Should this season’s champion have an asterisk?

Nehalem said:

Do the 2008 Steelers get an asterisk because Tom Brady tore his ACL in the 1st quarter of the season?

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Maybe, but Bernard Pollard - and the Super Cop who saved the world by busting Kevin Faulk - get a Super Bowl ring.

Actual Pats Fan said:

Maybe, but Bernard Pollard - and the Super Cop who saved the world by busting Kevin Faulk - get a Super Bowl ring.

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BTW Kevin's middle name is Troy.

Yes, I checked: Troy Brown's middle name is Fitzgerald.

"Fitzy Got Bingo!"

Actual Pats Fan said:

I'm rooting for The Football Team Formerly With The Best Logo And Uniforms Ever But Now The Worst Yet Still Called The Patriots

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You are tenacious

Just think, every year many stars go down with injury.

Now we're already starting the year off with many guys opting out.

There will still be injuries for those who choose play.

By the end of the year (if there is a full season) it really will look like minor league ball out there.

Every season has an asterisk in some form. What if X player wasn't injured on another team? What if X call wasn't made and that team had homefield advantage.

There are very few seasons where I think the Asterisk is warranted specifically. This year every team is deal with the same issues. Some will get hit more than others cause of dumb luck. I don't think this year will qualify unless some form of blatant cheating or something else happens.

Actual Pats Fan said:

Or, The Football Team Formerly Known As The Redskins

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Only if it’s the Ravens or Colts

This is not something the Patriots, or their fans, need to worry about.

asterisk is gonna say the season wasn't played b/c covid.

Nehalem said:

Do the 2008 Steelers get an asterisk because Tom Brady tore his ACL in the 1st quarter of the season?

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Yes; but also because Holmes was out of bounds

203Pat said:

That is another thing that I haven't seen mentioned a lot, the risk to the coaches. A lot of these older coaches aren't exactly the picture of health and are in their 60's.

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Those fellas should stay home if they don't feel up to going to work.

I see folks "in their 60's" at work every day in/at the grocery store, Home Depot, Lowes, Costco, the corner convenience store, the Post Office, the drug store, the doctor's office, the cigar store, the liquor store, the golf course, the Ford dealership, etc...

...assumption of risk is a personal decision that every person makes on a daily basis --- are you in a position to tell others that you know what's best for them, better than they themselves know what's in their best interests?

RASTAN99 said:

Those fellas should stay home if they don't feel up to going to work.

I see folks "in their 60's" at work every day in/at the grocery store, Home Depot, Lowes, Costco, the corner convenience store, the Post Office, the drug store, the doctor's office, the cigar store, the liquor store, the golf course, the Ford dealership, etc...

...assumption of risk is a personal decision that every person makes on a daily basis --- are you in a position to tell others that you know what's best for them, better than they themselves know what's in their best interests?

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Yes.... Actually just because someone is free to do something does not mean it is by default the best decision. Smoking cigarettes is objectively a bad decision and the short term light headed feeling is nothing compared to the addiction, money it costs, and medical risks. So just because someone does something doesn’t mean they know what’s best. There’s some people that hate wearing seat belts, but it’s a minor annoyance compared to the completely unnecessary risk you take for not wearing one.

Like just because someone is free to do something does not mean they are absolved from criticism of their choices by the mere fact they made it.

RASTAN99 said:

Those fellas should stay home if they don't feel up to going to work.

I see folks "in their 60's" at work every day in/at the grocery store, Home Depot, Lowes, Costco, the corner convenience store, the Post Office, the drug store, the doctor's office, the cigar store, the liquor store, the golf course, the Ford dealership, etc...

...assumption of risk is a personal decision that every person makes on a daily basis --- are you in a position to tell others that you know what's best for them, better than they themselves know what's in their best interests?

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Turn down Fox News and you may be able to follow along better. "Folks in their 60's" have the right to do whatever they want as long as they are abiding by state and local guidelines. Does that mean that they should if it could potentially damage their wellbeing? A 65 year old could decide to eat 3 Big Macs and milkshakes a day. Just because he can does that make it a wise choice?

I am not telling anyone they "need" to do anything. I merely floated the idea that coaches may consider opting out due to the fact they are far more at risk being older and not usually in the best shape.

Doctor DDS said:

I think it really comes down to the timing of the infections. Regular season - deal with it. If one of the conference champions were to have their starting QB or several key players become infected and ineligible to play between the conference championship game and the Super Bowl I do not see how anyone could take the final outcome w/o thinking less of the achievement. As a Pats fan I would certainly "take" the win but it would have lesser meaning to me than prior championships if the other team was missing key players due to virus.

