While the loss of life is among the largest mass death events in American history, there is something about the disease and the way it kills that has numbed the populace. Those who die often do so in isolation. No family or friends to hold their hands and no funerals for loved ones to grieve. What keeps us separated from each other (the fear of the virus) is also what keeps it successful because too many Americans aren't able to witness its awfulness up close and avoid it at all costs. We don't see the deaths firsthand and have enough alternative facts in our realm to make us think it's a diminished threat.
Previous catastrophic events in American society were widely televised, surprise one-offs and generally accepted as having evil roots. Think about the reaction to 911 and the nationalism it sparked. Now think about the sustained response to that singular event one fall day twenty years ago. In response to 4,000 American deaths the government launched the longest war in American history, costing taxpayers trillions of dollars, and leading to the death of millions internationally.
The difference in reactions matters because right now more than EIGHTY times more people have died from COVID and yet the response of the federal government has been impotent at best.
Read the internet for 12 minutes and you can see that COVID isn't treated with the same respect as 911 or Pearl Harbor. The nationalism those attacks triggered allowed everyone on the same team, but with COVID there are myriad teams, none of whom seem too concerned with saving lives.
The broadcasting of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon was evidence of tragedy that was too overwhelming for 99% of Americans to ignore. With COVID too many individuals simply don't believe the disease is real or that any coordinated response is required, necessary, or within the overarching ideology of the United States. "Freedom" as Jim Jordan tweeted last night is being defined as individual liberty to do as one sees fit. However, real freedom is not being burdened by those in society who prioritize their comfort over your health. Freedom is the idea that everyone can enjoy something after shared sacrifice and response, not that you get to wave a coiled snake flag in the air and regurgitate Alex Jones conspiracy theories.
The simple truth is that we are failing. America has been the most vivid example of failed leadership among a self-governed democracy in the last 100 years. COVID is exposing that the idea of individual liberty topping all other needs is incompatible with successfully fighting a pandemic.
Unfortunately, the bull-headedness of that ideology will cost the American people hundreds of thousands of lives, and for the wrestling community it will mean two consecutive seasons of our sport lost to the selfishness of a sub-section of society that believes their comfort is worth more than your life.
To your questions …
Q: With the Ivy League canceling, as well as Lock Haven, from where I sit it seems unlikely there will be NCAA wrestling in 2020-21. What are your thoughts?
-- Mike C.
Foley: When I sit back and imagine a situation in which the NCAA approves a wrestling season, I'm consistently finding myself frustrated with a lack of options. A vaccine won't be in play for this year. Travel this winter is shaping up to be the most difficult in American history, with travel restrictions and local bans on gathering. Finally, I don't think many schools will be returning students in January.
The outbreak of COVID-19 in America has not stopped. It stalled for a while in the summer, but it never went away. Where in March the large metropolitan areas like New York City were taken aback by the power of the virus, today the virus is ravaging rural and suburban communities who seem to be suffering from virus fatigue.
Ultimately that will lead to the elimination of the NCAA season. There is no way forward in the winter. I hope that something dramatic happens in the meantime and that I'm proven wrong, but that's not happening. The vaccine is on the other side of the season and unfortunately we haven't done enough as a country to control the virus.
Jordan Burroughs came from behind to defeat Zahid Valencia on Nov. 14 (Photo/Justin Hoch, JHoch.com)Q: How would international referees officiate the JB vs. Zahid match? Specifically in regard to all that time spent on their knees?
-- Don C.
Foley: First, that was a great match for JB. He's the Roy Kent of wrestling. He's here, he's there, he's everywhere.
Wrestling from the knees is meant to be a disadvantage if the referee stays vigilant in warning the knees-down wrestler to progress their position. The problem becomes single-knee wrestling with the hand to the face and other defensive-first positions. If the wrestler who gets to their knees is doing so to look for a second attack it's fine. If they are earning Marriot Bonvoy points then it's an issue to be addressed by the referee.
I thought Zahid relied too heavily on wrestling from his knees, but you eventually saw that it backfired as his lack of lateral movement cost him two takedowns. The referee should have brought him onto the center in the first period and finger-wagged him to remind him to stand up after that first attack.
Zahid is a brilliant wrestler and I think he has a huge future. Everyone makes mistakes, but I think that his recent issues are in the past and he's on his way to a big international career.
MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME
Legends vs. Stars on Instagram: Burroughs got close.
Official trailer of The Last Champion
Q: David Taylor is facing Gabe Dean at Tuesday's NLWC event. Do you think it could be a competitive match?
-- Mike C.
Foley: No. However, I completely whiffed on last week's match predictions. Evan Henderson looked AWESOME!
Q: The Division I council extended the dead period for recruiting through April. 15. Tony Robie tweeted that Division II and Division III have had no restrictions during the pandemic. Any idea why?
-- Mike C.
Foley: I don't know why they are without restrictions. That's definitely odd.
My opinion is that if nobody is doing home visits or face-to-face contact then it shouldn't matter if you aren't able to do so. That it's a level playing field is all that really matters, right?
If I had a guess about the dead period it would be that the rule is being transposed from other sports and that the decision is a CYA so that there isn't a case of a famous basketball coach killing his top recruits grandmother. That's a bad look and the NCAA is already taking heat for its labor practices. If they then rubber stamp home visits they aren't leading by example and are opening themselves up for prosecution.
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