Kirk's Stumble

[J. Kapp 11]

Loved everything about what he said. And he did it in away clarifying it was just his opinion several times.

And it's not like it's just him and other dumb athletes sharing this view. There are a lot of us...to some extent at least. Hell, my sister is a bigwig at Sanford in Fargo and her and many of her staff share similar feelings.

Like Kirk, I wear a mask everywhere I'm required to. I accept the science that they likely help. Though I can't speak for other states, but in Montana I know that our cases have remained about the same, even a little higher this last week, since they implemented mask wearing everywhere. So I wear one as respect to others, though my fear of this virus couldn't possibly be lower.

The stats don't lie. If you're older than 70, and have other health issues, this virus should have your attention. Hunker down, avoid people, wash hands, wear a mask. But this group makes up about 90% of the deaths last I checked. What Kirk said is true. And while he has that opinion, he's wearing a mask if it is said to help protect other people.

I maintain that at risk folks, or those that are very fearful of the virus should hunker down and take the steps suggested. The rest of us should be allowed to get on with it. The most frustrating thing to me is there isn't an end game. No plan. We could be asked to continue doing all these things for months or years. Even with a vaccine, the virus will always be here. Some will get it. Might even get sick. In rare cases they will be hospitalized and rarer cases they will die.

The only problem I have with anything Kirk said was his “I’m not going to call anybody stupid for the trouble it could get me in" comment. That could easily be taken as, "Well, you're stupid if you believe in this stuff, but if I actually call you stupid, I'll get in trouble." I think that was an honest mistake in word choice on his part. At least I hope he doesn't think people who are fearful of Covid are stupid.

But the .000001 comment? He was asked his fear level, and he responded honestly. Heck, it's how I would have responded. That's because I'm a person of faith, and I don't fear death. Neither does Cousins. How is that irresponsible?

Look guys, this whole thing sucks. And to be honest, it was really crappy of Kyle Brandt to ask Kirk Cousins his opinion on Covid. It set Cousins up to get ripped because anything he said was going to piss off half the audience.

[YikesVikes]

The death rate among 30-39 year olds is .2 %. The vast majority of those had underlying conditions, which Cousins doesn't have. His risk of death is incredibly low, although I am not sure about that .00001 number. That isn't being an antivaxxer or a moron, that is reality.

Are people upset because not everyone falls into the same category as Kirk and it feels like he doesn't care if others get it? I didn't get that from the interview at all, as he was talking about himself. My guess is if he got Covid, he would quarantine and follow the directions of the CDC, just like I had to do with my son when he had contact with someone with Covid. There is being at peace with death, and there is being reckless. I don't think Kirk is being reckless, he just believes in a higher power and that death isn't the final destination.

You can still be careful and not live in fear of death.

You must have misunderstood the statement he made. He was asked from 1-10 how does he feel about mask wearing, with 1 being people are stupid for wearing them. He said rated it .000001. Meaning, he thinks people are stupid for wearing them. End of story, he's a dumbass and is correctly being lambasted.

[YikesVikes]

Loved everything about what he said. And he did it in away clarifying it was just his opinion several times.

And it's not like it's just him and other dumb athletes sharing this view. There are a lot of us...to some extent at least. Hell, my sister is a bigwig at Sanford in Fargo and her and many of her staff share similar feelings.

Like Kirk, I wear a mask everywhere I'm required to. I accept the science that they likely help. Though I can't speak for other states, but in Montana I know that our cases have remained about the same, even a little higher this last week, since they implemented mask wearing everywhere. So I wear one as respect to others, though my fear of this virus couldn't possibly be lower.

The stats don't lie. If you're older than 70, and have other health issues, this virus should have your attention. Hunker down, avoid people, wash hands, wear a mask. But this group makes up about 90% of the deaths last I checked. What Kirk said is true. And while he has that opinion, he's wearing a mask if it is said to help protect other people.

I maintain that at risk folks, or those that are very fearful of the virus should hunker down and take the steps suggested. The rest of us should be allowed to get on with it. The most frustrating thing to me is there isn't an end game. No plan. We could be asked to continue doing all these things for months or years. Even with a vaccine, the virus will always be here. Some will get it. Might even get sick. In rare cases they will be hospitalized and rarer cases they will die.

