I was watching some clips from the recent media days, and it feels like we’re drifting further away from what made college athletics special in the first place. It used to be about geography, local rivalries, and that sense of identity you had with your neighbors. Now, it feels like everything is being treated like a corporate merger or a massive media rights negotiation.
It’s getting harder to root for a team when the schedule looks like a spreadsheet designed by a marketing firm rather than a traditional sports calendar. I remember being a kid and the intensity of a conference matchup that felt like a clash of cultures. Now, it’s all about which network has the highest viewership numbers and which "powerhouse" can command the biggest check. If the big players just keep consolidating to chase those TV deals, what happens to the smaller programs or the traditions that actually built these fanbases?
Do you think there’s any way to bring back the regional feel of sports, or is the era of the mega-conference just inevitable at this point?
electricbadger89 said:How does the data exchange actually work within the OSR system? Are we talking about a formal inquiry to HROK that requires a signed client consent form, or is all this info just being pulled automatically through the system without the client ever having to sign a thing?
Podravska asked me to sign a release for the system.
And they dug up the fact that back in 2018, I was in default for about 20 days. 👍
Now they’re asking for a co-signer—basically asking for a guarantor. So now I'm stuck waiting on a final court ruling, though maybe they'll clear me if I grab a high-risk insurance policy.
Bank of America has its own internal system, and my banker couldn't even explain how it works—she just knows I'm flagged as a messy payer within the Bank of America group.
After visiting the branch three times, they found out I owed five bucks on a housing loan, and according to them, owing one dollar for a whole year is a bigger sin than $333 being late for one week.
🤣
And just my luck, I found out Bank of America has a refinancing option (even though I can't stand them)—and honestly, everything fits my needs way better than Podravska, interest rates and all. But nope, I had to settle that five-dollar debt first and now I'm just waiting around for my record to "clean up" in their system. Not even they know how long it takes.
Plus, I stick to my own weird little rule where I pay everything on the absolute last day it's due. There’s just something satisfying about that.
Back in the day, my cell provider used to hit me up around the 30th claiming I had an "outstanding balance." Since I was convinced both my loans were due at the end of the month—and figured maybe some exchange rate thing threw the math off—I'd always throw extra cash at them just to be safe.
That's basically how I handle my loan installments.
Look, I wouldn't call myself a model payer, but hey, I fixed my auto-pay last month so everything should be smooth sailing now.
Just found out yesterday that there's nothing flagged with the Department of Corrections, but instead, Podravska has been looking into this since two years ago and they're gonna come asking for extra insurance. 👍
Can a bank actually report me to the Department of Corrections if I’m just one day late on a payment? Basically, I’ve got two loans over at Bank of America—one is due on the 29th, and the other is due on the last day of the month.
Since I’m a bit of a procrastinator, I tend to settle everything on the very last day. So, yeah—sometimes I end up being a day late on one of them, depending on how the calendar falls.
On top of that, I’ve got one installment on a loan that’s currently caught up in some long-winded dispute.
The lady at Bank of America told me straight up that because of these late payments, I don't exactly look like a "reliable" client in their books.
I’m asking because another bank just flagged me for having a mark on my record with the Department of Corrections—but it’s old news from back in 2018, involving a 20-day freeze where my paycheck didn't hit and they couldn't collect on a loan. So now I’m worried these geniuses at Bank of America might be reporting me too, all because of being a single day behind...
It’s not a disaster—it’s just what you do when you run out of options.
Either you grind it out and get everything squared away by 45 so you can actually leave something behind for your family, or you spend the rest of your life—and your kids' lives—living like renters...
Heading over to Chase tomorrow; they’ve got this mortgage deal bundled with insurance.
Wells Fargo offers a "refinance" option, but let's be real, it's just a fancy name for a mortgage. 😁
Anyway, my place is worth about $450k tops—won't go any higher than that. I need about $43,000 to roll all my other debts into one and stretch the remaining term to 12 years with some extra cash on top. Basically—higher monthly payment, but fewer years left to pay.
The goal is to be totally debt-free by 45. 😁
Problem is, I probably need a property valued at $600k+ to make it work. But Chase is pitching this bundle—clearly a mortgage plus an insurance policy—since I really don't want to have to find a co-signer.
I'm hoping they'll let me just pay for an insurance policy and set up a life insurance assignment in their favor so I can settle this whole thing—one loan and I'm done.
There’s always some new refinancing deal designed to wipe out your old loans.
