He's made himself irrelevant but its his right to choose.
if people think the virus is more dangerous than playing [checks notes] full-contact professional football then i dunno what to tell you that would make you listen to an actual you know scientist
It might not be more dangerous than playing football. It's dangerous ON TOP of playing football. Don't be obtuse.
How is it dangerous to a 26-year old with almost no body fat and an elite daily training regime?
I could understand if he was an O-lineman that is 50% over their ideal bodyweight (the pre-existing condition of obesity as defined by most of the world's medical services..but not in the US).
Out of the 7.8 billion people on the planet at this moment....give me one example of an individual that fits the same fitness description of an elite NFL wideout that had more than a week of fever and sore throat from COVID? If you cannot give a single example than you are spreading fear not knowledge.
I assume anyone down thumbing this post without writing a response are just confirming that this is about knee-jerk fears and not empirical thought.
Google Eduardo Rodriguez. Red Sox ace.
You're wasting your time. His mind is made up.
Actually other way around. Almost no one is looking at science instead making comments and decisions on emotions. This shouldn't even be on radar of an athlete. Literally dozens of things we more risky for NFL player. People have been scared senseless. Zero evidence he's in any real kind danger.
First, Rodriguez has not even had a sore throat. Like millions of young people across the globe he had a positive COVID test and after extensive medical exams they are concerned with his heart. They do not know if the COVID virus caused this or not.
Moreover, I stated elite athletes. In Europe, Rodriguez would be defined as having the pre-existing condition of obesity as he is more than 25% over the ideal weight for his height. Yes, that is fine for a baseball pitcher but it does not make you a wideout-level elite athlete. Obesity is a definite concern for anyone returning to public settings in the COVID era.
Athletes with a lot of muscle mass are considered obese by BMI standards. It's harder on your heart to carry around a lot of weight whether that's muscle or that's fat. Also, most asymptomatic patients that have had their lungs scanned have shown some residual scaring. It's not know yet if that's temporary or will linger but that's just the thing. The virus is novel and long term morbidity just isn't known. There's a reason why every NBA player that has contracted it is going through an extensive pulmonary exam before they are allowed to workout with their teams again.
It's totally reasonable to be young and healthy and still not want to get it. It's also reasonable to assume the risk at that age. People should be less judgemental around here.
It may not be immediately dangerous to young, physically elite, people. But it will have long term effects for everyone that contracts it. So says all of the studies looking at the problem, which is admittedly a short term look at long term consequences. Nonetheless, just because someone doesn't die from it today, doesn't mean that it won't cause them issues.
From this story: "And with a larger pool of people recovered from the infection, long-term effects of the illness are also emerging, including symptoms that won’t go away. “Covid-19 can result in prolonged illness, even among young adults without underlying chronic medical conditions,” according to a July 24 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. The same report found that one in three symptomatic adults who were surveyed still weren’t fully recovered between two and three weeks after testing positive for Covid-19."
Just because you refuse to read and/or believe what you read, doesn't mean that others also refuse.
Again, you start your statement by admitting that there is no actual long-term data as that is not possible. There is just speculation.
I certainly agree there are long-term impacts (perhaps even as bad as pneumonia that gives tens of thousands of American long-term health impacts from their hospitalization as infants).
Let's not forget that medical speculation by otherwise intelligent and experience doctors (And the fear-mongers parroting their statements) already has led us down the path to spending a month denying Americans face mask use even though Europe and Asia were already successfully lowering the COVID rate by promoting mask or facial cover wearing. A medical doctor or researcher is not a health policy maker. Now the same mistake is being made on COVID tests where doctors limit us to the highest quality tests that take weeks for results and contain ingredients in constant deficit. We could already have tens of millions of Americans getting regular COVID tests through the mail (and re-testing if a positive result) from slightly less than perfect saliva tests.
I am just trying to get people on this board to think and not knee jerk react. It is not a victory for America's future health and prosperity if a 26-year old elite athlete thinks he cannot handle the risks that our grocery clerks and pharmacists face everyday.
"I am just trying to get people on this board to think and not knee jerk react."
I don't disagree with your point. However, if an elite 26-yr old athlete has enough money to sit out a year without pay, why should he (she) not be able to do so without judgmental thought against him? I'm kinda jealous that they can afford to do so - I cannot afford to sit out a year from work (and I make significantly more than your basic grocery store clerk)! But I also refuse to speculate on the reasons they choose to sit out.
FWIW, if I could afford it, I would not be coming into the office everyday. I would also choose to sit the year out and wait for C-19 things to get better.
(BTW, good luck on that whole 'getting people to think rationally' thing...)
You cannot reason with most people here. Love how many will talk about science yet NEVER use it when comes to covid.
I've known for years that people don't know how to assess risk properly. Made a nice living cause of it. These last few months have assured me this statement has never been more true.
