“Country on Injured Reserve”

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Fatigue.  Anger.  Frustration.  Hopelessness.

You feel it. I feel it.  Everyone feels it

It is now a 19-month long season we are going thru, this battle against Covid.

It’s been a bad 48-hours in sports, this explosion of positive tests, forcing players and teams into isolation.  Games to be canceled.  The unknown is becoming a big issue.

Here at home, San Diego State’s potential record setting great season was disrupted when 20-players missed workouts leading up to the Mountain West Conference championship game.  Utah State destroyed the Aztecs.

It’s everywhere now, and makes you wonder if a season should be shutdown, or if we are headed back into bubbles to play games..

In the NBA-the Chicago Bulls had 10-players test positive, sent to isolation, as the NBA canceled all three games this week.

The Brooklyn Nets are 7-players down but still playing, but without James Harden..

The Rams won an emotional game in Arizona on Monday night, flew home, and woke up to the news that 7-players had positive tests including WR-Odell Beckham Junior.  The Rams were ordered to shut their facility down until Thursday.

The Chargers and Chiefs, facing their most important game of the season on Thursday night, lost a top player each, the Chargers young rookie left tackle Rashawn Slater came up positive and is out.  Then the Chiefs lost their top defensive tackle Chris Jones with a dirty test.  Doubtful he can play in the game either.  Will other players show up positive tomorrow morning?

In the NHL, the Calgary Flames played on Saturday, just hours after tests, won the game, woke up on Sunday and Monday with a flood of positive tests in the room.  They never got on a plane to begin a road trip, all games of which have been canceled by the NHL.

It feels like our country is about to drop down into the abyss again in what appears to be a fourth wave of variants, with no final solution intact because some 33-percent of the country has refused initial vaccines and only 27% have gotten their third shot.

It is interesting to be in a position of leadership and to have to cope with an ever changing crisis situation.  Steve Nash losing half his team in Brooklyn in the NBA.  The Bulls coach without 10-players in all.  What’s happened to the Rams coach.

I took part in a Zoom call with the Calgary Flames GM-Brad Treliving who walked the media thru the timeline of how his team got shutdown.  It was dealing with the hour-by-hour unknown.

..Flames team tested on Saturday before game with Boston
..Sunday morning-woke up with 3-players positive.
..Team arrived at airport for road trip to Chicago
..Team re-tested at airport
..Team flight delayed for hours-then flight canceled
..Team began daily testing on Monday
..Monday tests showed 3-more players positive
..Tuesday more dirty tests-meaning 9-players and 1-staff member isolated
..Tuesday afternoon..NHL cancels all Flames into the weekend.

The Flames GM said he was staggered at how quickly it spread in the team room, when Calgary had not had any test issues dating back to last spring in the NHL bubble.

..We take the information daily-make a decision.
..We can’t dodge it-it’s out there
..We played in Ottawa-the Senators had an outbreak after we left
..We played the Islanders last week-they lost four players the next day
..There is no pinpoint where the virus is coming from
..it is part of our life now..the league is testing us daily
..It’s a cold slap in the face..we just have to deal with it
..We are all fatigued..all drained by it
..We’re all doing the right thing..but we can’t control it
..Can only deal with today..not thinking about next weekend..or the Olympics

A most interesting 48-hours covering this story.

The big game in the NFL..Chargers-Chiefs pales in comparison to the other matchup we are being forced to pay attention too..

Omicron-vs-Delta

Feels like sports and society are all going on the injured reserve list.

19-months and counting-with no solution.

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