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Players Opting out of 2020

Discussion in 'Steelers Talk' started by Blast Furnace, Jul 28, 2020.

  1. Thigpen82

    Thigpen82 Bitter optimist

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    I don't know if it's about wanting to work or not. This whole thing is complicated, so many different factors to think about (on all sides).

    It's good that we have a full roster going into whatever season is going to happen (and at the moment we're largely injury-free), but I wouldn't be condemning a player for opting out.
     
  2. Thigpen82

    Thigpen82 Bitter optimist

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    It's a difficult one because the risk factor is constantly changing. Both statistically and in people's minds.

    Presumably there must be some kind of smallprint in case there's a second wave/peak of some kind. Unless that's now deferred to the league to make a decision if it happens.
     
  3. SteelerGlenn

    SteelerGlenn

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    They’re not allowed to share your medical information unless you consent to it. Although I’d imagine please players must have some kind of an agreement with the NFL since they publish weekly injury reports.

    I totally agree with your original point though that you need to be following the guidelines regarding quarantine.
    I personally just went through the quarantine and it sucks, but you have to do it.
     
  4. jeh1856

    jeh1856 Beer is good

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    Two tidbits I cut and pasted:

    1) The information in the weekly report is released by the teams not the doctors. The teams have HIPAA exemption clauses in the player contracts that allow them to obtain and release player health information.

    2) HIPAA often excludes employers. The privacy rules only apply to “covered entities.” Under HIPAA, a covered entity is either a health plan, health care clearinghouse or a self- insured health care provider. It may be a bit unsettling to realize that many employers in fact are not covered entities. Since the NFL does provide health care facilities and acts as an intermediary between medical providers and employers, the fine line becomes even more blurred.
     
    • Informative Informative x 3
  5. jeh1856

    jeh1856 Beer is good

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    I pasted some things I found on this above, FYI.
     
    • Informative Informative x 1
  6. SteelerGlenn

    SteelerGlenn

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    • Like Like x 1
  7. SteelerGlenn

    SteelerGlenn

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    It can be considered an ADA violation and it’s even outlined on the CDC website regarding Covid-19.
     
    • Informative Informative x 2
  8. steel machine

    steel machine Well-Known Member

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    HIPPA always amused me. I have nurses in my family. Conversations always started, "I can't say anything because of HIPPA but........." Humans like to gossip.
     
    • Hilarious Hilarious x 1
  9. The Glory Days

    The Glory Days Well-Known Member

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    I toned down my pandemic opinions, which was what needed to happen. You, on the other hand, walk around here like a peacock with "kick me" embroidered on your shirt and jump up and down, yelling for everyone to notice it. :cool:
     
    • Like Like x 1
    • Hilarious Hilarious x 1
  10. The Glory Days

    The Glory Days Well-Known Member

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    Nowhere did I mock risk factors. I commented about false positives from non-Covid related factors. Painfully obvious difference between the two.
     
  11. The Glory Days

    The Glory Days Well-Known Member

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    I don't think the possibility of a second wave really necessitates small print or even any print whatsoever. With the close proximity of players, a carrier not showing symptoms could unknowingly spread it to others and ravage a team. It really comes down to precautions and luck. The NFL could get hammered without an actual second wave hitting the general population or stay healthy through one.

    The best that any of us can do is to take precautions and then not enhance our risks by letting our guards down.
     
  12. Steel_Elvis

    Steel_Elvis Staff Member Mod Team

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    If the NFL truly stays the course and plays, we may see COVID blow its way through all 32 teams in the first half of the season, and then things settle down for a more normal second half with the players having developed their own herd immunity.
     
    • Very Optimistic Very Optimistic x 2
    • Agree Agree x 1
  13. Blast Furnace

    Blast Furnace Staff Member Mod Team

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    So you’re all in the clear? How did your kid make out?
     
  14. SteelerGlenn

    SteelerGlenn

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    Yeah everything is good. Son felt bad for a day then basically nothing after that.
    Thanks for asking.
     
    • Like Like x 3
  15. dobbler-33

    dobbler-33 Well-Known Member

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    Hungry hungry hippas was always a fun game growing up but then I saw the maturation of some friends role playing on table tops with fine cut lines... Lames as they were.
     
    • Hilarious Hilarious x 1
  16. ToomsHugsNuts

    ToomsHugsNuts Member

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    Just my opinion but I don't believe it's at all complicated as far as most players are concerned --- the vast majority are ready to play ball no matter what.

