prophylactic measures will be developed, and perhaps even save the lives of a few more old farts like myself. I violated the idea of isolation myself yesterday. I had to go to the DMV to renew my license, and followed up with a trip to the warehouse club store (not much on the shelves there). Much handwashing and care about contact with others in the process.
The economic impact has struck yours truly as well. I received notice of cancellation for 3 of my scheduled baseball games. I expect there will be more to come as we continue. I say there's an economic impact on me, but it's not like I will starve to death. Still, one game represents about a week's worth of groceries, and the few bucks I earn in a season will pay for one of our local weekend outings during the summer and autumn. If losing the games helps us mitigate this crisis, then I gladly stay home.
One more thing I have for tahoemoj: In one or another previous posts, you identified yourself as an attorney. If you have a colleague who is admitted to the bar in NH, and who handles divorce cases, I might have some business for him or her. Without sports to watch, with my wife and I being cooped up at home, I'm waiting for her to start screaming at me. Really, Dear, my puns and dad jokes aren't that bad, are they? Only kidding, of course, but there are some who might have this problem.
posted by Howard_T at 02:43 PM on March 17, 2020
The self-serve nature of the biblical pestilence that we're experiencing means that God can sit back, relax and just watch the show. People like Sheriff David Clarke are doing the lifting, continuing to insist that the whole corona thing is a hoax and a conspiracy, and encouraging people to congregate in numbers and disregard all warnings. Them that listen and follow shall do what they will and fall where they may.
posted by beaverboard at 03:08 PM on March 17, 2020
tahoe and Howard: I'm glad that you guys came around on this. Pandemics don't usually hit our shores so it's easy to disregard it when it does.
As beaverboard observed, I am cooped up at home doing work. My only company is a 10 year old kid that is having drama with her best friend that lives across the street. The wife is a librarian and still going to work even though they are all closed for the time being. Lots of organizing work to be done. There is even a county hotline for people to call and she's been doing 12 hours shifts there, answering questions from scared people. Some of her callers are even doctors who aren't sure what to do themselves.
posted by NoMich at 03:30 PM on March 17, 2020
Teddy Bridgewater, [Carolina] Panthers Finalizing 3-Year, $60M Contract in FA
posted by NoMich at 03:59 PM on March 17, 2020
she's been doing 12 hours shifts there, answering questions from scared people.
NoMich, please convey my appreciation for her efforts to your wife. There are a lot of scared people out there, but listening to those who have the necessary expertise and taking the recommended precautions will get us through.
posted by Howard_T at 05:19 PM on March 17, 2020
Yeah, sometimes it gets to be a bit much for her and today she had to cut her shift short.
posted by NoMich at 05:47 PM on March 17, 2020
If you have a colleague who is admitted to the bar in NH, and who handles divorce cases, I might have some business for him or her.
I know you joke, Howard, but the struggle is real. Better dial in your pun game and clean up your dad jokes, because your pink slip might be just one knock-knock joke from being delivered.
I'm glad that you guys came around on this.
I was already well on my way, but then I drove to the "neighboring" town of Ely (a 700-mile round-trip) for a 2-hour hearing and caught up on my podcasts. The latest "Making Sense with Sam Harris" features Amesh Adalja, an epidemiologist from Johns Hopkins who crystallized just how dangerous this shit is. Any lingering doubts were completely swept away at that point. If you've got an hour (really-who doesn't these days), this is extremely valuable.
posted by tahoemoj at 06:22 PM on March 17, 2020
I don't know how many people are doing this and I haven't read anywhere that it is being advised, but I started making a simple daily diary around 10 days ago. Where I went, people I saw, etc. Grocery store, hardware store, post office, pizza take-out counter, etc. Just quick reminder entries in case I ever need to provide that sort of info to treatment or containment workers.
Who knows if doing it is worthwhile or might be useful, but now that I've started it, it's quick and easy to update and I'm going to keep doing it until it no longer seems necessary.
posted by beaverboard at 08:57 PM on March 17, 2020
Euro 2020 postponed until next summer, Uefa confirms with the expectation that leagues might be able to finish their current season in the extra time.