UNH 2020 Off-Season Thread: That Rinky-Shrinky Thang And Other Lively Banter :D

[Chuck Murray]

I think that is over the top but have to appease certain people I guess

Yup, total appeasement. For an extreme example by comparison of something else that makes very little sense ... I still play on an Over 45 Men's soccer team, but in reality it's a mix of players literally between the ages of 35-65 (and I'm not quite 60 myself yet). We just finished up a 4 month outdoor season (July-October) with minimal restrictions. Most of the players on my usual team are older than I am; some aren't playing currently due to concerns about COVID, others (including me) are still playing.

We've had to merge with another team with the same general demographics, so those of us who still want to play can play. Play shifted to indoors in late October, and we were then confronted with the idea that these trending-elderly players (most unlike me keep themselves in pretty good shape; I'm a 'keeper and don't have to run, so I'm a little less fit, shall we say?) were all going to be required to play with masks. Personally, I'd prefer not to, but given the choice between playing and not playing, it was an easy decision just to suck it up and do it.

But what I was not quite prepared for was to watch my teammates (and opponents) trying to run around at usual levels, and just constantly searching for air behind these masks. It's literally painful to watch, it really is. And frankly, it's probably only a matter of time before one of these players has a cardiac or vascular issue - not from the virus, but from forced mask usage. We've had discussions about it with the facility, and in the end, we suspect their position is, "hey, if you catch the virus and die not wearing a mask, it's on us, but if you croak from a heart attack because of the mask, go blame the State".

College hockey players are obviously much younger, far more fit, and far more suited to repelling the virus (as in 99.999% to "only" 99% likely to survive), so yeah - "appeasement" and token gestures (a sports version of "virtue signaling" even) is a fair & accurate assessment of the situation if mask usage is mandated in D-1 hockey. It's not mandated in D-1 football, is it?

[J.D.]

Nope, can't say I have seen football players wearing masks inside their helmets.

[HockeyRef]

Well, it's lame to say that if I have to wear a mask 6 hours a day, they can play in one. I'd think those who choose the full face covering as opposed to the cage ones are better off. Of course the 'exertion' isn't even close to what they do vs teaching but, that's what has to happen I guess. It is not easy to teach in one, let me tell you; can't even imagine what it's like to race up and down the ice with one. But that's what has to happen and I comply knowing this is temporary. Trust me, not thrilled about it but I signed up for one more year and that's what I've gotta do. No doubt they were informed of the risk that still exists regardless of mask wearing, and, most likely they signed some kind of waiver recognizing said risk?

I see that they are practicing in them and any time they are together at the 'Whitt for 'picture day' they are in them as they wait their turn. I'm guessing tho it's what happens outside of the rink, outside of the brick and mortar school, where I suspect these cases are coming from, as opposed to the rink. (But look at the cases at those NH rinks in the Fall?) I say this knowing that mask wearing is only a mitigation not a certainty one won't get it. I'm a health teacher and have taught the 'abstain or reduce your risk' sex ed for years. This pandemic reminds me of this on so many levels. I'm surprised they are playing at all, I mean, I want them to play, but, sad to say I wouldn't be surprised if it's only a matter of time before they bag the whole thing, just a prediction. We have been all in 5 days a week but a recent rash of cases has us in remote for the foreseeable future. 7 teachers and 40 kids in qtine at the moment. Another case announced today. Feel badly for those kids and teachers that will be involved who will have to also be in quarantine for the holiday coming up. So far I have missed that phone call, but suspect it's only a matter of time.

Speaking of that, I wonder what the U's policy is about quarantine. I would think they would do contact tracing, and that would mean anyone/everyone around the player would have to do so, if they adhere to the same rules set up by the CDC etc that my school has to follow? That means everyone on that team most likely, their coaches, etc etc etc. So just one player testing positive means is catastrophic to a roster and trying to get some games in? They don't play again until Dec 1...so that is helpful (time) as long as others don't get it etc.

Bring on the vaccines and this time next year....we are in the clear! (that rhymes) Be well, and be safe!

