ProudDad2022
5-Year Member
- Joined
- May 24, 2017
- Messages
- 261
T-minus 14 days until Navy/BYU. I still have my doubts.
As yet unconfirmed, but our company was told they are part of the approx 1/3 of the Brigade attending the BYU football game on Labor Day.semester was easily sectioned off by which football game each weekend and it flew by....
If no fans, why wouldn't the entire Brigade be able to attend? There will be plenty of room for all in an otherwise empty stadium.
ESPN 8:00pm Eastern, Labor DaySpeaking of , will this one be streamed?
I have watched Gov. Hogan from a far. I too agree he has done a good job in a tough situation. I do have a problem with this decision. It's lazy at best. My opinion is clouded by my bias for USNA and Navy Football, but this is not based on science. This is an outdoor event where only the Mids would be present. Interaction between people outside "the bubble" of the Yard would be non existent. If Annapolis came out to watch the march through town of masked Mids, the threat of passing the virus is almost nothing. The entire country understands SA's are a different experience than a typical colleges and thus garner some special exemptions. Gov. Hogan is simply taking the easy way out here.Brigade of Midshipmen will not be allowed to attend Navy football home opener against BYU
State of Maryland officials have denied a request from the Naval Academy Athletic Association to allow the Brigade of Midshipmen to attend Navy football’s season opener against BYU on Labor D…www.capitalgazette.com
Plus several other media sources.
I am sure the Governor and his team looked at this from a utilitarian point of view, plus evaluated the precedent it would set by granting a waiver to USNA while still denying others.
Governor Hogan has been decisive from the get-go in not being hesitant to bring in stringent measures early on, keep them on, and turn them back on the minute key stats spike. I have generally backed him 100% on his leadership. He has been a hard-a$$ on most of the measures, and I have appreciated his by-the-science-I’ll-take-the-flak approach.
As someone who lives in the Annapolis area and is missing football season as much as anyone else, and also knowing the Brigade is having a tough time with being cooped up, I do not blame the USNA leadership and the Governor and his staff for picking their way with caution through the operational risk analyses that go with this pandemic. There is no way to keep everyone happy with either choice.
I agree the SA mids and cadets have been kept more in a “bubble” than civilian campuses, but it’s a semi-permeable membrane. The Yard is still open to those with access. People who live and work on the Yard go in and out, encountering others on the outside. Those with access, including some parents and sponsors, are going in and out.
At least USNA was willing to try it with a semi-reasonable group of midshipmen.
I'm calling my MOCs to ask them to call MD gov about this. I hope others will do the same. That is just ridiculous on the part of state of MD.
That is exactly what I have been hearing from various Yard sources as well. At least USNA gave it a duty try.Majority of mids were not looking forward to being at the game. It would have been tough to pull off anyway because we aren’t using a “pod” model anymore. Everyone is supposed to be 6 feet apart from everyone except their roommates at all times, even people in their company. Doesn’t happen, but those are the orders. Not sure how a march-on would have worked, and bus trips with social distancing would take forever, plus the game is on a school night. Aside from that people have pointed out how it could lead to bad publicity to have required attendance at a big event broadcasted, especially if we end up with a huge outbreak within the Brigade after.
Personally I think allowing a smaller number of mids to volunteer to attend the game, maybe a couple hundred or so, would have been a lot better for logistics and morale and may have even gotten approved by the state.
I was on the yard last summer and walked by a tryout session for a varsity sport. The head coach told the Mids that there are 2 huge benefits when you are a fall varsity athlete--- No parades, and no football games.Football games are fun, but a lot of the Brigade sees them as a chore.