# Christine Brennan, hyperbolic reporting, and Agendas are bad for football **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 17, 2020, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christine-brennan-hyperbolic-reporting-and-agendas-are-bad-for-football/920833 "2020-09-17T12:20:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2020, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christine-brennan-hyperbolic-reporting-and-agendas-are-bad-for-football/920833/41 "2020-09-18T15:43:41Z")
> [@Kearsen1](#): > > No IT IS NOT THE FLU, IT IS LIKE THE FLU only different in degree (more deadly) And a lion is NOT A CAT, IT IS LIKE A CAT only different in degree (more deadly) > [@](#): > > Why do we do NOTHING for the Flu, but you want to shut down the economy for the other. > If the data you have shown is correct, its 4 times as deadly! Why do we do NOTHING for Cats, but you want to build cages and zoos for lions! There are an estimated **400,000** cat bites each year. An estimated **66,000** hospital emergency visits each year are due to cat bites Why is it that you want to lock lions up in zoos but you do NOTHING for cats? It’s only a difference of scale after all. ---
**Author:** ![Kearsen1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Kearsen1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kearsen1)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2020, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christine-brennan-hyperbolic-reporting-and-agendas-are-bad-for-football/920833/42 "2020-09-18T15:53:45Z")
I don’t necessarily think we need cages or zoos for lions, you are attributing to me something you yourself may advocate for. The difference is thus: One might require more care or maintenance, not a shutting down of all zoos You just don’t agree with the level of care or maintenance required (or not) ---
**Author:** ![Trom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2020, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christine-brennan-hyperbolic-reporting-and-agendas-are-bad-for-football/920833/43 "2020-09-18T17:10:37Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Her opinion is not at all hyperbolic. A lot of college athletes are at high risk of getting COVID, and the disease spreads so quickly that temperature checks may not catch it in time. IIRC, almost 1/3 of young COVID-19 patients have myocarditis, which is a potentially fatal inflammation of the heart muscle. So imagine coach puts his football team into an intense practice involving drills, knowing what we know about the “suck it up” and “play with pain” culture of football, and this is easily a tragedy in waiting. I would not be surprised if an NCAA football athlete - maybe more than one - simply drops dead in practice this season because of a sudden heart failure. The risk is apparently quite small and has been blown out of proportion. See this Q&A on this specific topic with genetic cardiologist Dr. Michael Ackerman of the Mayo Clinic. > **[Q&A: Mayo Clinic doctor advises about myocarditis risk for athletes](https://dailyorange.com/2020/09/mayo-clinic-doctor-advises-myocarditis-risk/)** > > Myocarditis, or the inflammation of the heart, has been linked to COVID-19 and was a primary reason for the Big Ten's cancellation of football. > **D.O.: Are there any other viruses that can cause myocarditis?** > > M.A.: Yes, there are. Long before coronavirus, there are over 20 viruses that have been implicated with the ability for this kind of heart damage that we call myocarditis. We know that almost half, around 40% to 50%, of all cardiac transplant recipients require transplants because of the damage done by myocarditis. It is a very important entity but it is one that has been around long before coronavirus. This virus is yet another virus with the capability of infecting the heart muscle and potentially damaging the heart muscle. It’s created even more anxiety during this COVID-19 pandemic. > > **D.O.: How does this apply to young and healthy athletes who don’t have pre-existing conditions?** > > M.A.: For those individuals who are asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic, this myocarditis thing is a non-issue. That’s because the virus hasn’t reached or done any damage to that viral infected person. It’s a very small number of otherwise healthy young people where the viral infection of SARS-CoV-2 is going to reach the heart, penetrate the heart, or do any measurable damage. Myocarditis taking center stage with athletes and discussing athletes risk is probably a bit overstated. > **D.O.: What happens if an athlete gets SARS-CoV-2 myocarditis?** > > M.A.: If someone gets SARS-CoV-2 myocarditis, it’s potentially a big deal. But any other potential viral myocarditis is also a big deal. If there’s a substantial level of heart damage rendered, we could be talking (about) life-support devices and cardiac transplantation. That is so much the exception, rather than the rule in any myocarditis. This coming flu season, influenza can infect and damage the heart muscle. It’s really a matter of perspective and weighing everything in the balance. > **In other words, if the conference received enough evidence to say that we reached a tipping point because of a heart issue, then I cry foul. Look under the hood. Look at the strength of the evidence. If you look carefully enough, there’s simply not enough evidence to assign that much weight to COVID-19 and the heart as the driving reason for a season termination.