In September of 2018, Travis Miller, webmaster of Hammer and Rails.com (SB Nation’s Purdue community), and myself recorded a podcast about the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic and the 1918 World Series (listen at this link). The fifth edition of “Let’s Get Weird, Sports,” a history/sports series of pods, it covered the Cubs’ loss to the Boston Red Sox in that fall classic, but mostly focused on the flu pandemic.

That specific show centered around a book that had just come out at the time and that I had just finished reading: Skip Desjardins’ September 1918: War, Plague, and the World Series. I also interviewed the author by phone, and you can listen to that session over at this link. In 1918, the authorities downplayed the severity of the flu at first, throwing out all kinds of bizarre explanations and “answers.”

They said all we needed was a cold snap, then a warm up, then some rain. Citizens were told don’t spit on the sidewalk, it spreads that way. Misinformation was so pervasive and so far out in left field that the reason this influenza pandemic was called “The Spanish Flu” is an interesting story in itself.

Spain was neutral during WWI, therefore their media was not strongly censored by the state. They were the only country reportedly on the epidemic accurately and truthfully, because they weren’t worried about showcasing a weakness to the other side like the other nations were.

The so-called Spanish Flu is largely believed to have begun in Kansas, although there is an alternate theory that it began with Chinese workers closely confined in Canadian rail cars.

That pandemic killed 650,000 Americans, and more people globally than both world wars. Now that we’ve been over the misinformation and propaganda of a century ago, let’s go over the propaganda and misinformation of today.

Then at the end, we’ll go over what we can do to help do our part and try to “FlattenTheCurve

First, let’s take a moment to remember that 17 days ago President Trump called COVID-19 a “democratic hoax,” and claimed: “When you have 15 people, and that 15, within a couple of days, is going to be down to close to zero, that’s a pretty good job we’ve done.”

Today that “15” is now nearing 4,000.  Take a look at this tweet below:

In 12 days, we went from “hoax” to a ban on travel from Europe pic.twitter.com/hxNeGPWtFp

— Pod Save America (@PodSaveAmerica) March 12, 2020

Let’s remember though that it’s not just Trump. It’s also his state television network, FOX News and their sister channel, FOX Business. At this moment, Trish Regan, once a very respected national journalist (quite a long time ago) put herself in the same category as “Tami” or “that curly haired gun girl.”

If you follow the news, you know who both of those people are without any further explanation.

It's frightening and extremely dangerous that you still have a platform of any kind at this point. I'm old enough to remember when you, like @LouDobbs, were actual journalists. Both of you long sold out your integrity to become #maga propagandists https://t.co/ITjpw111H3

— Paul Maximilian Banks (@PaulMBanks) March 12, 2020

Next we take you to T Dog Media , a local Chicago media outlet review blog, telling it exactly like it is. Trump said in April this will just disappear because it’s warmer. He also added that it will “be beautiful.” (okay that’s weird)

Anyway, no, there is no evidence that coronavirus will or won’t phase out in conjunction with warmer weather.

"It will disappear". Yeah, what disappeared instead was our sports, entertainment, the way we live, and our sense of security. https://t.co/Xer6fb98Mh

— T Dog Media (@tdogmedia) March 13, 2020

Next we turn to the NPR report which exposed Trump has repressing testing capacity, because he thought that an increase of confirmed cases would result in more disapproval of his job and it would then hurt his re-election chances.

Think that’s fake news? Okay, consider what did Trump repeatedly say about that cruise ship off the coast of San Francisco. He literally said that he didn’t want the passengers to disembark because that would increase the number of cases in the United States.

He said, straight-forwardly, he didn’t want the number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. to go up. That’s literally who he is.

"tired of so much winning" #maga #kag #TrumpTrain people? was "owning the libs" worth this?

Happy now that you voted a malignantly narcissist and openly racist former game show host into office? https://t.co/LcCVm4x6MZ

— Paul Maximilian Banks (@PaulMBanks) March 13, 2020

The last tweet we will look at it is this chart from the Washington Post. The city of Philadelphia, despite the Spanish Flu pandemic being in full swing, held the war time, patriotic parades that had been planned. Within two days, their hospitals were overcapacity.

St. Louis, on the other hand, heeded the warnings and engaged in what we now call “Social Distancing.” Take a look.