The only problem I have with anything Kirk said was his “I’m not going to call anybody stupid for the trouble it could get me in" comment. That could easily be taken as, "Well, you're stupid if you believe in this stuff, but if I actually call you stupid, I'll get in trouble." I think that was an honest mistake in word choice on his part. At least I hope he doesn't think people who are fearful of Covid are stupid.

But the .000001 comment? He was asked his fear level, and he responded honestly. Heck, it's how I would have responded. That's because I'm a person of faith, and I don't fear death. Neither does Cousins. How is that irresponsible?

Look guys, this whole thing sucks. And to be honest, it was really crappy of Kyle Brandt to ask Kirk Cousins his opinion on Covid. It set Cousins up to get ripped because anything he said was going to piss off half the audience.

This has nothing to do with being a christian because the bible speaks on being prudent about the COVID of the times Leprosy. One can have faith in the Lord and still take caution. It's one thing to be renewed in faith and another to be foolish.

[J. Kapp 11]

The only problem I have with anything Kirk said was his “I’m not going to call anybody stupid for the trouble it could get me in" comment. That could easily be taken as, "Well, you're stupid if you believe in this stuff, but if I actually call you stupid, I'll get in trouble." I think that was an honest mistake in word choice on his part. At least I hope he doesn't think people who are fearful of Covid are stupid.

But the .000001 comment? He was asked his fear level, and he responded honestly. Heck, it's how I would have responded. That's because I'm a person of faith, and I don't fear death. Neither does Cousins. How is that irresponsible?

Look guys, this whole thing sucks. And to be honest, it was really crappy of Kyle Brandt to ask Kirk Cousins his opinion on Covid. It set Cousins up to get ripped because anything he said was going to piss off half the audience.

This has nothing to do with being a christian because the bible speaks on being prudent about the COVID of the times Leprosy. One can have faith in the Lord and still take caution. It's one thing to be renewed in faith and another to be foolish.

Kirk Cousins' response was about his level of fear. He said that he wasn't afraid of dying of Covid. That has EVERYTHING to do with being a Christian. And it has absolutely nothing to do with taking caution or not taking caution ... but even if it did, he DOES take caution for the sake of others.

[J. Kapp 11]

The death rate among 30-39 year olds is .2 %. The vast majority of those had underlying conditions, which Cousins doesn't have. His risk of death is incredibly low, although I am not sure about that .00001 number. That isn't being an antivaxxer or a moron, that is reality.

Are people upset because not everyone falls into the same category as Kirk and it feels like he doesn't care if others get it? I didn't get that from the interview at all, as he was talking about himself. My guess is if he got Covid, he would quarantine and follow the directions of the CDC, just like I had to do with my son when he had contact with someone with Covid. There is being at peace with death, and there is being reckless. I don't think Kirk is being reckless, he just believes in a higher power and that death isn't the final destination.

You can still be careful and not live in fear of death.

You must have misunderstood the statement he made. He was asked from 1-10 how does he feel about mask wearing, with 1 being people are stupid for wearing them. He said rated it .000001. Meaning, he thinks people are stupid for wearing them. End of story, he's a dumbass and is correctly being lambasted.

And again, I'll state that Kyle Brandt asked a terrible question. Brandt was the one who used the word "lemmings" and "stupid," not Cousins, except to say that he didn't want to call anyone stupid.

If I had been Cousins, I would have simply refused to answer the question. Or I would have said something like, "I understand that we all have a different level of fear of Covid. Mine is low, but I would never call anyone stupid for believing we should wear masks."

Easy to armchair quarterback and call someone a dumbass when you're not the one under the gun being asked a ridiculous question.

[StanM]

I am in the odd position of being someone who takes the virus seriously, does wear a mask and will soon turn 69 and am avoiding crowds and is an agnostic at best. My comments regarding Kirk were simply acknowledging that his opinion of masks and how he views the virus are his own business as long as he's complying with the organization. I think anyone this concerned over Kirk's statement and world view would by extension be so concerned about the virus that it would follow that they would believe that there should not be a 2020 season.

What the heck are all you folks who don't want to see the NFL play this year doing on a Vikings board?