** If the conference said, “Even if we removed the heart issue, we would have agreed to cancel,” I would’ve said, ‘Great.’ I’m not an expert for those reasons, so I can’t speak on it. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2020, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christine-brennan-hyperbolic-reporting-and-agendas-are-bad-for-football/920833/44 "2020-09-18T17:34:51Z")
> [@Kearsen1](#): > > Why do we do NOTHING for the Flu, but you want to shut down the economy for the other. > If the data you have shown is correct, its 4 times as deadly! We do things for the flu - we have flu shots and advertise and try to get people to get their inoculations. We don’t have a shot (yet) for COVID-19 - the “novel” in “novel coronavirus” means we haven’t seen anything like this before. Other nations have had great success with their response. I see a couple of very obvious reasons: 1. they had a unified NATIONAL response (not piecemeal local) 2. their citizens are willing to listen and adhere to the rules; we can’t even seem to follow simple easy “wear a mask in public” rules. We didn’t need to shut down our economy for this long, but the @$#^ing idiots our there REFUSE TO WEAR A MASK because our Fearless Leader mocks people wearing masks, like waiters. ---
**Author:** ![Kearsen1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Kearsen1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kearsen1)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2020, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christine-brennan-hyperbolic-reporting-and-agendas-are-bad-for-football/920833/45 "2020-09-18T18:00:09Z")
I’m not arguing with that, I am arguing that after careful consideration, medical professionals gave their opinion that it would be ok to play football, with safety protocols in place. To some, it is wrong NO MATTER the safety protocols ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2020, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christine-brennan-hyperbolic-reporting-and-agendas-are-bad-for-football/920833/46 "2020-09-18T18:09:48Z")
Were those doctors’ decisions informed by sound, science backed evidence? Or is this about $$$? ---
**Author:** ![Kearsen1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Kearsen1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kearsen1)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2020, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christine-brennan-hyperbolic-reporting-and-agendas-are-bad-for-football/920833/47 "2020-09-18T18:37:57Z")
I believe that both were factors, but it WAS backed by sound science backed evidence. ---
**Author:** ![Kearsen1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Kearsen1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kearsen1)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2020, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christine-brennan-hyperbolic-reporting-and-agendas-are-bad-for-football/920833/48 "2020-10-06T18:18:18Z")
After week three for most colleges, is there anyone here that still thinks it was a dire mistake to let them play? ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2020, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christine-brennan-hyperbolic-reporting-and-agendas-are-bad-for-football/920833/49 "2020-10-07T01:54:49Z")
> **[Arizona coach Sumlin tests positive for COVID-19](https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/30047429/arizona-coach-kevin-sumlin-tests-positive-covid-19?platform=amp)** > > Arizona's Kevin Sumlin tested positive for COVID-19 and has entered self-isolation. He is not experiencing any symptoms. Nice timing ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2020, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christine-brennan-hyperbolic-reporting-and-agendas-are-bad-for-football/920833/50 "2020-10-07T02:12:24Z")
Can you post a link to what you were trying to link to? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2020, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christine-brennan-hyperbolic-reporting-and-agendas-are-bad-for-football/920833/51 "2020-10-07T02:14:32Z")
Is it this? > **[Arizona coach Sumlin tests positive for COVID-19](https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/30047429/arizona-coach-kevin-sumlin-tests-positive-covid-19)** > > Arizona's Kevin Sumlin tested positive for COVID-19 and has entered self-isolation. He is not experiencing any symptoms. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2020, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christine-brennan-hyperbolic-reporting-and-agendas-are-bad-for-football/920833/52 "2020-10-07T07:15:04Z")