[msprice]

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-s...-a9633916.html

[norbert]

Well, it's lame to say that if I have to wear a mask 6 hours a day, they can play in one. I'd think those who choose the full face covering as opposed to the cage ones are better off. Of course the 'exertion' isn't even close to what they do vs teaching but, that's what has to happen I guess. It is not easy to teach in one, let me tell you; can't even imagine what it's like to race up and down the ice with one. But that's what has to happen and I comply knowing this is temporary. Trust me, not thrilled about it but I signed up for one more year and that's what I've gotta do. No doubt they were informed of the risk that still exists regardless of mask wearing, and, most likely they signed some kind of waiver recognizing said risk?

I see that they are practicing in them and any time they are together at the 'Whitt for 'picture day' they are in them as they wait their turn. I'm guessing tho it's what happens outside of the rink, outside of the brick and mortar school, where I suspect these cases are coming from, as opposed to the rink. (But look at the cases at those NH rinks in the Fall?) I say this knowing that mask wearing is only a mitigation not a certainty one won't get it. I'm a health teacher and have taught the 'abstain or reduce your risk' sex ed for years. This pandemic reminds me of this on so many levels. I'm surprised they are playing at all, I mean, I want them to play, but, sad to say I wouldn't be surprised if it's only a matter of time before they bag the whole thing, just a prediction. We have been all in 5 days a week but a recent rash of cases has us in remote for the foreseeable future. 7 teachers and 40 kids in qtine at the moment. Another case announced today. Feel badly for those kids and teachers that will be involved who will have to also be in quarantine for the holiday coming up. So far I have missed that phone call, but suspect it's only a matter of time.

Speaking of that, I wonder what the U's policy is about quarantine. I would think they would do contact tracing, and that would mean anyone/everyone around the player would have to do so, if they adhere to the same rules set up by the CDC etc that my school has to follow? That means everyone on that team most likely, their coaches, etc etc etc. So just one player testing positive means is catastrophic to a roster and trying to get some games in? They don't play again until Dec 1...so that is helpful (time) as long as others don't get it etc.

Bring on the vaccines and this time next year....we are in the clear! (that rhymes) Be well, and be safe!

I’m surprised there wasn’t more of a bubble for these guys. If they are tested frequently it probably came from outside the walls of the Whit. Good thing is they are off next weekend so they only have a couple games to make up.

Oh vaccines are coming.... let me know how it works as I’m not taking something rushed.

[Chuck Murray]

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-s...-a9633916.html

So let's see ... on one hand, we have a publicity-seeking British ICU doctor from some nameless facility in a town most famous for a fire to its soccer stadium 35 years ago, that resulted in hundreds of deaths, pulling some silly stunt for coverage in a left-leaning, low circulation online rag to "disprove" the "myth" of oxygen deprivation by athletes competing with mandatory masks ...

... and on the other hand, I have my team and several others we're playing and watching on a weekly basis, struggling for air when they've never had those issues previously ... plus I coach a couple dozen HS age kids at the other end of the spectrum (several of whom will play at the next level in a year or two), who likewise are clearly struggling with the same issue.

Tough call. In short ... don't pee on my leg, and tell me it's raining. With all due respect, of course.

[J.D.]

Chuck maybe your guys have COVID!

[The Zlax45]

So let's see ... on one hand, we have a publicity-seeking British ICU doctor from some nameless facility in a town most famous for a fire to its soccer stadium 35 years ago, that resulted in hundreds of deaths, pulling some silly stunt for coverage in a left-leaning, low circulation online rag to "disprove" the "myth" of oxygen deprivation by athletes competing with mandatory masks ...

... and on the other hand, I have my team and several others we're playing and watching on a weekly basis, struggling for air when they've never had those issues previously ... plus I coach a couple dozen HS age kids at the other end of the spectrum (several of whom will play at the next level in a year or two), who likewise are clearly struggling with the same issue.

Tough call. In short ... don't pee on my leg, and tell me it's raining. With all due respect, of course.

