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Username Post: Harvard Should Not Host the Ivy Tournament For a Very Long Time        (Topic#24142)
The Quad 
Sophomore
Posts: 137

Reg: 12-16-04
03-10-20 09:46 PM - Post#304127    

Absolutely no disrespect to the avid Harvard fans like Mike James, their terrific players, especially their superb senior class and their coaches as they are victims as well, but clearly the Harvard administration cannot handle the tournament.

If as discussed, Harvard was the driving force behind the decision—and that makes sense as they are the host and 3 schools, Cornell, Brown & Dartmouth, have no teams in either the Men’s or Women’s tournament, no skin in the game, then Harvard’s fear of liability while all of these other basketball games and tournaments are being played locally and nationwide is beyond belief.

This decision is craven; it goes against medical common sense. College players and athletes are not at high risk for corona virus---we all know that, and especially if spectators are not allowed. As longs as the refs, the stats guys, cameramen are in decent physical shape and below a certain age, they are at minimal risk as well.

Allowing other sports to play concomitantly is sheer hypocrisy.

Friends of Harvard Basketball and other league basketball fans should immediately and vehemently be complaining, calling, e-mailing and protesting to the Harvard President’s office, to Lawrence Bacow, and perhaps to the other Ivy League Presidents to immediately reverse this short-sighted decision while there perhaps is still time.

If the Ivy Tournament is not played this year, then Harvard should not host the Ivy Tournament out of sequence next year. They should wait a very very long time, if ever. The Harvard administration, led by their President, will have disappointed the entire Ivy League, players, coaches, families and fans.



 
penn nation 
Professor
Posts: 21081

Reg: 12-02-04
Re: Harvard Should Not Host the Ivy Tournament For a Very Long Time
03-10-20 09:54 PM - Post#304132    
    In response to The Quad

I would very much like to hear Mike James and his take about Harvard's decision here (because, when it came down to it, in the end it was Harvard that made it).

 
digamma 
Masters Student
Posts: 466

Loc: Minneapolis
Reg: 11-27-11
03-10-20 10:12 PM - Post#304138    
    In response to penn nation

I'm honestly gutted by the decision for a lot of different reasons, but I'm loathe to fire off an angry e-mail without having more information. I'll be candid, all of my Harvard giving goes to the basketball program. It's how I connect most to the University, so I'm as invested in this as anyone. I'm unbelievably bummed, but I'm not sure I have enough info to judge the decision, and that's not intended to be a cop out.

 
penn nation 
Professor
Posts: 21081

Reg: 12-02-04
03-10-20 10:33 PM - Post#304141    
    In response to digamma

I'm not upset that Harvard is choosing to take the virus issue seriously. It is demonstrating this in terms of transitioning its classes to remote ones, asking students not to return right away after Spring Break, etc. This are all major steps and not easy to execute but ones that must be done.

From what I'm picking up on Twitter Harvard also appears to have cancelled its lacrosse teams' seasons and cancelled the spring trip of its baseball team. I do not know if there is carryover to the rest of its athletic teams, however.

Its wrestlers, however, just wrapped up competition in the EIWA. I do not see Harvard (or the Ivy League in general) banning those who qualified for the NCAA wrestling tourney from going there to participate (unless it did so, in which case I am happy to be corrected).

 
mrjames 
Professor
Posts: 6062

Loc: Montclair, NJ
Reg: 11-21-04
Re: Harvard Should Not Host the Ivy Tournament For a Very Long Time
03-11-20 10:56 AM - Post#304194    
    In response to penn nation

It is also my understanding that Harvard drove this decision. And... it is also my understanding that its stance was consistent for all sports moving forward.

I'll take a moment, too, to reiterate that I'm a fan of the league first and a particular team (yes, Harvard) second. As I've said numerous times here, if you gave me a choice between Harvard winning a 20s/30s league most years or winning a top half, sometimes Top 10 league, every so often, I'd definitely take the latter. I root for the Ivy League to be a strong league to win, first and foremost.

I'll be happy to provide a postmortem with my thoughts down the road. As of now, I'm going to refrain from putting my personal opinions in writing. I don't think it's fair or prudent for me to opine at this time.

 
HARVARDDADGRAD 
Postdoc
Posts: 2685

Loc: New Jersey
Reg: 01-21-14
03-11-20 11:05 AM - Post#304199    
    In response to penn nation

Bassey for DPOY a huge snub. Harvard won 21 games due in large part to his 35 minutes of defense on the opponents best player.

What a horrible week for Ivy Basketball seniors. They are being shut out - in basketball and from college! My recently graduated so says current seniors are in shock. They have just days to move out! Those fortunate enough to have plans (employment, grad school) are facing uncertainty. Those looking for employment must be despondent.

Since this is a basketball board I’m envisioning guys like Bassey, Lewis , Juzang, Baker, Welsh, Aiken and Towns, fresh off a victory over Yale and Senior night with families the night before, with Juzang announcing he’d be ready to play in the tournament , instead spending this week packing and trying to find transportation home to existences far from what they expected. These seniors could be in Colorado, Georgia, North Carolina, New Jersey and California respectively at precisely 2:00 pm Saturday, instead of experiencing the culmination of their efforts and finally being introduced in front of a raucous Tournament home crowd at Lavietes.

Just cruel. No blame.

Welcome to the real world guys.






 
penn nation 
Professor
Posts: 21081

Reg: 12-02-04
03-11-20 04:29 PM - Post#304280    
    In response to HARVARDDADGRAD

Well, the IL is now showing some consistency, as it is cancelling all spring sports. And Harvard is forfeiting its hockey game at RPI.

