Is the Iowa vax rate off limits or something?

[SwirlinLingerie]

In my opinion, it's one of the more interesting aspects of Iowa football right now (maybe the most). And with the policies in place, a team with a significantly lower vaccination rate than its opponents may face a competitive disadvantage. Or not. It'd be interesting to discuss that. Kind of why people come to sites like this, isn't it?

 

[teachercoach]

It's the scariest part of the upcoming season at this time.

Really tempted to put $$'s on the Under for Iowa's win total. Will wait for a mid-August update. Would not take much for a positive case and then contact-traced houseful of teammates to have a major impact on the team

 

[kicker22]

It's the scariest part of the upcoming season at this time.

Really tempted to put $$'s on the Under for Iowa's win total. Will wait for a mid-August update. Would not take much for a positive case and then contact-traced houseful of teammates to have a major impact on the team

I haven't looked at the numbers but I'd guess ours are similar to most throughout the country. We may get hit by it, but I'm guessing others will be just as likely. I'm not sure it would affect the projected over/under.

On a side note: does anyone know if Michigan's planning on playing this year? It's been awhile since they had enough available players to take the field.

 

[ssckelley]

In before it gets locked!

 

[RobHowe]

RIP to this thread

 

[Fryowa]

In my opinion, it's one of the more interesting aspects of Iowa football right now (maybe the most). And with the policies in place, a team with a significantly lower vaccination rate than its opponents may face a competitive disadvantage. Or not. It'd be interesting to discuss that. Kind of why people come to sites like this, isn't it?

Read the sticky at the top of the forums.

Talk about it all you want in OT, which is where this one is moved.

 

[SwirlinLingerie]

Strange. Reporters and columnists are breaking down what this means from a competitive standpoint, but a message board moves it to a dark corner? One of the few times I'll bother to go check out other sites to see what folks are saying.

Fitz says Northwestern is at 90-95%. Michigan claims its team is almost completely vaccinated. Bielema says he expects 100% before the season. Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, and Rutgers are over 90%. Wisconsin is over 85%. For a program that relies on depth, regular testing of a large portion of unvaccinated players and subsequent contact tracing could be problematic for Iowa if it holds guys out of games. And looking at the numbers above, I'm curious why Iowa is putting itself at a competitive disadvantage.

The players are talking about it and how it might impact the goal of winning the West.

This is an eligibility issue.

 

[Fryowa]

Strange. Reporters and columnists are breaking down what this means from a competitive standpoint, but a message board moves it to a dark corner? One of the few times I'll bother to go check out other sites to see what folks are saying.

It's not moved to a dark corner.

It's moved to a designated board because when this kind of stuff gets brought up it goes off the rails with people can't play nice.

You are welcome to either discuss it on this sub forum, or go find another site to "see what folks are saying."

 

[RobHowe]

 

[PCHawk]

I mentioned in another thread that Kirk probably doesn't feel like he's in a position to push players to do something they don't want to do. An extra kick in the ass by the head coach is probably the difference between 70% vaccinated and 90%.

 

[Fryowa]

I mentioned in another thread that Kirk probably doesn't feel like he's in a position to push players to do something they don't want to do. An extra kick in the ass by the head coach is probably the difference between 70% vaccinated and 90%.

We live in a heavily rural state which is heavily Republican, and Republicans make up almost all anti C19 vaxxers. That's not me trying to steer a narrative, that's fact.

Because we live in a heavily rural and Republican state with a large population who are against taking the vaccine, we naturally have several players coming from said demographic. One look at social media and you can tell one side from the other, especially in guys like Ike Boettger, CJ Beathard, Peter Pekar, Drake Kulick, etc.

Kirk is not going to want to piss off any one contingent of his players who don't want to get it. The last thing he wants to do, especially after last year, is start telling players what to do.

Disclaimer: I have no idea about Tyler Linderbaum's political leanings nor his vaxx status; I'm using him below as an example because he's our best player....

Example...say Tyler Linderbaum is very against taking the vaccine for whatever reason. Are you going to bench him and remove him from team activities because of it (which is illegal anyways)? No way Kirk's going to sit his best player because of something like that.

 

[RobHowe]

I don't think Fran pushed the vaccine on his players. I doubt any of the Iowa coaches would do that.

I think the programs have doctors speak with them and educate them on the benefits of the vaccine and then it's up to the individual.

