Do You Have a Face Mask and Some Tamiflu I Can Borrow? Give 'Em Back, Swear.

An out-of-state colleague wondered late yesterday, "Is it true that the state of Texas has canceled all sports events till May 11? Does that include Astros and Rangers?" Um ... no. Alas, such was his reading of a breathless, since-vanished New York Times story concerning the University Interscholastic League's decision...

By Robert Wilonsky

April 30, 2009

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An out-of-state colleague wondered late yesterday, "Is it true that the state of Texas has canceled all sports events till May 11? Does that include Astros and Rangers?" Um ... no. Alas, such was his reading of a breathless, since-vanished New York Times story concerning the University Interscholastic League's decision to postpone all events till May 11 due to the swine flu. Another Friend of Unfair Park sent an e-mail pointing out the irony of the UIL's decision:

Three weeks ago, the Texas Education Agency discovered this week's TAKS testing conflicted with regional track meets. The TAKS was skedded to be administered Tuesday-Friday, but regional track meets were scheduled to begin Friday. TEA had the option of keeping the TAKS sked and schools deciding to not send athletes to regionals (yeah, sure) or changing the TAKS sked. So TEA switched the TAKS sked to Monday-Thursday (I think it's pretty obvious that having a test like TAKS start on a Monday ain't a great idea). So now UIL has suspended competition, and there ain't any regional track meets this Friday.

Then, last night, I was talking to my good friend and my son's pediatrician -- Dr. Chris Dreiling, who some of you may know -- concerning Fort Worth Independent School District's decision to shut 'er down till May 11 following "the official confirmation of one case of swine flu at one campus ... and the announcement that there are three other probable cases at three other schools." At first glance, he thought it was a bit "over the top," but later shot me a message in which he noted that four cases at four schools is indeed enough to merit the shutdown by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention pandemic standards.

(Update: A Friend of Unfair Park sends us this link to a district-wide call placed by Richardson Independent School District Superintendent David Simmons, in which he addresses parents' concerns and explains why RISD isn't closing down the district or even individual campuses, when "nothing is probable or confirmed.").

If you missed the good doc talking swine flu, among other things, on KTCK-AM (1310, The Ticket) yesterday evening, here he is, courtesy The Hardline.

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