Then in a few years, you’re looking at another refinance just to cover the first one.
It’s a never-ending loop. 😁
Look, I get it. For most of my life, I didn't waste money on junk—it was all about real estate and then eventually grabbing a high-end car, maybe $50k or so. But life hit me with a couple of bad breaks, and suddenly, I was underwater.
Every time I feel like I'm finally getting back on my feet, something trips me up. I’ll land a new gig, and a few months later, the whole company is basically circling the drain—happened to me three times now. At one point, because of where I worked, even my checking account got frozen.
Things are okay now, though. I pull in a solid $8k a month, plus some side gigs here and there, but I’m still dropping $4k on bills and debt—just me living in the house.
So now I’m chasing another loan—a personal loan to kill off that old refinance from when things were rough. Basically, I'll bump up the monthly payment by $167, but it knocks five years off the term and nets me about $5k in cash. Honestly, I'm just trying to be debt-free by 45. My son will reap the rewards down the line since he'll inherit the house—if he actually appreciates it, that is.
I'm out here fighting mortgage battles, while others are struggling with car notes... everyone's got their own grind, I guess.
Thursday—driving through NYC, Westchester, and New Jersey.
Nothing until you hit NJ. Once you cross over, there’s one spot, but one cop was fast asleep and the other guy was just scrolling on his phone.
Coming back yesterday—hit three different spots—zero action. Everyone was just cruising in their cars.
🤦
Look, I’ve got my permanent address right here, so they could technically come after me if they wanted to.
But I also know people who use the "elderly care" excuse—they list an aunt or a cousin from another state and sail right through without a hitch.
From what I can tell—even if you have an aunt in a different state, and she says you're coming to help her—nobody can touch you.
There isn't even a rule specifying which relative you have to be caring for. You could literally get a pass just for driving someone to pick up a prescription—because legally, they have no grounds to deny you. As long as you're on that route, you're good.
If this were a real epidemic—like Ebola or something—it would be a totally different story. 🤣
rustywalker42 said:Who on earth knows? 🙂 I just got mine approved yesterday, and now I’m sitting here wondering if it's even valid anymore.
I'm definitely not calling Civil Protection. Not a chance.
Malenica mentioned that they won't be issuing passes to anyone currently in quarantine—apparently, the system will flag them automatically. He also mentioned he’s hoping all the old, valid passes get swapped out for the new ones by Monday.
So I try to update my residency info, and the response is basically "sure, just show us proof of where you're staying and you can leave your current address."
Decided to see if anyone else was having luck reporting a secondary residence.
Bammmm—the site is down right now.
Honestly, I’m dying to know what would happen if someone actually showed up at the Department of Homeland Security office to file this in person. 🤣
stormybadger8 said:Looks like everyone's reading the forums now. Great. All of a sudden, there isn't a single case left in Washington County—everyone's miraculously recovered. 👍
https://www.cdc.gov/counties/139 Guess the fight against the virus isn't happening on all fronts, including the internet. 🙏 Everyone's cured. 👍
It’s a real drag that when you quote someone, you still see replies from blocked users. They really need to fix that—once you block some guy who’s basically just spreading diarrhea online, you shouldn't have to deal with his nonsense ever again.
👍
It’s wild how a few panic-mongers can try to spread fear to the entire country.
I don't know who’s running moderation here or why they’re letting a handful of people talk trash, but whatever—politics is always going to be the weak link in this whole system.
And as for those folks claiming that "bla bla" everyone is suddenly going to wise up or that we won't value material things as much—yeah, you can forget about that.
If someone has assets right now, they’re enjoying them. And they’ll keep enjoying them later, too. Nobody is coming for their luxury house or their penthouse apartment.
But once you lose your job, and then the federal minimum wage drops—well, the dollar is going to take a massive hit. When people start trading dollars for anything else just to survive, that's when the real questions start.
Honestly? You're probably better off living in an old, beat-up shack where you don't have to sink money into it your whole life. Because look, whenever someone decides to wreck the economy, they're gonna wreck it. It's one of those stupid situations that makes you wonder every single day—is it really going to go down like that?
Jack Cook7 said:Come on, people, stop comparing this to the flu.