Really interesting chart from @washingtonpost: The impact social distancing had in the 1918-20 Spanish Flu epidemic. #COVID19 #FlattenTheCurve pic.twitter.com/4Xab7Jd99w

— Matt Ridley (@mattwridley) March 13, 2020

I say this as one of those people who often likes to say “March Madness is the best time of year” I’m hurting right now; badly. I’m seriously depressed because of what was happened in the past few days. So much that I love and enjoy was taken away from me within less than half of a week.

Of course, I’m going to be down. That said, I actually withdrew my credentials for college basketball tournaments this month, as well as credential applications for the upcoming spring and summer sports BEFORE they cancelled them. I withdrew from just about everything that I signed up and committed to, this month and next, before it got suspended and postponed. So although I’m very down, I quickly realized what I had to, the sacrifices I had to make, before I had no choice.

I went on self-quarantine, self-isolation, lockdown, whatever you want to call it. I have a month’s worth of food and nine packages of Lysol wipes.

Can we curate a list of things people can do, while stuck at home?

Feel free to post links to things people might enjoy doing from home while many of us are stuck isolating.

— Dominick Evans (@dominickevans) March 13, 2020

I’ve been wearing gloves, using hand-sanitizer, wearing masks and engaging in diligent and obsessive hand-washing for days upon weeks already. All I can say at this point is, engage in those habits yourself.

Follow the advice of the hashtags #StayAtHome #StayTheEffHome #StayTheFHome

Or as one very frequently re-tweeted Twitter post said: “the older generation was asked to go to war. You’re being asked to stay on your couch.”

Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No,  I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation. 

You can follow Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com on Twitter here and his cat on Instagram at this link.

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One of the topics on my list for future blog posts is how retirees can ward off isolation by getting out for one activity a day. It requires planning. I check through Chicago Greeter tour requests and schedules of museum free days, movies, and other happenings to fill in the next month’s calendar.

My calendar now has blank spaces where appointments used to be.

One by one last Thursday and Friday, nearly every outing I planned for the next month was cancelled because of the coronavirus. Chicago Greeter tours, Goodman Theatre ushering, events at the Art Institute and the Newberry Library, Smithsonian Museum Day, and church services have been suspended. I can’t even visit my mother, a recent widow. The assisted living home where she lives has locked its doors to all visitors except for emergencies.

All of us are in this boat, of course. Instead of deciding where to go, we’re figuring out what to do indoors.

A couple of friends said they’ll tackle spring cleaning. Despite having the time, I’m going to stick with my plan to hire someone to deep clean the kitchen and the bathroom. In the current state of affairs, self-indulgence seems more apropos than chores.

Along those lines, I doubt that at this time I’ll continue the household purge that I wrote about last week. I’d finished a first pass of the whole condo, gaining a sense of completion that I want to bask in for a while.

The only self-discipline I might muster would be to resume 15 minutes of yoga and weightlifting on alternate days. That would be a kindness to myself.

Otherwise, I’m thinking about pleasant activities like these:

• Read a long book or several.

• Watch some of the movies I’ve recorded.

• Put together the Jane Austen puzzle a friend gave me.

• Cook more elaborate meals than I normally make for myself.

• Call friends. We still need social contact.

• Call my mother frequently.

• Research what podcasts I might like to listen to so that I have a list for bus trips when I can visit my mother again.

• Check into what’s available on PBS Passport and watch programs and series that interest me.

* Set aside spiritual time, especially because church is closed.

• Plan a vacation.

The above bullet points are not a checklist. Nothing there, except calling my mother, is a must do. They’re simply ideas in case cabin fever sets in.

That large-group activities are suspended doesn’t mean healthy people have to hibernate every minute. I can still go out for a walk and get together with a friend for tea or a meal. I can still grocery shop, although the supermarket shelves may be bare.

My friend Sandie and I intend to continue weekly Scrabble at the Harold Washington Library, which remains open. I hope my book and pinochle groups will be able to keep our April meeting dates.

One thing I hope not to do is check the coronavirus news multiple times a day.

*****

THE ISOLATION OF THE ELDERLY IN COMMUNAL HOMES

For most of us, coronavirus will end up being an inconvenience. But for people whose income is cut, who are scrambling to arrange childcare, who contract the disease, it is more serious. In that category I would put elderly people in nursing homes and retirement communities — because they are vulnerable to two conditions, the coronavirus disease and social isolation.

My 92-year-old mother, who lives in an assisted living home, lost her husband less than three months ago. Not being able to see her four children is a bitter blow while her grief is still raw. The best thing you can do for a grieving person is to be there, and for the indefinite future, “there” for us is going to mean on the telephone.

