Tag: ncaa coronavirus

Twitter reacts as SEC cancels G-Day, all SEC spring scrimmages

The SEC announced that it will be cancelling all spring scrimmages, including Georgia football’s G-Day

Amid concerns regarding COVID-19, the Southeastern Conference has canceled play for all remaining winter and spring sports.

This includes out-of conference contests, SEC championship tournaments, and each school’s spring football scrimmage. No football program will host a pro day for its NFL prospects.

For college football fans, they kept their fingers crossed in hopes that spring games would be played as scheduled. However, we all knew that was a long shot.

At the end of the day, it’s just a scrimmage. But for the players, fans and coaches, oftentimes it’s much more than that.

For some fans, spring games are the only Georgia games they can attend in person, given the free admission into the event.

For the coaches, the spring scrimmage is not terribly instrumental in determining depth charts as they have multiple scrimmages throughout the offseason. But what they will be missing out on is an opportunity to get big-time recruits on campus and show them a good time. On the bright side, it’s an even playing field across the conference seeing as how all spring games have been called off.

And for a large number of the players, this was going to be their final G-Day, an event that many of them look forward to. It’s also a chance for the freshmen to begin making a name for themselves among the DawgNation. That will have to wait until fall.

With the SEC confirming what we had all suspected for the last week, Georgia fans took to Twitter to express their sadness over the situation.

 

SEC cancels all remaining competitions, includes spring football games

Conference commissioner Greg Sankey made the necessary decision. It just makes everything else seem even worse somehow.

Amid concerns regarding COVID-19, the Southeastern Conference has canceled play for all remaining winter and spring sports.

This includes out-of conference contests, SEC championship tournaments, and each school’s spring football scrimmage. No football program will host a pro day for its NFL prospects.

Conference commissioner Greg Sankey made the necessary decision. It just makes everything else seem even worse somehow.

“This is a difficult day for all of us, and I am especially disappointed for our student athletes. The health and well-being of our entire conference community is an ongoing priority for the SEC as we continue to monitor developments and information about the COVID-19 virus.”

As per the SEC’s official statement:

“Team and individual practices, meetings and other organized gatherings, whether required or voluntary, remain suspended through at least April 15.”

For more into how the global health pandemic affects the world of college sports:

Georgia football produces positive video amid coronavirus pandemic

Finebaum: NCAA president Emmert’s handling of cancellations “inexcusable”

Coronavirus forces NCAA to make big decisions regarding eligibility, recruiting

SEC cancels its men’s basketball tournament due to coronavirus

NCAA grants spring season athletes an extra year of eligibility

Will Georgia football cancel G-Day due to coronavirus?

Georgia football Pro Day postponed amid coronavirus outbreak

Athens-Clarke County announces local state of emergency

The proposed curfew was briefly revised to be 7:00 p.m. but has since been approved to be imposed at the original 9:00 p.m. limit.

The University of Georgia community is panicking following three confirmed COVID-19 cases in Athens-Clarke County. County officials drafted emergency plans for a city-wide 9:00 p.m. curfew.

The proposed curfew was briefly revised to be 7:00 p.m. but has since been approved to be imposed at the original 9:00 p.m. limit.

None of the five bordering counties (Barrow, Jackson, Madison, Oconee, Oglethorpe) has a confirmed case.

Following the NCAA’s ordered cancellation of all winter and spring sports, Clarke county residents like myself now have more pressing concerns than whether or not G-Day is still on in a few weeks.

To paint a picture of what it’s like in Athens, a town with a population density of 1,038 people per square mile:

I’ve seen neither paper towels nor toilet paper on store shelves in six days. I can’t remember the last time I encountered disinfectant wipes or hand sanitizer. I saw about three loaves of sliced bread and maybe half a dozen baguettes at my local grocery last night. I drove to four stores before I found a dozen eggs.

My friends who work in UGA offices haven’t been able to work for about two weeks. They’re concerned, rightfully so, about how they will pay their bills this month.

My bank is now drive-through only and hasn’t guaranteed if they’ll stay open this week.

Almost all restaurants, if not closed, are drive-through or takeout only.

