🏈 Greg Sankey interview this morning on Marty & McGee.

[TerryP]

There have been a few comments—in other threads— on Sankey and the decision he's facing over the last few days. I'm going to copy some of those posts into this thread just to give a little more perspective on what some of our fans are thinking.

Starting off...here's the podcast from this morning.

 

[Bama News]

Sankey says concern for 2020 SEC season is “high to very high” | TideSports.com

Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey will meet with the league’s athletic directors on Monday to discuss various scenarios about the 2020 SEC football season but sounded a grim note on Saturday, indicating that there was a reasonable possibility of no season at all without...

www.tidesports.com

Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey will meet with the league’s athletic directors on Monday to discuss various scenarios about the 2020 SEC football season but sounded a grim note on Saturday, indicating that there was a reasonable possibility of no season at all without significant changes in the current coronavirus numbers and pandemic-related behaviors.

“That’s exactly what I said…and have been saying,” Sankey said on his Twitter account after an appearance on the Marty & McGee radio program on ESPN. “I want to provide the opportunity for college athletics to be part of the fall, but we need to all consider our behavior to make possible what right now appears very difficult. “

“The direct reality is not good…”

Asked about his level of concern for the upcoming season, Sankey said it was “high to very high.”

Sankey said the SEC continued to work toward a final decision regarding the season in late July, some two weeks away. He said that last week’s decisions by the Big 10 and Pac-12 to play conference games only — a decision that has cancelled the Alabama-USC game on September 5, among others, would not accelerate the SEC timetable.

“We put a medical advisory group together in early April with the question, ‘What do we have to do to get back to activity?’ and they’ve been a big part of the conversation,” Sankey said. “But the direct reality is not good and the notion that we’ve politicized medical guidance of distancing, and breathing masks, and hand sanitization, ventilation of being outside, being careful where you are in buildings. There’s some very clear advice about — you can’t mitigate and eliminate every risk, but how do you minimize the risk? … We are running out of time to correct and get things right, and as a society we owe it to each other to be as healthy as we can be.

“I’m going to focus on preparing to play the season as scheduled but acknowledge the circumstances around coronavirus are going to guide us in that decision-making,” Sankey said.

Alabama Director of Athletics Greg Byrne indicated on Friday that Alabama would await a decision from the SEC before pursuing itself options in the wake of the USC game cancellation and a $6 million loss of its appearance fee for that game.

“As I’ve said before, USC AD Mike Bohn and I had multiple conversations over the last several months, and we were both planning on playing the football game on September 5 in Arlington. With the Pac-12’s decision to move to a conference-only schedule, we will do our best to adjust,” Byrne said. “What that looks like is to be determined.”

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

FROM FRIDAY'S THREAD ON CONFERENCE ONLY GAMES.


If Sankey wants to show me that he can play chess while everyone else plays checkers for once, he should broker an agreement with the ACC and Big 12 to form an agreement for cross conference scheduling for OOC games. Try to make it as fair as possible for each team, but imagine Alabama playing TCU (in Dallas), Baylor, @ Va Tech, and Boston College for their non-conference games. Keep the normal rivals in place like USCe/Clemson and Georgia/Ga Tech. auburn would still open with North Carolina, for example. In the end, still have the conference Championship games and a playoff within the 3 conferences. Who wins the trophy will have a big *, unless it's Alabama of course, then I'll act like its perfectly legitimate since they would have won it all anyway.

It would require a lot of moving things around and a ton of planning in a short period of time, but if stadiums full of fans aren't going to be an issue, it makes that part easier to deal with.

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

Yep. I mentioned in another thread... overall, how may college athletes (and pro) have had Covid-19 at this point? A ton. How many have been seriously ill, much less died from it? Zero, that I'm aware of? College football is filled with inherent risks, from broken bones, to CTE, to being paralyzed, to yes, even death. It's really easy to spot those who are politicizing this and those who simply lack intelligence. It's almost always the former though.

 

[TerryP]

https://twitter.com/MattHayesCFB

Here's one of several CFB writers echoing the same sentiment.

(sic) Fans, if you want a season, wear a mask.

When I listened to Sankey's interview this morning I came away with the impression he was passing the buck. To whom you may ask? Read this quote:

"...we've politicized medical guidance of distancing, and breathing mask, and hand sanitization, ventilation of being outside..."

"...we're running out of time to correct and get things right, and as a society..."

To me, it seems like he's saying "as much as we politicized all these things people aren't following what we're saying?" What's he saying here? Passing the buck, no doubt, but is he blaming it on fans?

I look at the state of Alabama from afar and see Ivey pass it down to counties, counties to cities, and cities to residents. Sankey following suit.

It's my gut impression he wants to pass this down to fans. There will be a section who'll believe "it's my fault." Others will say "it's not on me" and we'll see the first group pointing fingers at the last group. Now, fans are attacking each other.

Where's Sankey? Sitting back comfortably. He's passed the buck shirking in and all responsibility for the decisions made.

Which, should have been made by whom?

 

[mando]

@TerryP As I stated in another thread peer pressure is a powerful thing. The easy path is to follow the lead of your peers. It takes some real belief and resolve to go against the masses. Sankey strikes me as a follower and certainly not a leader that would step out on the branch by himself because he has the belief and resolve to do it.

 

[mando]

"Sankey also said the decisions from the Big Ten and Pac-12 to play conference-only games does not put pressure on the SEC to follow suit."

I call BS on this comment.

 

[BamaFan334]

I just hope they know how much money they are costing the players. How many millions have been made with senior year tape? How long and how many hours have guys waited for their chance during their Junior years and how much money has been made from their coming out party? No season, no tape, no draft resulting, it's truly putting the rest of the lives of these athletes in jeopardy.

