Kirk Herbstreit incorrectly identifies Miami as Coronavirus epicenter
In a Friday appearance on the Paul Feinbaum Show ESPN lead college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit incorrectly identified Miami as a hotspot for the Coronavirus.
In an appearance as a followup to his comments on Thursday night about the real possible cancelation of the 2020 College Football season, lead ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit incorrectly identified Miami as a hotspot for the coronavirus. There has been no information to verify Herbstreit’s claim.
Herbstreit was quoted by TMZ on Friday following an appearance on ESPN radio that he cannot see a path to how the NFL or college football can be played in 2020. Every other major sport has followed the path that the NBA took when they suspended operations following a positive coronavirus test for Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz.
The fallout on Friday following Herbsteit’s comments included FS1’s Jason Whitlock condemning him for stating his opinion without being a coronavirus expert. The comment from Kirk Herbstreit about canceling the season is within his college football expertise. Herbstreit’s claim that Miami is a coronavirus hotspot is inaccurate.
"“Don’t get me wrong, if there’s anybody who wants a football season, it’s me. I hope and pray there’s a football season. I hope we’re in a position to have a football season. I’m not trying to create drama or hysteria, I’m just trying to be real.From everything I hear, we are scratching the surface in New York, New Jersey, Miami and Seattle and these other epicenters. We’re just scratching the surface of where we’re going to be in two weeks or three weeks or five weeks or eight weeks. I don’t know how it ends.I don’t know how America just goes ‘woof’ we made it, other than a vaccine. You tell me. Someone enlighten me. What will make you and your family who you love and care about go ‘woof’ thank goodness that was scary?I can only speak for me and my family. Until there’s a vaccine I don’t feel really comfortable if one of my teenage sons goes ‘Hey dad I’m going to go to this area where there’s 30, 40, 50 people and we’re going to be really close and hanging out.’ No you’re not. Not right now. We’re not doing that.So when am I going to stop feeling that way? I don’t know the date.”"
Marketwatch reported late on Saturday afternoon stated the city epicenters nationally as rising in Chicago, Detroit, New Orleans and New York. Seattle was the first major U.S. city to be hit hard by the coronavirus. As of 6:30 ET on Saturday, Dade County has 1,037 reported cases of the Coronavirus with two deaths.
The Miami Herald further broke down the reported cases of coronavirus earlier this afternoon from the report from the Florida Department of Health that was posted at noon ET on Saturday.
"Miami-Dade County: 1,003▪ 981 residents, 21 non-residents and one resident who is not in Florida▪ Age Range: 3 to 99, average age is 47▪ Three deaths and 88 hospitalizations"
The New York Times posted an article on Saturday that identified Miami as potentially having a breakout worse than where the virus began in Wuhan, China. Herbstreit is early calling Miami an epicenter of the virus. The sports world and the impact that Covid-19 is having is continuing to evolve.
Next. UM players most impacted by Herbstreit cancellation prediction. dark
Miami was impacted earlier this month due to the Winter Party Festival that took place in Miami Beach in early March. The festival, similar to Mardi Gras in New Orleans is thought to have accelerated the spread of the virus quicker than in other areas that did not have large outdoor gatherings recently.