I don't know the breakdown of the 30 percent on the football team choosing not to get vaccinated. I would guess a portion of the group comes from Fry's suggestion. I would not dismiss the distrust of minorities when it comes to vaccines, however.

Latest Data on COVID-19 Vaccinations by Race/Ethnicity | KFF

KFF is collecting and analyzing data on COVID-19 vaccinations by race/ethnicity to gain increased insight who is receiving the vaccine and whether some groups are facing disparities in vaccination.

www.kff.org

 

[Fryowa]

I would not dismiss the distrust of minorities when it comes to vaccines, however.

That's a good point that I didn't think of.

 

[SwirlinLingerie]

Sure, but whether we are talking white rural Midwesteners or Black urban kids when it comes to hesitancy, other Big Ten teams (at least many of them) aren't having this same problem. Where is Iowa's leadership on this? You'd hope Barta would relentlessly be pushing for education on the issue across all the teams, having doctors from UI meeting with the athletes every day to stress the importance of vaccination, with each coaching staff then pushing the competitive disadvantage angle. Again, aside from the personal and public health component, it is an eligibility issue. And it doesn't just impact an individual's eligibility - that individual's decision to not get the vaccine may impact his teammate's eligibility too. (Who did get the vaccine).

 

[Fryowa]

Sure, but whether we are talking white rural Midwesteners or Black urban kids when it comes to hesitancy, other Big Ten teams (at least many of them) aren't having this same problem. Where is Iowa's leadership on this? You'd hope Barta would relentlessly be pushing for education on the issue across all the teams, having doctors from UI meeting with the athletes every day to stress the importance of vaccination, with each coaching staff then pushing the competitive disadvantage angle. Again, aside from the personal and public health component, it is an eligibility issue. And it doesn't just impact an individual's eligibility - that individual's decision to not get the vaccine may impact his teammate's eligibility too. (Who did get the vaccine).

How do you know they arent?

 

[Fryowa]

...that individual's decision to not get the vaccine may impact his teammate's eligibility too. (Who did get the vaccine).

It would only affect the eligibility of a teammate who was unvaccinated which makes that a circular argument.

You're arguing that a player should choose to get vaccinated to protect players who choose not to get vaccinated.

 

[SwirlinLingerie]

How do you know they arent?

I don't. But that would seem like a good thing for people in leadership positions at a public university to mention. Particularly at a public event, like Big Ten media days.

 

[Fryowa]

Sure, but whether we are talking white rural Midwesteners or Black urban kids when it comes to hesitancy, other Big Ten teams (at least many of them) aren't having this same problem

PSU said they're about the same percentage as us.

Pat Fitzgerald said it was a personal choice and that he supports any player who doesn't get the vaccine.

OSU didn't report their number.

Purdue didn't report their number.

Michigan State didn't report their number.

Illinois didn't report their number.

Nebraska didn't report their number.

Stop acting like Iowa is on an island.

I got the vaccine and I think it's safe. I support vaccination efforts. But you're barking up a tree for a raccoon that isn't there.

 

[Fryowa]

I don't. But that would seem like a good thing for people in leadership positions at a public university to mention. Particularly at a public event, like Big Ten media days.

So you're criticizing Iowa leadership for what you perceive as inaction, when you just admitted you have no idea if they're taking action on the issue or not...

Ok...

 

[SwirlinLingerie]

It would only affect the eligibility of a teammate who was unvaccinated which makes that a circular argument.

You're arguing that a player should choose to get vaccinated to protect players who choose not to get vaccinated.

I don't think that's accurate, although I admit I haven't followed it that closely. But my understanding is that non-vaccinated players will be subject to testing all season, either once or twice a week. And if you get a positive test, it is possible there will be contact tracing. Which could lead (almost likely would lead?) to teammates being placed in quarantine too. (Potentially ones that have already been vaccinated). That's how I read Lestikow's column at least. And that's what Kirk mentioned - that one player came down with Covid in June, but others were taken out of training because of it. Not hard to see how a team could lose the majority of a position group for a couple games.

My argument is that you eliminate all testing and subsequent contact tracing by getting vaccinated. It'd be nice to get more details from others on this by moving a timely Iowa football eligibility/competitive advantage discussion to the Iowa football board, which is currently being dominated by fun subjects like the Big 12's finances and the 214,563rd thread over the past 17 years asking about Iowa's next coach.