But seriously, I think the reaction to this has been way over the top. I could point you to sporting events this weekend not that far from the Twin Cities in our neighboring states playing before full crowds with no mask requirements. Those events will be packed with fans who would agree with Kirk as that is basically half the country that is divided over this issue. I don't agree with them and am avoiding those events and not going out to eat but they're all happening within a few hours of the Twin Cities. Keep in mind that Minnesota is one of the more restrictive states in the upper Midwest. I won't argue for or against what's right or wrong but there is a lot more going on around us than some people seem to realize.

[YikesVikes]

You must have misunderstood the statement he made. He was asked from 1-10 how does he feel about mask wearing, with 1 being people are stupid for wearing them. He said rated it .000001. Meaning, he thinks people are stupid for wearing them. End of story, he's a dumbass and is correctly being lambasted.

And again, I'll state that Kyle Brandt asked a terrible question. Brandt was the one who used the word "lemmings" and "stupid," not Cousins, except to say that he didn't want to call anyone stupid.

If I had been Cousins, I would have simply refused to answer the question. Or I would have said something like, "I understand that we all have a different level of fear of Covid. Mine is low, but I would never call anyone stupid for believing we should wear masks."

Easy to armchair quarterback and call someone a dumbass when you're not the one under the gun being asked a ridiculous question.

It's easier to act like a dumbass when you aren't the one losing family members. That's the point, if he was to lose his wife to this disease, he would be on TV boohooing and promoting mask wearing. But... Because he hasn't been personally affected... Mask wearing is stupid. It's immature, callous, and I expected better from him. That type of attitude is what's wrong with this country now on almost every front. Too many people can't feel the pain of others unless they are personally affected.

[YikesVikes]

His death comment doesn't bother me. I'm upset when he said this:



The only reason he's not calling mask wearers stupid is because he doesn't want to get in to trouble. As the face of the franchise, I think he's showing zero respect for all the people who risk their lives fighting against this virus. Defend him all you want.

That is still referring to his personal fear of Covid and has nothing to do with anyone risking their lives against the virus. It was a question about fear of the virus, and he said he isn't afraid. I am as critical of Cousins as anyone, but this is ridiculous.

Except it's not. His opinion matters because children and other "lemmings" will take his words and follow his true meaning. Let's not pretend we haven't had adults hold armed protests against wearing masks. Let's not pretend. It was stupid and he deserves the backlash.

[YikesVikes]

Loved everything about what he said. And he did it in away clarifying it was just his opinion several times.

And it's not like it's just him and other dumb athletes sharing this view. There are a lot of us...to some extent at least. Hell, my sister is a bigwig at Sanford in Fargo and her and many of her staff share similar feelings.

Like Kirk, I wear a mask everywhere I'm required to. I accept the science that they likely help. Though I can't speak for other states, but in Montana I know that our cases have remained about the same, even a little higher this last week, since they implemented mask wearing everywhere. So I wear one as respect to others, though my fear of this virus couldn't possibly be lower.

The stats don't lie. If you're older than 70, and have other health issues, this virus should have your attention. Hunker down, avoid people, wash hands, wear a mask. But this group makes up about 90% of the deaths last I checked. What Kirk said is true. And while he has that opinion, he's wearing a mask if it is said to help protect other people.

I maintain that at risk folks, or those that are very fearful of the virus should hunker down and take the steps suggested. The rest of us should be allowed to get on with it. The most frustrating thing to me is there isn't an end game. No plan. We could be asked to continue doing all these things for months or years. Even with a vaccine, the virus will always be here. Some will get it. Might even get sick. In rare cases they will be hospitalized and rarer cases they will die.

Man, what a tough life to live. How will you continue on. Hate to destroy your argument with facts but actually almost 40% of people who have died from this disease are under 75. 20% are under 65. It's not just the old 70 year old that needs to worry. Additionally, the young may catch it and spread it to perfect strangers and or family while being asymptomatic.

[S197]

As far as wearing a mask for both protection and to limit spread. If done correctly, wearing a mask protects you and others. I don't think that's debatable. Plus, it's harder to bite your nails, dig your nose, lick your fingers, pick your teeth, when you have a mask on. Id say thats much worse than just adjusting your mask.

I'm totally with you on masks, I think everyone should wear them while in public around others. But the purpose of wearing a mask is to protect others. The purpose of others wearing a mask is to protect you.

Cover your mouth and nose with a mask when around others

You could spread COVID-19 to others even if you do not feel sick.

The mask is meant to protect other people in case you are infected.

Everyone should wear a mask in public settings and when around people who don’t live in your household, especially when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.

