It’s almost here. We all have been waiting with mounting anticipation and bated breath praying that the 2021 football season would not follow it’s predecessor and be flushed down the toilet because of Covid-19. The country is in the midst of yet new strain of Covid, the Delta variant, that has hit those masses of the still unvaccinated exceptionally hard primarily in South and Midwest regions of the country.

I’ve kept pretty much out of the limelight on this subject because I had always hoped people would use good common sense, examine the facts and medical data along with their doctor, and logically think things through especially when it comes to matters of life and death. I’m no longer convinced that is the case. A matter of fact, I know it’s not.

So let me for this single instance be allowed a point of personal privilege, do something that is normally not in my nature and that is to rant. So please bare with me for a couple of minutes.

The newest wave has brought back indoor mandatory mask restrictions in most public and government places in enlightened communities, a return to social distancing practices in confined spaces, and the flooding of ICU wards and funeral homes as far as the eye can see.

Still despite continuing crisis, most people have returned to work that aren’t in professions that afford them the luxury of being able to continue to work from home if they so choose. Schools and colleges in most places have reopened this week with a lot of disquieted parents rightfully worrying about their kids possibly contracting the virus from either their peers in crowded classroom or irresponsible social settings.

No doubt in this pandemic there is a certain amount of measured risk involved every time you step out the door but chances become incredibly high if a person remains unvaccinated.

The CDC reports that as of July 19, of 5,601 hospitalized breakthrough cases, 27% were asymptomatic or not related to COVID-19 and of 1,141 fatal cases, 26% were asymptomatic or not related to COVID-19.

Even after months and months of medical studies, intense scientific tracking research, and now FDA approval that clearly shows that the risk to a vaccinated person of becoming seriously ill or hospitalized from exposure to the virus is equivalent to being struck by lightning.

The hospitalization rate among fully vaccinated people with COVID-19 ranged from effectively zero (0.00%) in California, Delaware, D.C., Indiana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Vermont, and Virginia to 0.06% in Arkansas.

Of course the misinformation campaigns and there’s quite a few out there, quickly moves away from a semblance of rationality when the data proves otherwise.

So what are the most common arguments we hear every day from the anti-vaxer movement. –“But what about my constitutional right to choose my freedom?”

Last time I checked no one has denied anyone their right to say no and so you can go ahead contract the disease.

Next stop to the Island of the Far Fetched – “You know the government is secretly conducting DNA manipulation experiments on everyone who takes the virus” or “It’s a capitalist conspiracy to depopulate poor and disenfranchised communities for corporate gain.”

Killing off your most loyal consumers and your hardest workers isn’t exactly market friendly. Never learned that in any economics or political science class that I know of.

And then finally on to the abyss of the absurd – “The shot will magnetize your blood and now all the silverware in your kitchen will stick to your forehead” and the most famous of them all – “The whole thing is a hoax and Covid doesn’t exist.”

I won’t even dignify the first assertion of the Tin Foil Hat Society. As for the second, the latest death count at the time of this writing? There have 626,574 Americans that have died from Covid since the initial reported outbreak in January of 2020 and the CDC now projects another 100,000 will perish between now and January 1 at the current rate of infection. And finally of those that will die 99.1 percent of the dead will be unvaccinated persons.

Look folks its simple. The more people that get vaccinated, the share of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths accounted for in unvaccinated people will fall, since there will be fewer unvaccinated people in the population. Yet still far too many Americans will choose to play Russian roulette not only with their own lives but everyone else they come in contact with. I can only conclude that in the face of such overwhelming evidence, if the unvaccinated are still denying the reality then either you really don’t give a damn or choose to roll the dice figuring it can’t and won’t happen to you. 

All I can say is see you in the ICU. Oh wait. You can’t visit anyone in the Covid-ICU. Well thoughts and prayers to you. That’s all I have to offer.

There! I finished my rant. It’s frustrating. Thank you for your patience. Now back to football.

North Carolina A&T ended its preseason camp last Saturday and has now turned its complete attention to game prepping for its opener next weekend in Greenville, SC against Southern Conference opponent Furman in a first ever meeting between the two schools.

For those of us that have had had to endure no meaningful football since the weekend before Christmas of 2019 the wait is almost over. The 2021 college football season gets started this coming Saturday at high noon on ABC with the SWAC/MEAC challenge.

Alcorn State which has won so SWAC championships over the last decade that I stopped counting a couple of years back will take on North Carolina Central team that everyone expects to be much improved and this year a creditable challenger in the MEAC now that powerhouses N.C. A&T, FAMU, and Bethune Cookman have all departed to different conferences.

To be frank, NCCU’s head coach Trei Oliver needs for his team to show they are ready to seriously compete against a legitimate championship caliber team. He’s into his third year at the helm and it usually in year 3 that successful rebuilding efforts begin to show bear fruit and start to consistently win some games against teams not in the CIAA or the SIAC. it probably won’t begin this Saturday but it needs to start soon.

This should also be a real interesting game to watch to see how two teams that haven’t played competitive football in basically two years will react. It might be a inkling into what the Aggies will be facing and just how they might be preparing to respond to some very similar circumstances next week.