Heads turn in any public space in which a cough or sneeze is overheard.

The University of Georgia has yet to provide an update on when campus activities will resume. Nobody can predict a timeline of when all of this will blow over, but the lack of update remains disheartening.

For other inquiries into how the global health pandemic affects the world of college sports:

Georgia football produces positive video amid coronavirus pandemic

Finebaum: NCAA president Emmert’s handling of cancellations “inexcusable”

Coronavirus forces NCAA to make big decisions regarding eligibility, recruiting

SEC cancels its men’s basketball tournament due to coronavirus

NCAA grants spring season athletes an extra year of eligibility

Will Georgia football cancel G-Day due to coronavirus?

Georgia football Pro Day postponed amid coronavirus outbreak

Georgia football produces positive video amid coronavirus pandemic

Georgia football and head coach Kirby Smart released a video message urging the local community to stay cautious regarding COVID-19. 

Amid health concerns not limited locally Georgia football and head coach Kirby Smart released a video message urging the local community to stay cautious regarding COVID-19.

Smart and his family traveled outside the country recently and were required to self-quarantine. UGA Athletic Director Greg McGarity confirmed that a 14-day quarantine applies to all employees of the school’s athletic department who traveled outside of the United States for recent weeks.

Smart further urged the University of Georgia community to take health precaution seriously in a video message.

Athens-Clarke County has three confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of March 16.

County officials originally drafted plans for an Athens-wide 9:00 p.m. curfew. Earlier this evening, the proposed curfew was revised to 7:00 p.m. and has yet to be approved.

For other inquiries into how the global health pandemic affects the world of college sports:

Finebaum: NCAA president Emmert’s handling of cancellations “inexcusable”

Coronavirus forces NCAA to make big decisions regarding eligibility, recruiting

SEC cancels its men’s basketball tournament due to coronavirus

NCAA grants spring season athletes an extra year of eligibility

Will Georgia football cancel G-Day due to coronavirus?

Georgia football Pro Day postponed amid coronavirus outbreak

Finebaum: NCAA president Emmert’s handling of cancellations “inexcusable”

Cancellation was always going to be the safe decision, but the NCAA’s lack of communication left conference leaders in the dark.

Last week, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey appeared on The Paul Finebaum Show to disclose that he learned secondhand of NCAA President Mark Emmert’s decision to cancel spring and winter sports amid COVID-19 concerns.

As per Sankey, he learned of the cancellation from a journalist. He received no prior notification from NCAA officials.

Though it was always going to be the safe decision to make, the communication (or lack thereof) related to the NCAA’s cancellation plans left conference leaders in the dark.

Following Sankey’s revelation, Finebaum, in an appearance on Birmingham’s WJOX, let loose on his perceptions of the issue.

“I know this is the wrong time to make absolute statements but I’m going to make one anyway. That moment was the end of the NCAA as we know it. It may have power in existence for some times but that was an existential moment in the history of the NCAA where knowing the commissioners like we do, they are going to band together at some point, when the storm clears, and are going to say, ‘You know what, we’re not going to take that anymore.’”

Finebaum continued regarding the communication breakdown:

“For Mark Emmert, not to have more consultation with the people that feed the system was inexcusable. And what was interesting is we all praised him on Wednesday afternoon, ‘What a great decision to go ahead and announce that there would be no fans (for the 2020 NCAA Tournament)’ and in the moment it did look good, but once again no consultation with anyone.”

The necessary precautions for the general public’s safety never came into question for Finebaum.

“Quit praising him for making the right call…it wasn’t a difficult call.”

He concluded:

“Let’s not give him too much credit or give anyone too much credit. This was this a domino effect, which we all know was caused by the NBA (being the first major American sporting league to suspend play due to coronavirus concerns).”

For other inquiries into how the global health pandemic affects the world of college sports:

Coronavirus forces NCAA to make big decisions regarding eligibility, recruiting

SEC cancels its men’s basketball tournament due to coronavirus

NCAA grants spring season athletes an extra year of eligibility

Will Georgia football cancel G-Day due to coronavirus?

Georgia football Pro Day postponed amid coronavirus outbreak