<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[Get The Picture]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[https://blutarsky.wordpress.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[Senator Blutarsky]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://blutarsky.wordpress.com/author/blutarsky/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[Skin in the&nbsp;game]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2020/05/08/coronavirus-mark-emmert-college-sports-return-students-campus/3100733001/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Comment from someone without a financial stake in a 2020 D-1 football season</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p class="gnt_ar_b_p">NCAA President Mark Emmert said Friday night he does not think sports can return at schools operating in an online-only teaching environment because of <a class="gnt_ar_b_a" href="https://www.usatoday.com/news/coronavirus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the ongoing coronavirus pandemic</a>&#8230;</p>
<p class="gnt_ar_b_p">In Division I, he said, “all of the commissioners and every president that I’ve talked to is in clear agreement: If you don’t have students on campus, you don’t have student-athletes on campus.</p>
<p class="gnt_ar_b_p">“That doesn’t mean it has to be up and running in the full normal model, but you’ve got to treat the health and well-being of the athletes at least as much as the regular students. So if a school doesn’t reopen, then they’re not going to be playing sports. It’s really that simple.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p><em>All</em> of the commissioners?  Not so fast, bacon breath.</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">True story: During an interview *today* with <a href="https://twitter.com/SInow?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SInow</a>, Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby was asked if in-person classes were required for on-campus athletic events. His answer: “No.”</p>
<p>I give up.</p>
<p>🥃 <a href="https://t.co/YLoYvZWpPD">https://t.co/YLoYvZWpPD</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) <a href="https://twitter.com/RossDellenger/status/1258954803889213440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>They playin&#8217;.  Come hell or high water.  Or whatever message they have to trample over in their haste to get Mickey&#8217;s coin.  They playin&#8217;.</p>
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