The restrictions are prudent. Twenty-seven coronavirus deaths in King County, Washington, have been linked to a single nursing home. The elderly and people who are already unhealthy are the most susceptible to the virus.

My mom’s residence has cancelled performances, church services, and other events for which outsiders would come in. So far activities led by staff are still happening, and residents can continue eating in the dining room. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that some social activities can continue.

Until the doors reopen, we’ve resolved to call even more than before.

*****

ANTI-TRUMP QUOTATIONS: 104TH IN AN ONGOING SERIES

“It has taken a good deal longer than it should have, but Americans have now seen the con man behind the curtain.”
— Peter Wehner, The Atlantic

As with all aspects of daily life, the prospects of spring football practice for the four Illinois Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) programs are very much up in the air because of COVID-19.

Last Friday, the Missouri Valley Conference announced that all intercollegiate competitions, including MVC championships, have been canceled through the end of the 2019-20 academic year. Though the Missouri Valley Football Conference is somewhat a separate entity, the likelihood of spring football going the way of the NCAA calling off winter and spring sports would not be a surprise. Illinois State, Southern Illinois and Western Illinois are all members of the MVFC.

A day before, the Ohio Valley Conference Board of Presidents announced that member institutions were suspending athletic-related activities including all competition, and formal practices until further notice due to the COVID-19 public health threat. Eastern Illinois is an OVC institution.

SIU did manage to open spring ball Feb. 26 and hosted its annual pro day last week for scouts to test and meet with Saluki players eligible for the April NFL Draft. 

Illinois State was scheduled to begin its spring practices today. However, assistant athletic director/communications Mike Williams told Prairie State Pigskin that the Redbirds have pushed back the start date to March 23. ISU also canceled its pro day, which typically brings three or four NFL teams to Normal. 

“Many of the NFL teams aren’t going out on the road right now,” Williams said. “Usually the Bears come down, but they aren’t attending this year.”

James Robinson, Illinois State’s star running back, and Jeremy Chinn, SIU’s standout safety, each attended last month’s NFL Combine in Indianapolis.

Eastern Illinois and Western Illinois were scheduled to open spring camps in the coming weeks. What happens next remains to be seen.

“This is a very fluid situation,” said Rich Moser, EIU associate athletic director.

Prairie State Pigskin spoke with second-year EIU head coach Adam Cushing last week. The former Northwestern assistant was very cognizant of much larger issues than football being at the forefront of decision making.

“There’s a number of ways that you look at it going, so we’re trying to respond rather than react. We talk about that in a football context, but it’s the same way here. Rather than react emotionally or overreact, we’ll take our time and thoughtfully respond with the best information we have,” Cushing said.

In a coronavirus-related matter, the NCAA placed an immediate ban on in-person recruiting for coaches, and the recruiting dead period will be in place until at least April 15. Schools have also been advised to suspend any official or unofficial campus visits with recruits.

With Gov. J.B. Pritzker ordering all Illinois schools closed by Tuesday and pro sports leagues at a standstill, the likelihood of spring football seems doubtful.

• Barry Bottino contributed to this report. 

The handshake began in the times of King Pepin

It was done to prove that there wasn’t a weapon.

But now there’s a virus that handshakes transmit.

So  let’s greet another without doing it.

Hello all you lovely people in pseudo quarantine! I’m here to express my continuing frustration in having to read some of you complain on social media about your finances, day-in-day-out, with phrases like, “We can’t afford that” and “We’re broke”.

Now the great majority of you saying these things aren’t actually hurting for money at all. Your income comes from a white collar job with a good company. You have employee sponsored health and life insurance. You have 401Ks and 529 plans for the kids. You probably even have a well padded savings account (you might call it your “vacation fund”).

Guess what! You’re not broke!

You might be saying these things because you have a budget. Maybe this budget is constrained because there are student loans to pay back, your mortgage payment is high, or you have credit card debt.

You’re still not broke. What you should be saying is, “We have a tight budget”.

When you complain about being broke or not being able to afford something, it is hurtful to those that have far less than you. You are belittling a very serious situation.  There are so many people in this country right now living paycheck to paycheck. One stroke of misfortune or bad timing, and they are likely to spiral into poverty. There are those in this country who have never known anything but poverty. And then there are those struggling with homelessness. You don’t meet any of these qualifications.

So now, the next time you’re tempted to say you’re “too broke” to go out for dinner or “can’t afford” a nonfat latte, please show a little respect and rephrase: “It’s not in our budget” would suffice.