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On the flip side, if the starting QB goes out towards the end of a great season and the team still wins the super bowl the accomplishment isn't diminished at all really. Like the 2017 Eagles, and to a way lesser extent, the 2001 Patriots.

PatsFanInVa said:

asterisk is gonna say the season wasn't played b/c covid.

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I doubt it. The season will go on. We should get a a good idea with the baseball season and hockey season if they’re still playing in September.

My biggest problem which would create an asterisk for me isn't if a key player misses a key game. IMHO that's just the equivalent of an injury. What I don't want - and which the NHL is flirting with - is a team that should not even be in the playoffs making a deep run (or, God forbid, winning it all).

For now, the NFL is not expanding the playoffs this year. Well, they are expanding the playoffs to 14, but that was in the cards all along and is not Covid related. They are not expanding it to, say, 22 teams.

lancerman said:

Yes.... Actually just because someone is free to do something does not mean it is by default the best decision. Smoking cigarettes is objectively a bad decision and the short term light headed feeling is nothing compared to the addiction, money it costs, and medical risks. So just because someone does something doesn’t mean they know what’s best. There’s some people that hate wearing seat belts, but it’s a minor annoyance compared to the completely unnecessary risk you take for not wearing one.

Like just because someone is free to do something does not mean they are absolved from criticism of their choices by the mere fact they made it.

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Conflating the decision by a 60-yr old to go to work and earn a paycheck with cigarette smoking and seat-belts is illogical, laughable, and has no merit.

NFL coaches are at no more risk than the guy at Home Depot or Wegmans.

Just because the NFL is playing doesn't mean 60-yr old coaches, or any other employees, are required to participate...

...that's the beauty of being an American citizen, we are free to assess risk and make our own decisions.

Curious, where do you draw the line on businesses that should be "allowed" to operate vs. those that shouldn't?

RASTAN99 said:

Conflating the decision by a 60-yr old to go to work and earn a paycheck with cigarette smoking and seat-belts is illogical, laughable, and has no merit.

NFL coaches are at no more risk than the guy at Home Depot or Wegmans.

Just because the NFL is playing doesn't mean 60-yr old coaches, or any other employees, are required to participate...

...that's the beauty of being an American citizen, we are free to assess risk and make our own decisions.

Curious, where do you draw the line on businesses that should be "allowed" to operate vs. those that shouldn't?

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Not really. Every situation is circumstantial. Nobody is criticizing someone who “needs” to work to survive for taking that option. But the ones who can avoid it should, and really unless a business is essential they should temp furlough more at risk workers so they can collect until this virus passes.

But also comparing a 60 year old going to retail job to an NFL coach is just as far a stretch.

But tangibly no you can criticize people for the decisions they make. That’s free speech

203Pat said:

"Folks in their 60's" have the right to do whatever they want as long as they are abiding by state and local guidelines.

Does that mean that they should if it could potentially damage their wellbeing? A 65 year old could decide to eat 3 Big Macs and milkshakes a day. Just because he can does that make it a wise choice?

I am not telling anyone they "need" to do anything. I merely floated the idea that coaches may consider opting out due to the fact they are far more at risk being older and not usually in the best shape.

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Nobody suggested otherwise as it goes to following guidelines.

If a free American assesses the risk and makes a decision to partake in behaviour that might be detrimental to their health --- as long as said behaviour is within legal boundaries that's their right. Whether or not you believe it to be "wise" is not relevant. (but we know that's not what this is about)

To me it appeared you were suggesting that for their own benefit the NFL has ignored/overlooked the potential risks 60-yr coaches will face if they choose to participate.

I suspect we can all agree that grocery stores must remain open --- do you believe there should be "local and state guidelines" put into place which mandate a maximum age limit for employees who choose to show up for work?

If so, what should that age limit be?

lancerman said:

(i) Nobody is criticizing someone who “needs” to work to survive for taking that option.

(ii) But the ones who can avoid it should, and really unless a business is essential they should temp furlough more at risk workers so they can collect until this virus passes.

(iii) But also comparing a 60 year old going to retail job to an NFL coach is just as far a stretch.

(iv) But tangibly no you can criticize people for the decisions they make. That’s free speech

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(i) You are.

(ii) Why? Because you say so? I have a hunch you are not a business owner. When do you expect that the "virus passes"?

(iii) No stretch at all...perfectly analogous. (don't get lost in delta b/t pay scales)

(iv) Actually "criticism" is in no way "tangible"....but it is protected by free speech. Works both ways you know...