The Penalty Box: Of COVID, College Polls And Comebacks
October 27, 2020 at 9:58 p.m.
By Roger Grossman-
I have been known to offer storage space in there for small-to-medium non-combustible items.
But as I sit down in my pre-determined time slot to write out my thoughts, I have too many things floating around to just concentrate on one—so I am going to include several of those things in the space I have to work with.
Whitko’s comeback season. The Wildcats have a proud history on the gridiron, but in recent years there just hasn’t been a lot to cheer for. Actually, almost nothing.
This year, after going 0-10 last season and 1-29 in the last three, Whitko won four games. 4-6 is a terrific accomplishment, and everyone associated with the school and football program should be really proud of it.
Whitko football in 2020 is a great life lesson: what has been does not have to be, but that change starts with me.
Southwood’s do-over. I promised I would show grace when it came to COVID-related decisions by schools on sporting events, and I don’t think I am breaking that promise with my thoughts on what happened with Southwood last week.
Southwood was pulled out of the football playoffs early in the week because of contact tracing of players, then Thursday word came out that the players in question tested negative for COVID-19 and the Knights were back in.
My problem is this: why was the game cancelled if there was a chance it could still be played? Those players should have been tested and received the results of those tests back first, and then withdrew if that was the appropriate action to take.
It’s a lesson to everyone.
College polls are a joke. Notre Dame was ranked fourth in the AP poll two weeks ago. They looked very rough in a 12-7 win over Louisville, and as a punishment they were moved up to third.
Then the Irish go into Pittsburgh and smoke the Panthers. They looked as good as they have looked all season, and their reward was being moved back to fourth and replaced by Ohio State. The Buckeyes have played one game, it was at home, and it was against Nebraska. And they apologized after the game because they scored a touchdown when they should have taken a knee at the end of the game!
Bogus. Totally bogus.
He’s back, but is he really?
Kyle Larson told the racing world last week that NASCAR had reinstated him, ending his suspension for using a racial slur while playing a video game during the pandemic earlier this year.
I am all about a person serving their time, and when that’s over, it’s over.
But, truth be told, there is no expiration date for the consequences of our actions.
Larson might be eligible to come back, but who’s adding him to their stable of drivers for 2021? Who wants to mess with that headache?
Guess we will find out.
Honorable mention, and very random thoughts.
Pineapple is completely inappropriate as a pizza topping. Pineapple is fruit, and fruit is part of desert—not the main course. It also doesn’t belong on ham.
Guacamole is overrated. My 6-year old son like to eat at a national Mexican chain restaurant, and especially likes their chips and salsa. He saw the menu and wondered “what that green dip was.” I explained it, and ordered him some.
I tried it. It needed something…salt maybe.
I let him eat the rest and went back to my salsa, which I view as being just short of a national treasure.
And finally, vote. People who choose not to vote are baffling to me. Find the races on your ballot, find out about the candidates, and vote for the best ones. The worst part of it is this—if you don’t vote, you still get to complain about how things are going.
We’re Americans. We’re supposed to be better than that!
I have been known to offer storage space in there for small-to-medium non-combustible items.
But as I sit down in my pre-determined time slot to write out my thoughts, I have too many things floating around to just concentrate on one—so I am going to include several of those things in the space I have to work with.
Whitko’s comeback season. The Wildcats have a proud history on the gridiron, but in recent years there just hasn’t been a lot to cheer for. Actually, almost nothing.
This year, after going 0-10 last season and 1-29 in the last three, Whitko won four games. 4-6 is a terrific accomplishment, and everyone associated with the school and football program should be really proud of it.
Whitko football in 2020 is a great life lesson: what has been does not have to be, but that change starts with me.
Southwood’s do-over. I promised I would show grace when it came to COVID-related decisions by schools on sporting events, and I don’t think I am breaking that promise with my thoughts on what happened with Southwood last week.
Southwood was pulled out of the football playoffs early in the week because of contact tracing of players, then Thursday word came out that the players in question tested negative for COVID-19 and the Knights were back in.
My problem is this: why was the game cancelled if there was a chance it could still be played? Those players should have been tested and received the results of those tests back first, and then withdrew if that was the appropriate action to take.
It’s a lesson to everyone.
College polls are a joke. Notre Dame was ranked fourth in the AP poll two weeks ago. They looked very rough in a 12-7 win over Louisville, and as a punishment they were moved up to third.
Then the Irish go into Pittsburgh and smoke the Panthers. They looked as good as they have looked all season, and their reward was being moved back to fourth and replaced by Ohio State. The Buckeyes have played one game, it was at home, and it was against Nebraska. And they apologized after the game because they scored a touchdown when they should have taken a knee at the end of the game!
Bogus. Totally bogus.
He’s back, but is he really?
Kyle Larson told the racing world last week that NASCAR had reinstated him, ending his suspension for using a racial slur while playing a video game during the pandemic earlier this year.
I am all about a person serving their time, and when that’s over, it’s over.
But, truth be told, there is no expiration date for the consequences of our actions.
Larson might be eligible to come back, but who’s adding him to their stable of drivers for 2021? Who wants to mess with that headache?
Guess we will find out.
Honorable mention, and very random thoughts.
Pineapple is completely inappropriate as a pizza topping. Pineapple is fruit, and fruit is part of desert—not the main course. It also doesn’t belong on ham.
Guacamole is overrated. My 6-year old son like to eat at a national Mexican chain restaurant, and especially likes their chips and salsa. He saw the menu and wondered “what that green dip was.” I explained it, and ordered him some.
I tried it. It needed something…salt maybe.
I let him eat the rest and went back to my salsa, which I view as being just short of a national treasure.
And finally, vote. People who choose not to vote are baffling to me. Find the races on your ballot, find out about the candidates, and vote for the best ones. The worst part of it is this—if you don’t vote, you still get to complain about how things are going.
We’re Americans. We’re supposed to be better than that!
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