Naturally if we were to be rational about all this, Big Cat would be converted to soccer. Or its use could be contracted to various high schools in this part of the state that still have football programs. Because Morris Area (or MACA) should not have one. That stance should be taken out of the best health interest of our boys.
Yes, football is a boys-only sport. For that reason alone it should be ended. I was going to say "phased out" but that would imply a drawn-out time period. No, it would be so simple to do the right thing immediately: end the sport and in the absence of that, families could take matters into their own hands.
Consider that St. Cloud State U has ended its football program, in one bold and abrupt move. There was no appreciable pushback or controversy in the aftermath, nothing I could discover by perusing the media. SCSU considered doing this about ten years ago - talk was floated in a pretty high-profile way - but it was not practicable yet. SCSU put up a grand new football stadium just in 2004. Holy mackerel. I suppose it will be used in whatever ways are practicable now.
High schools that still have football apparently enjoy playing at such places like our Big Cat Stadium. Yes, slam the opposing players (your enemy) down on the turf. Make sure there's a fully-manned ambulance next to the field. Have trainers at the ready for attending to hurt moaning players who are stretched out along the sidelines. Well, I never risked any of that. Does that make me smarter than average?
Many years ago I visited Mankato for the state tournament when Mary Holmberg's Tiger team played there. I remember our ace pitcher had the last name Giese. I shared with people how Mankato seemed an unusual choice for the event as opposed to a more central place in Minnesota, or someplace in the Twin Cities which is considered prestigious (e.g. Williams Arena).
I was told that southern Minnesota was known for some very nice softball facilities. Well, I suppose the Mankato facility was nice. I fail to see why that region of the state should have a particular advantage. It's to the south where we might expect the climate to be a little more facilitating? Oh man I would suggest the advantage is minimal. It's still Minnesota. My friend Brad from college days mimicked someone from "southern Minnesota" with a Deep South USA accent. It's the sort of thing I'd laugh at in my college years.
I remember sharing concern about the southern Minnesota location with Jerry Witt. He just repeated this notion of southern Minnesota being this hub of such activity. By the same token, our high school softball team has historically suffered when having to play teams from southern Minnesota in the playoffs. Yes, I have been puzzled by that. But I often ask questions in this community that irritate people. Why not just answer them?
Witt gave me his answer with sort of a wry smile, like he understood my skepticism and wasn't going to rebut it. I was frustrated having driven to Mankato and back without the convenience of an Interstate Highway. Witt's son Zach was a star football player for Mankato State. I remember Zach was a lefty also. I hope he has no permanent health limitations from his extensive participation in football.
Forrest and Taylor were slam-dunk athletes from the Witt family too - incredible genes. Jerry and Holly are among those Morrissites who have "abdicated" to Alexandria. How are you gonna keep 'em down on the farm once they've seen Lake Latoka?
Anyway all our grandiose plans with the UMM fields seem rather on the back-burner, wouldn't you say? Without mass testing and a vaccine vs. the current health menace, I see no way our schools can open at all, not even for the 2020-21 year. Correct me if I'm wrong. The Federal government should have declared war on the virus, using every conceivable resource right away, because this is the only route to normalcy.
Our Federal government has wanted to kick everything over to the states. Ironically, we're supposed to have our attention riveted on the president each and every day for his TV appearances, this despite his professing that states must take the lead.
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| Del Sarlette's birthday in 2020 |
The right wingers who feel the "sacrifice" of lives might be necessary, are the same ones who cried out about alleged "death panels" in Obamacare. And Republicans still want to kill Obamacare.
These right wingers are the "pro-lifers?"
We are still in the early stages of the current stress or panic. Our minds can still relate to the pre-pandemic norm but that could start changing quickly. Just to be realistic, may I suggest that civil unrest may be on the way? History includes many episodes of uprisings. When will people take up pitchforks? We cannot exclude such scenarios from our thoughts. That is why our government must be dug-in totally, immediately if not sooner, to ensure widespread reliable testing and to get a vaccine. It's a Manhattan Project.
I remember when our Morris softball program got started, it was at Wells Park in west Morris. The facility did just fine and everyone had fun. I was there to cover it, and also at Whitney Field in St. Cloud for the state tournament. We are having to scale back our standards and expectations now, under the cloud of the health scare. We'll probably decide it isn't necessary to have such a state of the art softball complex, just like we must withdraw from football.
At the time of the state tournament in Mankato, I remember thinking about our fields on the east end of town and thinking that it wouldn't take that much to get them on the level of Mankato. But now, does it really matter? What will it be like for our community of Morris if there is no 2020-21 academic year either for UMM or the public school?
The institutions will morph into online-based, I guess, just like our churches. But as time goes on, this system will morph further and perhaps even crumble, as people realize that the instruction needn't emanate from the standard bricks and mortar institutions. Online enrichment and utility is unlimited and isn't harnessed in any way to the systems that preceded it. Kids can take the best math classes online that have no connection to anything local.
Oh, ditto with our churches, unless we want to support our local church just for sentimental or comfort reasons. Or because we'll never stop pining for the old way. I got enriched for Palm Sunday by visiting the online service of Nativity Lutheran Church in Allentown PA. Should that surprise anyone? It shouldn't. It's a sea change, and part of this will involve looking at the $ issues with supporting the vast quilt of bricks and mortar places. I'd hardly know where to begin re. this. Our lives are changing.
The HLN network reported this morning that food prices are indeed rising. My lifestyle is gradually changing to where I'll plan one good meal each day, cost of around $15 (including tip), and just snack or drink Boost outside of that. Good luck to everyone as the waves of stress and adversity get bigger. Hate to say this but prayers won't be enough.
Addendum: Got a kick out of how the sage Peter Schiff responded to the right wingers who constantly say "Americans want to get back to work." "No they don't," Peter says. "Work is hard. Work is boring."
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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