Mickey

yes, as do the owners and team spokespersons

Well it is quite easy for both to be true and your premise is nonsense. No state is saying the feds have "no authority". Saying they can't control school openings does not translate to state's saying they have "no authority" over anything. There are things the feds control exclusively and things states control exclusively. There are situations where authority is overlapping. And in terms of a unified response, regardless of who has authority over what, active federal leadership is invaluable. And there is a big difference between a federal directive that worsens the epidemic and one that actually makes sense such as "wear masks if you feel like it" versus "masks are mandatory". So yes, both things can be true, they are not mutually exclusive. The feds have messed up when they have been active and, fortunately, many states have ignored their most moronic suggestions.

So what is the reason why so much of the country is doing so badly compared to Germany and just about everywhere else in Europe? If this is the best they can do, we are $*@#ed.

"had" being the operative word, how are we doing now? NY's numbers hit when we knew nothing about the virus. Because of its international airports it hit there first. With their population density, it spread quickly. In time NY figured it out with next to no help from the feds. These other states had waaaaay more warning and time to prepare than NY did and they wasted it. NY's crisis hit when the equipment shortages were at their worst and there was no time to fix it. Do you think that other states did something special early on that NY didn't that caused their numbers to be lower in March and April while NY's soared? If so, I'd love to hear what it was and please add in an explanation as to why whatever magic they were using before is suddenly not working now? A fine finish would be to explain why on earth it gets you anywhere to make the point that NY got hit so badly. What is your point? If you prove that NY was awful, does that excuse what is happening in Texas and Florida? Should those states not learn from what worked and did not work in NY? Or is your only point to "own the libs" or some other political bs that has no place in the middle of a pandemic?

I would love it if they went with the Rockpile but then I thought that we couldn't do better than "Hunter's House" in honor of the Kelly family and the son they loved so much.

I think everyone old enough remembers where they were when they first found out that Finland had been awarded the 1952 Olympics. Its just one of those things.

Lets forget that NY's worst days occurred at the very beginning when no one knew what was going on, what to do or what was coming. Lets ignore their population density and two of the busiest international airports feeding infected travelers into NYC on a daily basis. Lets ignore the equipment shortages that hit in March and April. Lets ignore the fact that Texas and Florida had months more time to prepare, much more knowledge and more resources to prevent what is happening in their states now. Lets do all that so we can pretend that they didn't blow it and if that doesn't work, somehow twist "New York was worse" as an excuse for the incompetence now paying grim dividends in states which had way more opportunities than NY ever did to prevent this mess. May I suggest some summer reading for you:

Sure, letting the states each make their own rules has worked out perfectly so far. Thank goodness the virus recognizes and respects state borders. I bet WWII would have been over much quicker than it was if we went to war one state at a time. Isn't that the first rule of warfare, "dispersement of force"? Seriously, I think they should have one set of rules league wide. Go 100% Mordor: One rule for the Players in their Locker rooms of formica, One rule for the owner-lords under their stadiums, One rule to bring them all and in the virus bind them. In the land of the NFL, where the pigskins lie.

Havlicek stole the ball!!! Havlicek stole the ball!!

I had to see a grief counselor after this game.

I confess I have never been in an NFL locker room (due to still active restraining orders) but I had no idea that players spend their time bathing in mucous, snacking on each other's boogers and peeing on each other. I guess I should have taken all that talk about "team chemistry" more literally.

And when you need to get to go to the bathroom or get a beer, will you levitate your way to the aisle? As I recall, negotiating your way to the aisle requires a whole lot of butt-to-face interactions measured in inches. Whether you have to go past 50 people or 25 or 33 or whatever, there is going to be a whole lot of social intimacy. I am so glad that we invented television.

As my Uncle Zeeb used to say, when a ship is sinking, the idea is to get everyone off the ship, not recruit additional passengers. Is the ship sinking? Only time will tell but lord knows, it's not looking good.

It is a lot like my family. Like the time we cut cousin Chuckie (his knees were shot) or the time we traded Uncle Zeeb for two nephews and a sister-in-law to be named later. That one really made Thanksgiving Dinners a lot less combative.

I am under no obligation to answer your questions but I actually did by giving several examples of how to handle that, ie the same way we handle the Minneapolis Lakers and the New York Titans, we forget their old name and use their new name. Not exactly a verbal gordian knot.

I seem to be able to muddle through life without using the word "redskins" without too much trouble. When I talk about the Jets, it hasn't been necessary for me to refer to them as the team formerly known as the New York Titans. When I talk about the Lakers, it hasn't been a real stumbling block to just forget that they were ever the Minneapolis Lakers. Is there some reason why you just don't think you'll be able to make it through life without the word "redskins" as an active part of your vocabulary?

You are correct sir. It can get complicated by many other factors but essentially, the waivers may very well be unenforceable.

NY General Obligations Law 5-326: Every covenant, agreement or understanding in or in connection with, or collateral to, any contract, membership application, ticket of admission or similar writing, entered into between the owner or operator of any pool, gymnasium, place of amusement or recreation, or similar establishment and the user of such facilities, pursuant to which such owner or operator receives a fee or other compensation for the use of such facilities, which exempts the said owner or operator from liability for damages caused by or resulting from the negligence of the owner, operator or person in charge of such establishment, or their agents, servants or employees, shall be deemed to be void as against public policy and wholly unenforceable.

Similarly, some people are hoping that surgeons with years of experience will be better surgeons than they were in med school. Seems like a huge bet to make. Oddly enough, the same people hope that lawyers in their 3rd year of practice will be better lawyers than they were in law school. Another huge bet, no?

Agreed. Sure, some of them might contract the disease and then spread it to people who did not go to the game, did not sign a liability waiver and who obeyed all the rules about large gatherings but those people should just shut up and die, or recover or whatever because we need football. While we are at it, why not let drunk drivers decide for themselves if they want to drive drunk? Sure, some people might get hurt or killed or whatever but c'mon, freedom has a price.

I have a soft spot in my heart for the Jets as the AFL franchise that first won a championship over an NFL team in SB3. And for so many years they have been an amusing clown show on and off the field that is pretty hard to generate too much animus towards them. As for their fans, I can sympathize with their suffering and besides, Larry David is a fan so I can't really hate their fans either.

Somebody has been in quarantine too long...

News Flash: NFL players are not the equivalent of an hourly stiff at Jiffy Lube. They have options that you and I don't. News Flash: the league, "the company" in your analogy has now said that its policy against kneeling was wrong so if players kneel this year it is with the blessing of their "boss". Update your analogy to "how may of us can peacefully protest at work if our boss gives us the okay?" Answer: everyone.

Politics have always been a part of sports and sports have always been a part of politics. From Roman Emperors crowning gladiators and charioteers with laurel wreathes to Presidents throwing out the first baseball and inviting champions to the White House. Sports are part of society as is politics. They can't help but mix and always have.

Pretty hard not to be on this man's side, on and off the field.