UTEP Game Postponed

[BillySee58]

 

[BillySee58]

 

[NTSU52]

Why tho?

[Udomann]

12 minutes ago, NTSU52 said:

Why tho?

El Paso is seeing some crazy covid numbers and is on a 2 week lockdown. 

The chances of us picking something up probably isn't worth the week or two of games we would have to cancel if it spread to us from them.

[UNT 90 Grad]

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/30205562/north-texas-utep-football-game-postponed-amid-rising-covid-19-cases-el-paso

[DeepGreen]

Bummer.

[Tom McKrackin]

Well, I thought I remembered UTEP saying they wanted to express themselves this season.  It’s hard to do that with this durn Covid.

[BillySee58]

UTEP President indicating this was our decision

[NorthTexasSportsNetwork]

Just now, BillySee58 said:

UTEP President indicating this was our decision

I can’t believe we would do that! If all of our players were healthy, why are we scared?? How does the city effect us??? 
 

[BillySee58]

6 minutes ago, NorthTexasSportsNetwork said:

I can’t believe we would do that! If all of our players were healthy, why are we scared?? How does the city effect us??? 
 

Flying into the city’s airport, staying at one of the city’s hotels.

[BillySee58]

 

[BillySee58]

 

[greenminer]

10 minutes ago, NorthTexasSportsNetwork said:

I can’t believe we would do that! If all of our players were healthy, why are we scared?? How does the city effect us??? 
 

 

3 minutes ago, BillySee58 said:

Flying into the city’s airport, staying at one of the city’s hotels.

UTEP is in the middle of a hotspot right now and there is still 3 days until gameday.  Miner athletes still have time to get infected.  I haven't heard of programs quarantining their entire roster during the season.  They're still allowed to go out and about, right?

I wonder If Wren saw something that made him think, "If I have to make the call this week, I had better do it sooner rather than later."

[greenminer]

6 minutes ago, BillySee58 said:

 

ah, okay.

[xyresic]

I think this makes sense, El Paso is in a bad spot right now. They instituted a curfew and their hospitals are at capacity with cases surging.

[peanuts104]

1 minute ago, xyresic said:

I think this makes sense, El Paso is in a bad spot right now. They instituted a curfew and their hospitals are at capacity with cases surging.

If there are no positive tests there is no danger to either team or the community. The teams are probably better tested than the community is anyway.

[BillySee58]

12 minutes ago, greenminer said:

I haven't heard of programs quarantining their entire roster during the season.  They're still allowed to go out and about, right?

I wonder If Wren saw something that made him think, "If I have to make the call this week, I had better do it sooner rather than later."

The statement from the president states that no players are in isolation. I think her point was meant to be that no players are quarantining due to contact tracing, but still seems to leave the door open that they are going out and about, even if they are strongly being encouraged to stay home as much as possible.

[Got5onIt]

This was the right call. 

[Cr1028]

I’m surprised. Covid can’t get in if you.......

 

[97and03]

27 minutes ago, Got5onIt said:

This was the right call. 

Absolutely the right call. It would be completely irresponsible to go to a city with a 200% increase in hospitalizations and at full hospital capacity. And it was certainly a good offer from UNT to try to keep the game. 

[MeanGreenWithEnvy]

30 minutes ago, Got5onIt said:

This was the right call. 

Co-sign. This is the responsible decision, and it’s disconcerting that UTEP’s President is throwing shade about it. 

[meangreenJW]

https://covidactnow.org/us/texas-tx/county/el_paso_county?s=1205295

After looking at these numbers, I agree with this decision. The team would be on a plane twice, three bus rides and in a hotel. Along the way they'd deal with numerous screeners, airport personnel, bus drivers, maids, cooks, etc. You'd have 3-4 meals prepared by the hotel. None of those people are required to test nor in protocol. The team isn't able to magically transport to stadium an hour before the game. Local test positivity rate has reached 22% which is incredibly high. Maybe the most concerning thing is the 100% usage of hospital beds. What happens if you have a player suffer a broken neck, spiral fracture, or other really serious injury? 

And if  University administration sent the team and they come back with covid and spread it on campus and in the community they would likely be roasted. 

This was a no win. What is most shocking to me is UTEP wanting to still have the game given the numbers they're dealing with and defying the county judge's order to do it. I think it's telling that both Presidents released quotes. Kind of unusual for athletics stories. My guess is this was done at the Presidential level.

Lastly, I saw Khatib Lyles' mom said on social media she was relieved the game was postponed. Khatib is from El Paso. That probably is an indicator of how the team felt about the going to what nationally is being called the COVID epicenter.

Edited October 28, 2020 by meangreenJW

[UNT Texas Hooligan]

UTEP's President is posting her statement all over Twitter trying to put all of the blame on UNT, not even acknowledging UNT's offer to host the game and pay for UTEP's travel expenses to Denton. Quite a shady spin job from her regarding who is actually the one "backing out" 

[El Paso Eagle]

1 hour ago, Got5onIt said:

This was the right call. 

Not much I look forward to more than the Mean Green coming to town, but 100% agree this was the right call by North Texas. Not worth the potential risk. 

[untjim1995]

2 hours ago, peanuts104 said:

This is virtue signalling BS. If both teams are tested and nobody has it there is no reason they shouldn't play. F this.

Edit:

Really? Are you that afraid of some stupid invisible bug that if players are testing negative that you won't let them play? Dumbass sheep.

Is your name Ryan Munthe, by any chance?? Because is you aren’t, you have a total soulmate to post with...