Masks should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.

Do NOT use a mask meant for a healthcare worker. Currently, surgical masks and N95 respirators are critical supplies that should be reserved for healthcare workers and other first responders.

Continue to keep about 6 feet between yourself and others. The mask is not a substitute for social distancing.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nc ... ntion.html

But the CDC does note, “A cloth face covering may not protect the wearer, but it may keep the wearer from spreading the virus to others.” By wearing a cloth covering in public, the spread of the virus can be slowed by lessening the transmission to others.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/fac ... 333264002/

There is some evidence that wearing a mask could lessen the viral load, which would lower the severity of COVID:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/27/heal ... ction.html

But saying wearing a mask protects you and is not debatable is erroneous based on what we current understand about the virus.

[Maelstrom88]

God bless Kirk for saying what he did. His body his choice. People inhaling second-hand smoke is dangerous and deadly. Do you berate and scream at a smoker when you walk by them in public? I agree that I don't want to live in lockdown and have to wear a muzzle for the rest of my life. People need to stop shaming others for what they say in this country. Not everyone thinks like you and even if they're wrong that's their choice. I'm sure they would think some things you choose to do or believe in are wrong. Everyone should mind their own business. If you are deathly afraid then you take precautions and stay inside for 10 years until we maybe get a safe vaccine. The rest of us should and must go on.

[VikingsVictorious]

Yep. IMO we all need to move forward with our lives while taking reasonable precautions. Many people are so fearful they believe we shouldn't be playing any professional sports at all. The numbers so far are indicating that a far lower percentage of athletes are getting the virus than the population at large. Playing professional sports is totally safe and it's IMO something we need.

Kirk's opinion aside ... playing professional sports isn't going to be totally safe. That's absurd. Going to the grocery store wearing a mask and staying 6 feet apart isn't "totally safe". These guys are all over each other out there. The linemen spend the entire game in each others face and hugging. If one or two people have it then it'll spread quickly in those conditions.

I don't know what that means for the season. If players are willing to risk it then whatever but downplaying it so far as to call it "totally safe" is so wrong it can't go without mention.

If the players want to play then I'll watch. If they don't I'll understand and do something else. Nobody "needs" it. If the NFL and all professional sports collapsed tomorrow and ceased to exist (as it has been most of human history) we would all find other things to do with our time and money. This whole "we need professional sports or we'll wither and die!" mentality is clever marketing.

We don't need sports like we need air and water, but we need them in a philosophical sense.

Football players are getting the Virus at a much lower rate than the public at large. So it is totally safe compared to regular life. The continuous testing and quarantining has virtually eliminated the virus from the football playing population.

[vikeinmontana]

Loved everything about what he said. And he did it in away clarifying it was just his opinion several times.

And it's not like it's just him and other dumb athletes sharing this view. There are a lot of us...to some extent at least. Hell, my sister is a bigwig at Sanford in Fargo and her and many of her staff share similar feelings.

Like Kirk, I wear a mask everywhere I'm required to. I accept the science that they likely help. Though I can't speak for other states, but in Montana I know that our cases have remained about the same, even a little higher this last week, since they implemented mask wearing everywhere. So I wear one as respect to others, though my fear of this virus couldn't possibly be lower.

The stats don't lie. If you're older than 70, and have other health issues, this virus should have your attention. Hunker down, avoid people, wash hands, wear a mask. But this group makes up about 90% of the deaths last I checked. What Kirk said is true. And while he has that opinion, he's wearing a mask if it is said to help protect other people.

I maintain that at risk folks, or those that are very fearful of the virus should hunker down and take the steps suggested. The rest of us should be allowed to get on with it. The most frustrating thing to me is there isn't an end game. No plan. We could be asked to continue doing all these things for months or years. Even with a vaccine, the virus will always be here. Some will get it. Might even get sick. In rare cases they will be hospitalized and rarer cases they will die.

Man, what a tough life to live. How will you continue on. Hate to destroy your argument with facts but actually almost 40% of people who have died from this disease are under 75. 20% are under 65. It's not just the old 70 year old that needs to worry. Additionally, the young may catch it and spread it to perfect strangers and or family while being asymptomatic.

Why do I live a tough life? I'm confused by that.

I don't know if the world stats are much different than the US, but i was talking about the United States. However, I'd be SHOCKED if the rest of the world was in such contrast to the US.