Just tracking this:

UNH Women, PC Women, UConn women, Holy Cross men and women, some UMass-Amherst men’s players wore masks this weekend.

The two teams that didn’t wear them were Boston College women and UConn men.

I just see some pics of UMass-Amherst with some players having them on and others don’t.

It is interesting that this was NOT one of the standards set by Hockey East.

[J.D.]

They're not wearing masks in football. Hockey players are being routinely tested. Wearing a mask while playing is just a bit much. But the inconsistency you have noted with some teams doing it and then a team where some players are and some aren't is interesting. No idea what goes into the decision.

[HockeyRef]

I’m surprised there wasn’t more of a bubble for these guys. If they are tested frequently it probably came from outside the walls of the Whit. Good thing is they are off next weekend so they only have a couple games to make up.

Oh vaccines are coming.... let me know how it works as I’m not taking something rushed.

Well couldn't agree more; the first ones off the truck aren't coming to "us" anyway....it will be late Spring/Summer before the 'rest of us' gets a shot at them (no pun intended!!) if I'm hearing this correctly. I doubt I personally will get one depending on how it's going, side effects, etc. Just got through the Shingles vax; that was a bi...t...c...h....side effects wise!

[Drew S.]

I’m surprised there wasn’t more of a bubble for these guys. If they are tested frequently it probably came from outside the walls of the Whit. Good thing is they are off next weekend so they only have a couple games to make up.

Oh vaccines are coming.... let me know how it works as I’m not taking something rushed.

Especially now. I can understand not having much of a bubble in September and October but as games got close and cases spiked everywhere you would think they would have really tightened things up. I think this puts a lot more pressure on other programs too. Hopefully everyone in Hockey East can get their act together.

[HockeyRef]

Especially now. I can understand not having much of a bubble in September and October but as games got close and cases spiked everywhere you would think they would have really tightened things up. I think this puts a lot more pressure on other programs too. Hopefully everyone in Hockey East can get their act together.

The biggest issue is what they (players, coaches anyone involved) do when they leave the 'bubble'. We are finding this at our school. Kids / teachers/etc are compliant while within the walls, but we see them leave the building, jump into cars to go home with a pile of friends, maskless (as you'd expect?). That's the hard part; can't control what they do outside of the rink. Other teams will find out the same way...it's just a matter of time,and its being seen all over the place so this is no surprise...unfortunately! Still holding out for some semblance of a hockey season...

[Chuck Murray]

Chuck maybe your guys have COVID!

Interestingly, no one in any my "usual teammates", "temp teammates" or my "HS players" groups have actually gotten it yet (fingers crossed and knock on wood). One of the guys (a year younger than I am) who decided to take a couple months off ironically came closest, as one of his extended family members got it AFTER he'd already decided to sit out the current season, so he had to get tested (negative). From my players' group, one of my players was exposed to a classmate in school who tested positive, so she got tested and then quarantined just in case (she tested negative as well).

One of the coping tactics my currently "inactive" teammates have developed is they do weekly training on Sunday mornings at a local park (obviously outdoors). Personally, I'm still playing because (1) I can still play, hopefully to age 60, and (2) I do like the competitive piece, within reason (i.e. it's not World Cup or anything remotely close). Settling for "just training" now would be a first step towards quitting for me. But it works for the other guys. Good for them.

I'm still coaching because I love working with kids (and families) at a key stage of the kids' long-term development into young adults, where my experience can hopefully help them along. There's a competitive piece there, and most of the kids who are in our group fully embrace that, but I hope I'm able to give them a balanced approach and outlook onto what's important for them to achieve their short-term goals on the pitch, and longer-term goals in life off the pitch. I've been basically working on a word-of-mouth "recruiting" basis for well over a decade now, so I want to think I've been doing something right to be able to continue on my own terms. Frankly, I'm lucky to be in NH right now, or else the virus may have killed off both options.