I think it’s certainly possible to still think that it’s a dire mistake to take the risks being taken, and that they aren’t worth the possible consequences, even if things have generally worked out so far. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2020, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christine-brennan-hyperbolic-reporting-and-agendas-are-bad-for-football/920833/53 "2020-10-07T16:35:52Z")
> [@Kearsen1](#): > > Why do we do NOTHING for the Flu, but you want to shut down the economy for the other. Why do you say that? I get a flu shot every year and there are anti-virals (tamiflu for one) and, again it is an order of magnitude less deadly. The flu vaccine isn’t perfect. I got the flu one year, but it was a relatively mild case with no after effects. One thing that is really different is that Covid is contagious before there are any symptoms. When you get the flu you are generally too sick to go out anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Kearsen1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Kearsen1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kearsen1)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2020, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christine-brennan-hyperbolic-reporting-and-agendas-are-bad-for-football/920833/54 "2020-10-07T19:13:19Z")
Hari, the posting I was replying to was basically an all or nothing ideal. It was stated that playing football (regardless of protocols in place) was a dire mistake. With the protocols, I stated that playing football was fine. Yes, we take precaution with the flu, but we sure don’t shut the economy down. Just as we take precaution with Covid, but we shouldn’t be staying closed. It’s a degree of difference. For the flu, we get shots etc For Covid, the protocols are much much greater (as it should, its more contagious and more deadly), but life must go on anyway IMO. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2020, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christine-brennan-hyperbolic-reporting-and-agendas-are-bad-for-football/920833/55 "2020-10-12T03:36:32Z")
> [@Kearsen1](#): > > I’m not arguing with that, I am arguing that after careful consideration, medical professionals gave their opinion that it would be ok to play football, with safety protocols in place. > > To some, it is wrong NO MATTER the safety protocols No, it’s wrong because they are making a choice about how right it is to endanger others who are not given a choice. If society as a whole decided it was worth the risk, that would be one thing, but we haven’t. Football is not some vital need. No, it doesn’t hurt the athletes–because all college athletes would be affected evenly. So not playing is a valid choice. However, there is a safe way to do allow playing. It’s the one that the professional sports have chosen. The answer is: isolate your people, so that they are safe. The NFL does this. But the NCAA won’t. They could have their student-athletes stay in a bubble, taking their courses online, and thus keeping them separated from the population. Get them all tested, have them in 14 days of quarantine, and it would be safe for everyone. But they choose not to do it this way. They choose the way to do it that puts not only their student athletes **but also everyone else** at increased risk. People will get sick and even die unnecessarily when they could have used reasonable caution to prevent this. The reason this is so heinous is that they have another choice that would cost them little but would be much, much safer. But these rich assholes–who would barely feel the difference even if they covered the entire cost–refuse to do it. It’s the maskhole situation all over again. If it were just the athletes at risk, then you could have an argument that they chose an acceptable risk. But they go out of their way to make that not the case, by requiring the student athletes to do college on campus, one of the least necessary choices. (It’s not like schools for younger people where they need an adult to watch them. Most classes work fine online in college.) The risk is to everyone. But the ones choosing the level of risk are only a few. That’s the big issue with this. It’s the maskhole situation. It’s the opening too early situation. And both of those groups are responsible for why the US has so many more deaths. It seems obvious that you should choose that which risks everyone else the least. If they want to play so badly, then they can isolate. If it’s not worth the isolation, they can not play. Until we get some other method that would make this as safe as the flu, you can’t keep using that metric either. Oh, and do realize these doctors have a vested interest in doing what the organization wants–it’s like asking Trump’s doctors. They know they won’t be able to keep their jobs otherwise. The free doctors say that you should stay away from large crowds unless absolutely necessary, and to try and stay in bubbles. You know, the strategy I recommended, but they aren’t doing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christine-brennan-hyperbolic-reporting-and-agendas-are-bad-for-football/920833.md?page=2)