He already opted out of all of the running plays so this is just one more little step.
Hannibal FROM THE GRAVE
Hannibal FROM WX
The most profound offensive strike from a Hannibal that did not involve the use of elephants.
Or a nice Chianti and some fava beans.
Interesting nugget from Andrew Brandt (former NFL executive) these are apparently not cash stipends that the players are getting for opting out. They are cash advances, so the players need to pay back the cash in the future. Very interesting. It's not "early retirement" for some players at the end of the road.
I did not know that. What happens if they are cut or released before next season?
It would've been interesting if Devin stayed another year, and to see what Harbaugh could've done with a player like him.
Nico Collins is a player like him. He got 700 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns.
Except Nico doesn't say things like "wins and losses are a statistic."
He’s always had a lot of quit in him.
Something something playing games are just something something statistics.
Interesting... I didn’t know he was even in the league anymore.
Tough crowd here towards Funchess!
Glad to see the Michigan fans haven't forgotten their irrational hatred for one of UM's better players during the RR/Hoke eras.
Again, the guy is making a good decision for his healthy and family. He's leaving a couple million on the table with no promise he'll necessarily be playing next year. But yeah, shit on the guy because he played hurt his last year (because Hoke thought it a good idea to put him back in down 31-0 against ND) and struggled to get any cohesiveness going with the remnants of Devin Gardner's sternum.
To be fair, I live in Charlotte and his effort has never really impressed the fanbase there either. All kinds of ability, but no fire in the belly.
I think "effort" does vary across players but he's been in the NFL for 5 years and been a solid contributor each of them save last year when he was injured in the first game. He's not THAT talented to coast by on athleticism alone, and most careers are cut short in the NFL so the fact he got to a second contract is pretty impressive. He's not good enough to be a #1 receiver on a good team but he's probably the best TE to come out of that class (him or Jesse James IMO) and one of the better receivers overall.
I just get annoyed that there are a couple of players that this site just hates for reasons that seem a little boggling.
right because y'all don't hate ANYONE that donned the red and light black
love,
herbstreit
I’ll tell you what’s annoying: A little criticism and suddenly I “hate” him.
I hate Ohio State. I hate ND. I do not hate Devin Funchess. Observing first hand that he tends to underachieve relative to his ceiling is not hate.
I had Funchess and Cam Newton on my fantasy football team one year. Bad bad memories from that.
The whole playing hurt thing is tough to gauge. I personally give Fuchness a pass with the assumption he was hurt. People like players like Devin Gardner or Ben Mason because there is a perceived grit. Football is about grit. Suck it up and walk it off. Fuchness, Rashan Gary and Shea Patterson had a certain amount of fan animosity because they underperformed their talent level, and it was perceived as lack of grit or effort. They were all hurt and probably all have a lot more grit than anyone on this board, but I think that's the root cause of the negative vibes.
That said, I have to admire Devin Fuchness for sitting out, especially when his grit will be called into question. If he gets COVID and it ravages his lung making him no longer able to play is the NFL going to pay him out for however long he might have still been in the league? I know there is insurance, but who is insuring against COVID?
Yeah, I agree. I remember that year seeing him struggle to get up and down the field and it wasn't for a lack of effort; he clearly hurt his ankle and the only real recovery is rest.
I will always stan for Gardner, but his struggles were due to many of the same forces that afflicted Funchess (injury, poor coaching, issues in protection and schemes), yet he's always gotten a pass because we remember him playing through some injuries even though there were times he probably shouldn't have.
Devin may have done irreparable damage to any pro career he could have had by playing through injury. Another example that comes to mind is RG III and Mike Shanahan. I was angry at Shanahan practically ruining his career to save his.
Thumbs up
Great point bronxblue thanks for stepping up.
So many haters on here. Sad. He played for UM and is now sitting out to protect his family.
I truly feel that this sort of negativity easily/quickly dispersed about someone else is truly a reflection one's own insecurities and unhappiness.
Keep being successful and protecting your family DF, and Go Blue.
He'd be protecting his family MORE by never taking them in the car. This is a fact. You can disagree and get mad but the facts are the facts. Emotions have taken over the decision making for most folks instead of using actual evidence, logic and reason.
About 100 people per day die from car accidents in the US, 1k died from covid yesterday even though most of the country is trying to prevent it's spread. Facts are facts.
I personally know 6 people who have died this year of COVID. None this year in a car accident. Actually none in 15 years from a car accident. So yes, I am a bit more concerned about COVID right now.
Thank you and be safe.
Seasons are just a statistic.
Very underrated. This comment is the equivalent of the guitar player's player.
Bunches of Funchess haters on here
Didn't he opt out at M ?
I thought former Iowa State Cyclone Allen Lazard looked promising for the Packers in 2019.
6-foot-5, only 24-years-old, he could turn into a nice complement for Fresno State Bulldog Davante Adams.