How much does it suck for the seniors that cane back. Moses, Davonta, and Najee all could have made millions a couple months back, now another year scraping by financially. This will be held in front of players for a long while.

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

I just hope they know how much money they are costing the players. How many millions have been made with senior year tape? How long and how many hours have guys waited for their chance during their Junior years and how much money has been made from their coming out party? No season, no tape, no draft resulting, it's truly putting the rest of the lives of these athletes in jeopardy.

They know, they just don't care. 100% of this is going to be blamed on us, the fans, by the higher ups (like Sankey) and media. We will be the reason there is no football because, we didn't follow their orders. I'd say wait and watch, but this isn't a prediction. It's already starting to happen.

 

[TerryP]

The easy path is to follow the lead of your peers.

Does the SEC have peers found on the west coast? Or, the Ivy League?

Sankey strikes me as a follower and certainly not a leader that would step out on the branch by himself because he has the belief and resolve to do it.

Mo. He couldn't even follow established rules.

 

[mando]

Does the SEC have peers found on the west coast? Or, the Ivy League?

I think politically speaking yes. If the other Power 5 guys stick to their guns it will make it easier for Sankey to stand his ground. If one of those guys changes their position, I would expect him to fold like a cheap tent.

 

[RollllTide!]

Listening to the Marty McGee interview he said " we have some tough decisions to make "doesn't sound good for us.

 

[TerryP]

Blaming the fans. I'm having a hard time seeing it differently.

 

[Tidestalker]

Blaming the fans. I'm having a hard time seeing it differently.

Is the statement inaccurate?

 

[TerryP]

Is the statement inaccurate?

That's not the point. If he feels it is an unsafe environment to play football, just say so. He's passing the buck here putting in on fans, communities, et. al.

He has no balls. He's not a leader. The SEC needs a new commish.

Don't be the football being kicked around, stalker.

 

[Tidestalker]

That's not the point. If he feels it is an unsafe environment to play football, just say so. He's passing the buck here putting in on fans, communities, et. al.

He has no balls. He's not a leader. The SEC needs a new commish.

Don't be the football being kicked around, stalker.

I think it's pretty clear he's telling you why it's an unsafe environment... Whether or not you and I agree with him is a topic worth exploring, but ultimately a moot point.

The bigger deal is that the greatest leader in the world can't get college football on the field this Fall in this climate. Sankey may not be a great leader, but he's also not a miracle worker. Every commissioner is going to point towards Spring, sooner than later... Right?

 

[TerryP]

I think it's pretty clear he's telling you why it's an unsafe environment... Whether or not you and I agree with him is a topic worth exploring, but ultimately a moot point.

The bigger deal is that the greatest leader in the world can't get college football on the field this Fall in this climate. Sankey may not be a great leader, but he's also not a miracle worker. Every commissioner is going to point towards Spring, sooner than later... Right?

How does John Doe, on Queen City BLVD, have any bearing on whether kids play football? Is he around the players? No.

Even with the positive tests, and those who felt symptoms, the team is healthy.

Sankey decides to kill the season...do you honestly think the players will isolate? They won't. Because, they understand the risks to their age group. They are paying attention to the medicine, not the fear porn. - sourced comment.

 

[BamaFan334]

I think it's pretty clear he's telling you why it's an unsafe environment... Whether or not you and I agree with him is a topic worth exploring, but ultimately a moot point.

The bigger deal is that the greatest leader in the world can't get college football on the field this Fall in this climate. Sankey may not be a great leader, but he's also not a miracle worker. Every commissioner is going to point towards Spring, sooner than later... Right?

Unsafe environment? I'm willing to bet 85% of these athletes grew up in more dangerous places than this current environment you speak of because of a virus that cannot even be correctly stated statistically. Fuck a virus that won't be affecting them, dodging a bullet, drug dealer, or poverty forever is way more dangerous.

 

[Tidestalker]

Unsafe environment? I'm willing to bet 85% of these athletes grew up in more dangerous places than this current environment you speak of because of a virus that cannot even be correctly stated statistically. Fuck a virus that won't be affecting them, dodging a bullet, drug dealer, or poverty forever is way more dangerous.

"He's telling you why it's unsafe" - Not the environment that I speak of.... His opinion, not mine.

I ain't here to politicize anything one way or another, just saying that it's pretty dang clear that regardless of what or who anyone wants to blame, the Fall season is a long shot at best. Example - His leadership isn't enough to overcome entire universities going to online learning for a semester. Football is going to be too hard to justify with the bigger landscape issues...

 

[BamaFan334]

"He's telling you why it's unsafe" - Not the environment that I speak of.... His opinion, not mine.

I ain't here to politicize anything one way or another, just saying that it's pretty dang clear that regardless of what or who anyone wants to blame, the Fall season is a long shot at best. Example - His leadership isn't enough to overcome entire universities going to online learning for a semester. Football is going to be too hard to justify with the bigger landscape issues...

I agree with you about your last statement with the schools going online and justifying football with that in place, but sometimes you simply have to stand up and be a man and a leader. Take what's going to come with it knowing it will serve many more positively than negatively. Brian Kemp did it by opening up Georgia before anyone else, and he received tons of backlash, but Georgia is doing fine and people are back to work. Still, there are some reported issues of course, but as a whole Georgia has been doing fine since re-opening. Sankey needs to step up and realize more are affected by no season rather than the number affected by having a season. I just read on RollBamaRoll that New Mexico State may have to shudder its entire athletic program due to the loss of over $2M from forfeited games. Thousands of athletes losing scholarships, entire athletic department losing jobs, which will undoubtedly hit the university as well. I don't think you can come back from the ramifications of lost revenue by cancelling all Fall sports, especially after cancelling all Spring sports and March Madness. I personally can't see how the businesses in Tuscaloosa will make it either.