The View From The Corner Offices

Yesterday's Washington Post had a story under the headline, The Ivy League was first to cancel sports. Here’s what it says about when games might return. This is the money quote from Ivy League executive director Robin Harris (LINK):

"It’s hard for me to imagine how you would bring your student-athletes to campus and have them interact when you don’t have the student body there. If you don’t have the student body there, it must be because of some concern for their well-being as well as society’s well-being.”

•

Craig Haley of STATS spoke with a cross-section of FCS school commissioners in a story under the headline, FCS level optimistic about 2020 season, but making contingencies. From the piece:

"I think it's too soon to speculate about fall sports, full or partial seasons," Northeast Conference commissioner Noreen Morris said last week. "I think we'll have a better understanding in early May as to the state of higher education in general in terms of fall enrollment. Once we know if (and) when institutions will open their doors, we'll be able to start planning for the resumption of practices and competition."

•

Tweet from Dartmouth head coach Buddy Teevens (LINK):

Virtual spring practice starts on Monday  ...we’re finding a way to make ourselves better 

•

I'm not much more of a Tweeter than Teevens, but while Mrs. BGA was sewing up masks yesterday this thought came to me and I managed to dig up my Twitter password to share it on that platform:

Sign of the times:

It wasn’t long ago that if you walked into a convenience store wearing a mask the clerk would run the other way.

Walk into a convenience store today WITHOUT a mask and the clerk will run the other way.

• 

Ernest Evans '16 had a great many friends and admirers among his teammates, coaches, classmates and professors at Dartmouth. He was beloved back home in Houston as well, as this note from his middle school football coach reminds us:

Condolences gos out to the Evans Family. This is Coach Arthur L. Jenkins, Olle Middle School, Alief ISD. We had a privilege to educate and coach all the Evans’s children. It seems like yesterday when I use to see Ernest senior running around the track and Ernest Jr (running pigeon toed) was trying to keep up him. 

When Ernest was in the seventh grade, he tried out for the football team. I can remember looking at his size and feared he was too small. However, this little guy had a heart of a lion. 

Ernest always wanted to lead the hitting drills and challenge his bigger team mates. Being self determined and motivated, I could not resist not putting him on the “A” team. Superb student in the classroom. No problems with grades. 

What was most intriguing to me is when I found out he was only 11 yrs old, Lol. I knew he was special. We are very appreciative to have taught and coached a well defined student like Ernest. Ernest will be truly missed. 

Coach A. Jenkins - Olle Middle School

Editor's Note: If you would like to share a memory of Ernest, please drop me a note via email or the contact form over there to the right.

•

EXTRA POINT
With no mail delivery on our dirt road when we moved here last spring we had to take out a box at our little West Newbury, Vt., post office. It's about 1.5 miles from our home and lately, with a lot of time on my hands and in need of fresh air, I've taken to walking there with Griff the Wonder Dog.

Our post office.

Perhaps once a week we'll see another person on our stroll so social distancing isn't an issue. There's a sign on the post office door that says to keep six feet from any other patron which is good for a rare laugh these days because the entire lobby (to the right of the railing in the photo) isn't six feet wide or much longer than that ;-)

Anyway, when there's a new edition posted I listen to the Tony Kornheiser Show podcast on our hike to get the mail. While it's nominally a sports show in reality it is almost more of a stream-of-conciousness podcast that, for obvious reasons, has even less sports than normal these days.

Because TK is doing only a few shows from his home each week these days I've taken to downloading a selection of my other favorite programs including Freakonomics, On Point and Fresh Air.

On our Friday walk to the PO I listened to a Fresh Air program titled, How Winston Churchill Pulled Britain Through The Early Years Of WWII.

The very first question substitute host Dave Davies asked of his guest, the author of the new book, The Splendid and the Vile, certainly got my attention:

This is a story about a leader at a time of national crisis. And I just wonder if, as you've seen the coronavirus pandemic unfold and we've all watched our leaders try to handle it, you thought about Churchill and insights you might have gleaned into. What makes an effective leader in a time of crisis?

I've never liked it when people say a book is "a good read," so forgive me if I say this podcast "is a good listen."

You can access it right on your web browser at FRESH AIR.