    Concur 100% on not condemning a player for opting out --- great place America, we are all free to make our own decisions. Fully support the rights of all players to do as they see fit....both ways.

    That said, fielding a full-roster will not be a problem for any NFL team under any circumstances --- there are plenty of football players out the champing at the bit to get their shot, covid be damned.

    As Andy Dufresne said...

    ..."get busy living, or get busy dying".
     
    • Hilarious Hilarious x 1
  17. jeh1856

    jeh1856 Beer is good

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    :th thgoodpost:
     
  18. MeanJoeBlue

    MeanJoeBlue Well-Known Member

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    It is not as simple as death or full recovery.
    I think it is overly optimistic to believe things would settle down to normal in the second half.

    There are studies showing long term cardiovascular damage in more than half the people infected, even if their symptoms were mild when the disease was active. Reduced lung capacity and heart damage will affect their playing ability.

    There are also rarer cases with brain damage, ranging from mild confusion to more serious symptoms. Even if those cases are mild, concussions and head blows will only add to the difficulties of remembering their plays.

    Obviously, more information is needed to determine the risk to the players (who are not like the general population).
    Unfortunately, with the number of cases in the US and around the world, there may be plenty of statistics soon for even rare conditions.

    If all 32 teams get hit in the first half, the level of play is going to drop in the second half. The only question is, by how much.
     
    • Disagree Disagree x 1
  19. The Glory Days

    The Glory Days Well-Known Member

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    Fixed
     
    • Hilarious Hilarious x 1
  20. The Glory Days

    The Glory Days Well-Known Member

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    Herd immunity is a real thing. It happens here when everyone finally gets tired of someone's nonsense and stops taking them seriously.

    [hard diversion back on topic]

    You may be spot on with that. I just can't wrap my head around what that would look like, though. Gameplan and practice with a healthy squad through Thursday and just before Friday walk-through 12 starters (6 offense, 6 defense) test positive. You can't prepare for that. You can say, "Next man up" until the cows come home, but that rarely, if ever, applies to half the unit. This isn't two teams both playing in a monsoon, or in 8 inches of snow, or 115 degrees on the field. This is one team playing with one hand behind its back. It's Russian roulette with the gun pointed at your season.

    And don't get me started (again) about false positives. Matt Stafford falsely tested positive and his family and friends suffered through testing, quarantine, and public ridicule until he was accurately diagnosed. And even then, the stigma followed them for a while. Consider Ben carrying a false positive and having to sit out a game without even having it. It's one thing to follow protocol and self-quarantine to protect those around you. But it's another entirely to sit at home with nothing wrong with you, helplessly watching your team take a loss because you coulda/shoulda been in uniform.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  21. Steel_Elvis

    Steel_Elvis Staff Member Mod Team

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    Maybe I didn’t make my point well enough. If the NFL goes through with their schedule there’s a fair chance that COVID goes through all 32 locker rooms pretty quickly because it seems impossible to avoid the spread of respiratory droplets in a football game. The point is that if the league continues on schedule the infection rate may be high enough for the virus to expose pretty much all of the players in the first handful of weeks. After that, there may be stabilization of rosters (with whoever recovers or doesn’t get infected), and postponements and cancellations may end by mid-season. That’s what I meant by more “normal.”

    To be clear, I think it’s a risky move on the players’ part to go through with this, but it seems that’s where things are headed. I personally don’t think there should be a season, but I admit that I will watch if there is a season.
     
    • Disagree Disagree x 1
  22. Roonatic

    Roonatic Well-Known Member

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    Did the players sign waivers to any lawsuits stemming from contacting the virus during the season? Surely the NFL has covered their backside.
     
  23. turtle

    turtle

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    I wonder if this has any bearing on why most players seek medical advice, especially on surgeries, outside the team. Can't remember which player that recently said, in other words, "never go to the team facilities". I'm sure its a combination of HIPAA and whose interest is best being decided on...

    Either way, I didn't know employers were excluded. I thought it was between the doctor and the patient period.
     
  24. jeh1856

    jeh1856 Beer is good

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    Just a side note but you can’t waive negligence. For whatever that is worth.
     
  25. Formerscribe

    Formerscribe Well-Known Member

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    Actually, the mods asked for the personal attacks to stop, too. Apparently, you continue to thumb your nose at that request.
     

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