In no particular order, here are a few things for you to read and ponder.
–Happy voting day week! I don’t know about anybody else, but I will be happy when the madness is over. The frightening thing is that I doubt it will end on Tuesday night. With some states allowing mail-in ballots to come in several days late, who knows when the final count will be ready? Whenever it finally ends however, I certainly won’t miss all of the insults, finger-pointing, and name-calling on the daily news programs.
–Well, I wonder how Kevin Warren is feeling these days. In case you don’t know, Warren is the commissioner of the Big Ten football conference, who, along with the presidents of the Big Ten’s schools, decided there would be no football this season because of COVID-19. Unfortunately he subsequently gave into the pressure from fans, parents, and boosters, and reversed his position saying each of the teams in the Big Ten could play a 9-game season. After only one week of conference play, however, the consequences were immediate. Wisconsin, which opened the season with a 45-7 victory over Illinois, had little time to celebrate before getting some very bad news. Testing revealed that six staff members, including head coach Paul Chryst, and six players including starting quarterback Graham Mertz, all had the virus. (Since the news first broke, the total has increased to 16, eight staff members and eight players.) Under Big Ten protocol Wisconsin suspended all football activities for 7 days, cancelled its upcoming game against Nebraska, and imposed a 21-day mandatory quarantine on the affected players. This not only hurts the Wisconsin team, but it also has a detrimental effect on Nebraska’s schedule because the game is not postponed; it’s canceled. And Camp Randall Stadium was empty yesterday. Let’s just hope that those afflicted don’t suffer any of the long-term side effects of the virus.
–COVID-19 is not particular about where and whom it strikes. News recently broke that Trevor Lawrence, the quarterback for the No. 1 ranked Clemson Tigers, has the virus and had to miss Clemson’s game against Boston College. It’s uncertain whether or not he will be able to play this coming Saturday against Notre Dame. In addition to quarterbacking the defending national champions, Lawrence also was a leading candidate for the Heisman Trophy going into this season.
— I recently watched a most disturbing and discouraging interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci. He said that the United States is in a very bad way with the virus. Of course the main question in many people’s minds is when we can expect a return to some normalcy. When will movie theaters be able to open? When will we see football stadiums jam-packed with 105 thousand fans? And for many of us, when will we ever be able to hug our grandchildren again? Fauci said not to expect any of those things to happen before near the end of 2021. Not a very favorable outlook for sure!
–Fall always used to be an exciting time of year for me because I am an avid Ohio State football fan. Like any big college football town, Columbus, Ohio, boasts an electric atmosphere on game day. The tailgaters are out in full force, and a plethora of aromas assaults the olfactory glands as you walk through the parking lots. Thousands of fans pack St. John Arena to watch that amazing band’s pregame skull session. Then there’s nothing quite like watching the band march into the stadium prior to playing the National Anthem. Sadly, the massive horseshoe, usually bulging with an overflow crowd of scarlet-and-gray-clad fans, is now empty except for the two competing teams. No tailgating, no skull session, no band entrance, no dotting the I for script Ohio, no cheerleaders, and no echoing OH and IO across the stadium. Yes college football teams across the country are playing in lamentably empty venues. And sorry, but cardboard cutout fans and piped in crowd noise just doesn’t get it for me.
–On the entertainment front, if you have HBO, a very promising series made its debut last Sunday. It’s a mystery starring Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant, and Donald Sutherland. With a cast like that, how can it miss? Episode two airs tonight, and if you missed the first one, you surely will find it On Demand.
–Question of the Week: When many doctors and scientists say the key to stamping out the virus is to wear a mask, why do so many people simply refuse to do so?
–Reminders: If you haven’t already done so, set your clock back an hour. And also if you haven’t already done so, be sure to vote.
–Something to Ponder: “Daylight savings time — why are they saving it, and where are they keeping it?” — George Carlin