Here are the numbers straight from the CDC as of last week. So obviously these numbers are a few days old. Again, no chance they skew things that much. I still maintain what I said. If I was over 70 this would have my attention. If it makes a difference to you I'll concede it should make a difference if you're over 65 I suppose. 65 and older make up 76% of all American deaths as of a couple days ago.

85+ - 53,383 - 30.50%
75-84 - 45,022 - 25.73%
65-74 - 36,434 - 20.82%
55-64 - 21,552 - 12.31%
45-54 - 9,047 - 5.17%
35-44 - 3,450 - 1.97%
25-34 - 1,318 - .753%
15-24 - 300 - .171%
5-14 - 28 - .016%
1-4 - 14 - .008%

These are CDC stats as of three days ago. This isn't meant to minimize the virus or make light of people dying. It'd be great if no one died ever from anything. But in the real world, people die. They die of all sorts of reasons every year. But these are straight facts in it's simplest forms. Obviously there are other factors such as other health issues that play a part in these deaths as well. So right now, today, by 39 year old self has a 98.03% chance of not dying from this virus. Can you think of anything else in regular life where you wouldn't take your chances if you had a 98% chance of winning something?!

So I'll concede I could have said 65 instead of 70 in my post above. Though that is a span of 10 years so I don't know the exact breakdown of all ages 65-74.

I don't know why some people get so upset at others not being as fearful of this thing when the exact data shows just why that is.

[J. Kapp 11]

And again, I'll state that Kyle Brandt asked a terrible question. Brandt was the one who used the word "lemmings" and "stupid," not Cousins, except to say that he didn't want to call anyone stupid.

If I had been Cousins, I would have simply refused to answer the question. Or I would have said something like, "I understand that we all have a different level of fear of Covid. Mine is low, but I would never call anyone stupid for believing we should wear masks."

Easy to armchair quarterback and call someone a dumbass when you're not the one under the gun being asked a ridiculous question.

It's easier to act like a dumbass when you aren't the one losing family members. That's the point, if he was to lose his wife to this disease, he would be on TV boohooing and promoting mask wearing. But... Because he hasn't been personally affected... Mask wearing is stupid. It's immature, callous, and I expected better from him. That type of attitude is what's wrong with this country now on almost every front. Too many people can't feel the pain of others unless they are personally affected.

Again, he didn't say wearing a mask was stupid. Kyle Brandt gave that as the "1" on the scale, not Cousins.

I get it that if you lose someone, you're more likely to be sensitive to it. But it still doesn't change how people of faith feel about the virus. You won't understand that, but it's the truth. Even if I lost my wife to Covid, it wouldn't change my outlook. Covid is a virus, and until that virus dies out or we have a vaccine, everybody is susceptible to it. Wearing a mask won't protect my wife, who works in a place where there are hundreds of people. They're all supposed to be wearing masks, but she's still exposed to a lot of people for whom there is no tracking. I would be devastated if I lost her, but it wouldn't change my outlook. My faith tells me that I'm not really in charge of my eternal destiny. I'm OK with giving up control. And I believe that is EXACTLY what Kirk Cousins was saying. To people of faith, it was anything but immature.

Here's something else. I know you're a medical professional. Here's the attitude I'm getting from SOME medical professionals ... they're bitter that they, themselves, have to be exposed to people who have caught this virus. They believe the person's callous attitude has put THEM in danger. I'm not saying that's your attitude, but if it is, I'm sad for you.

[YikesVikes]

God bless Kirk for saying what he did. His body his choice. People inhaling second-hand smoke is dangerous and deadly. Do you berate and scream at a smoker when you walk by them in public? I agree that I don't want to live in lockdown and have to wear a muzzle for the rest of my life. People need to stop shaming others for what they say in this country. Not everyone thinks like you and even if they're wrong that's their choice. I'm sure they would think some things you choose to do or believe in are wrong. Everyone should mind their own business. If you are deathly afraid then you take precautions and stay inside for 10 years until we maybe get a safe vaccine. The rest of us should and must go on.

What a horrible comparison. Let me know when breathing in 2nd hand smoke kills you within weeks and then can be spread throughout a household and community. Again 190k people have died despite the entire country being on isolation precautions. With attitudes like yours, mankind would be extinct.