And serious doubts about what will be happening with the overall NCAA tourney.

NCAA wrestling tourney still on as of now, though, with Ivy participants.

So overall I'd say there's a lot less to complain about vis a vis cancelling the Ivy tourney than there was at this time yesterday.

 
HARVARDDADGRAD 
Postdoc
Posts: 2685

Loc: New Jersey
Reg: 01-21-14
03-11-20 04:59 PM - Post#304287    
    In response to penn nation

Looking at the Biogen story it starts to make sense. Dozens (over 100?) infected in Cambridge. Congressional physician just reported he expects 70 to 150 million infected in US, with at least a 1% death rate.

That mathematicians know what the curve looks like. I'm beginning to hear that numbers will start to emerge this weekend.

I'm still urinated, but beginning to be more accepting.

 
penn nation 
Professor
Posts: 21081

Reg: 12-02-04
03-11-20 05:02 PM - Post#304290    
    In response to HARVARDDADGRAD

I stopped going in to teach today. Just too risky for all involved, including me. Many of my students live with other family members who are at risk/elderly. Had a great remote learning session.

I think this will be the way we'll all be organizing much of our lives for at least the next several months, if not for the rest of this entire year.

 
palestra38 
Professor
Posts: 32680

Reg: 11-21-04
03-11-20 05:02 PM - Post#304291    
    In response to HARVARDDADGRAD

I think we all are. They say the contagion may increase exponentially---maybe yes, maybe no, but the news developments certainly did.

 
mobrien 
Senior
Posts: 389

Loc: New York
Reg: 04-18-17
03-11-20 05:08 PM - Post#304295    
    In response to HARVARDDADGRAD

It's all about slowing down how fast it spreads. Seems like the death rate has been around 1% when hospitals don't get swamped; it's been as much as 8% when they do. We're probably a few days away from pretty much everything being canceled.

I was also pretty urinated just from the shock of the Ivy tourney being called off, but, with the hindsight of a day, it's looking more and more like the right decision.

 
HARVARDDADGRAD 
Postdoc
Posts: 2685

Loc: New Jersey
Reg: 01-21-14
Harvard Should Not Host the Ivy Tournament For a Very Long Time
03-11-20 05:28 PM - Post#304304    
    In response to mobrien

My news gets worse. Instead of flying to Florida for spring greak, my in laws suggest I drive one way, return by driving a car I left down there, and, since I'm heading that way, they want me to fill the car down with supplies (wipes, sprays, hand lotion, cases of cans and water, prunes) and bring them to them - this weekend! They know my other plans for this weekend, uh, fell through.

And just two weeks ago these same in laws were yelling at me for believing the corona "hoax."

Edited by HARVARDDADGRAD on 03-11-20 05:28 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

 
palestra38 
Professor
Posts: 32680

Reg: 11-21-04
Re: Harvard Should Not Host the Ivy Tournament For a Very Long Time
03-11-20 05:30 PM - Post#304305    
    In response to HARVARDDADGRAD

Tell them to watch that trailer of "This is the End" I just posted and they can fight over the last candy bar.

You're not actually going to do that, are you?

 
HARVARDDADGRAD 
Postdoc
Posts: 2685

Loc: New Jersey
Reg: 01-21-14
03-11-20 05:39 PM - Post#304306    
    In response to palestra38

I have a car down there that I will need up here as my second son is about to have his consulting job become remote and move home. Had planned to fly down in April and drive back up but .... Can't have 4 drivers and only 2 cars!

Next week I have a meeting at Westhampton Beach so I'll likely make a similar delivery to my 83 year old mother in Montauk.

 
Noah Friedman 
Freshman
Posts: 34

Age: 25
Reg: 01-19-20
03-13-20 05:34 PM - Post#304573    
    In response to HARVARDDADGRAD

If the ncaa does give seniors another year of eligibility does that mean the Harvard seniors would be able to come back next year?


 
PennFan10 
Postdoc
Posts: 3578

Reg: 02-15-15
03-13-20 05:57 PM - Post#304577    
    In response to Noah Friedman

Yes, but only Harvard's seniors. No one else's

 
bradley 
PhD Student
Posts: 1842

Age: 74
Reg: 01-15-16
03-14-20 06:58 PM - Post#304609    
    In response to digamma

  • digamma Said:
I'm honestly gutted by the decision for a lot of different reasons, but I'm loathe to fire off an angry e-mail without having more information. I'll be candid, all of my Harvard giving goes to the basketball program. It's how I connect most to the University, so I'm as invested in this as anyone. I'm unbelievably bummed, but I'm not sure I have enough info to judge the decision, and that's not intended to be a cop out.




You were wise by not simply jumping to wrong conclusions as information was in the very early stages. It turns out the IL was simply ahead of the decision making curve. Harvard will be hosting IvyMadness next year; one would think.


 
mobrien 
Senior
Posts: 389

Loc: New York
Reg: 04-18-17
03-15-20 10:21 AM - Post#304629    
    In response to bradley

If there even is college basketball next year...

 
Bruno 
PhD Student
Posts: 1414

Loc: Brooklyn, NY
Reg: 11-21-04
03-19-20 08:44 PM - Post#304910    
    In response to mobrien

We should probably retire this thread, as I think we’d now all disagree with the title.
LET'S go BRU-no (duh. nuh. nuh-nuh-nuh)


 
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