And if that happened - especially with the coaching piece - life would be a little less meaningful and enjoyable. Playing is almost done (if my wife ever read this, she'd laugh because I've been saying this for almost 10 years now since the day I mangled my left arm/wrist in a goalmouth scramble - two plates and a dozen screws' worth!) and I accept that totally, I can still meet with the guys at the pub once a week and keep those friendships alive. Let's say that I can maybe just begin to understand why it's so tough for guys like Coach Umile and Coach York (and before that, Coach Parker) to walk away from something that's so fulfilling. At some point, you have to know you're not "up to it", and that was always my point with Coach Umile, who depended more and more on his assistants, whereas you still hear or read stories about Coach York (or Nick Saban for a different sport example) jetting off wherever to seal the deal on an important recruit. It's not something you can do successfully in half-measures. I'd like to do it as a "hobby" into retirement, but that's a long 5+ year bridge to navigate.

Anyway, sorry for the long answer. It seemed pertinent and relevant with some of the unique issues faced by the schools and the student-athletes these days. I promise to return to my "no one cares what I do away from the board" position now. :-)

[Chuck Murray]

Back on topic for sure ... UNH's not-so-innovative plan for raising revenue without real fans in the stands ... good to see a lot of out-of-the-box thinking going on in Durham (not) ...

https://www.seacoastonline.com/story...ns/6360792002/

To the surprise of absolutely no one, the cardboard cutouts are all folks recognizable only in the UNH "bubble". But kudos for not including BS35+infinity, in either an apparent oversight that will cost someone their job, or an uncharacteristic moment of modesty. All in all, what could have been a fun, creative attempt to engage folks beyond the "bubble" in good nature ... pfffffffttttttt ...

I will say, in other news, it apparently was an interesting afternoon in and around Effingwoods ...

[Snively65]

Yup, total appeasement. For an extreme example by comparison of something else that makes very little sense ... I still play on an Over 45 Men's soccer team, but in reality it's a mix of players literally between the ages of 35-65 (and I'm not quite 60 myself yet). We just finished up a 4 month outdoor season (July-October) with minimal restrictions. Most of the players on my usual team are older than I am; some aren't playing currently due to concerns about COVID, others (including me) are still playing.

We've had to merge with another team with the same general demographics, so those of us who still want to play can play. Play shifted to indoors in late October, and we were then confronted with the idea that these trending-elderly players (most unlike me keep themselves in pretty good shape; I'm a 'keeper and don't have to run, so I'm a little less fit, shall we say?) were all going to be required to play with masks. Personally, I'd prefer not to, but given the choice between playing and not playing, it was an easy decision just to suck it up and do it.

But what I was not quite prepared for was to watch my teammates (and opponents) trying to run around at usual levels, and just constantly searching for air behind these masks. It's literally painful to watch, it really is. And frankly, it's probably only a matter of time before one of these players has a cardiac or vascular issue - not from the virus, but from forced mask usage. We've had discussions about it with the facility, and in the end, we suspect their position is, "hey, if you catch the virus and die not wearing a mask, it's on us, but if you croak from a heart attack because of the mask, go blame the State".

College hockey players are obviously much younger, far more fit, and far more suited to repelling the virus (as in 99.999% to "only" 99% likely to survive), so yeah - "appeasement" and token gestures (a sports version of "virtue signaling" even) is a fair & accurate assessment of the situation if mask usage is mandated in D-1 hockey. It's not mandated in D-1 football, is it?

I cannot imagine trying to play hockey or participate in any super-aerobic activity while wearing a double-layered cotton mask, and therefore have been on hiatus from my volunteer mountain search and rescue team since March, in part because of my age, but mostly because carrying a litter with an injured hiker down steep mountain trails usually in the dark and rain/sleet/snow for several hours in very close quarters with 18-30 others not wearing masks is gruelingly hard work. I am wondering whether volunteer rescue teams such as ours will be included with the first responders in the first group to receive a vaccine (I am guessing probably not, as we are not professionals), in which case I will try to be the first in line, as I really miss the camaraderie even more than I miss watching cawlidge hawkey in person.