- This virus spreads way faster than the flu ever could. - You’re contagious for days before you even feel sick, which just makes it tear through crowds even quicker. - Most people have zero immunity to this thing, unlike the seasonal flu where we've got some baseline defense. - There isn't a vaccine or a cure in sight, and honestly, it doesn't look like we're getting one for at least a year. - So far, there’s no sign that weather—whether it's hot, dry, or humid—is going to chill it out like it does with the flu. - It hangs around on surfaces way longer than flu germs. If I remember right, it takes ages for that fatty coating protecting the viral RNA to dry out and kill the thing off. - As far as we know, the death rate is similar to the flu for certain groups, though the flu usually hits kids and young people harder.
So yeah, trying to call this "just a bad flu" is totally misplaced. Maybe if you're talking about scale, sure. But this? This isn't the flu.
I've seen firsthand what a "common virus" can do to a nursing home. It's a massacre. You see 10 to 15% of the residents end up in the ER overnight, and if they already had health issues, they barely make it out. It happens so fast. I don't even want to imagine the carnage if this thing hits a senior living facility; since everyone is packed together, the devastation is instant and obvious. When it's hitting people in their own homes, it's more spread out, so it's harder for an outsider to see the full scope while everyone is just busy dealing with their own crisis. We saw what happened to hospitals in Italy, and man, it was horrific. Entire wards wiped out in 48 hours. Oncology and pulmonary patients basically stood no chance, ventilator or not.
So please, quit saying "it's just a stronger flu." It really isn't. Maybe in a few years, who knows? Let's hope.
If those crazy lockdowns hadn't happened in China, Korea, Japan, and all over, we'd probably be looking at 300,000 deaths instead of 30,000 by now—and we're barely even getting started. This feels like the first pandemic with real Spanish Flu potential. And remember, that monster didn't even start killing people in earnest until the second wave hit.
It’s a flu. It’ll just be seasonal starting next year. We aren't making up the fact that it's a flu.
And it's just not accurate—if places all over the world are half-assing it like they are here because they lack enough tests, then the number of infected people isn't 734,000; it's probably ten times higher—closer to 7,340,000.
If it turns out the death toll isn't actually 34,781—meaning if we strip away the nonsense being pushed by idiots in Italy and their interpretations—then the numbers aren't even that scary.
We can spin whatever story we want until tomorrow. But the government? They're just playing games with the data.
First off—I've been there too, dealing with a trashed apartment—and honestly, common sense dictates you just get out of a sketchy neighborhood.
It’s been over a week now—still shaking, and the kids are still waking up screaming in the middle of the night.
When are we all actually going to get tested if we've been around people who were positive? You know, the ones who didn't even show symptoms but only got flagged because someone else in their circle was feeling sick—then maybe we can start taking this flu threat seriously.
So, I'm guessing I was definitely exposed, but my immune system pretty much stepped up and handled business. It turns out—well, this is how the whole knot slowly starts to unravel.
I’m guessing the actual number of people carrying the virus is way higher—maybe even double what they're saying?
This testing thing is honestly the biggest load of nonsense ever.
So you're living with someone who tested positive, but you don't have any symptoms yet—well, they won't even bother testing you until you actually start feeling sick. Just great.
Honestly, having a test like that would be a total game-changer—you know, one that shows the percentage of people who test positive for the virus but won't actually end up getting sick. Plus, you could use those results to feel way more confident about being safe the next time around.
In the end, we’re basically building herd immunity through this whole mess—but everyone's just going to give the credit to the quarantine.
Some idiots in front of Target are handing out entry numbers to people, and then when you leave Target, you just hand the same number right back. It’s ridiculous—it's like handing someone a tray covered in germs. 🤣
And that little bit that sprays onto your hand—it's like it's not even there.
Adam Collins4 said:Look, folks, and I really don't mean to offend anyone here, but honestly—how old are you people?
And more importantly, how "tough" do you think you actually are when things truly go south?
This current situation is nothing compared to what life can actually throw at you. People start whining immediately—talking about causing chaos, smashing through blockades, running from the police... it's ridiculous.
And this is coming from someone who basically admits they wouldn't even defend their own country, yet would somehow pull out all the stops if it involved a woman...
Absolute joke...
Please—just move on from this thread.
If you’re getting a kick out of us being locked down because of some exaggerated nonsense, go find another thread to post in.
Me, along with probably 90% of the sensible people left, agrees that this whole travel ban thing makes zero sense.
Once the government shows they're actually terrified of this flu and starts testing everyone who was near an infected person—instead of just waiting for symptoms to pop up—then maybe I'll believe there's a reason to worry.
Right now, it’s all just overkill that’s going to ruin everything.
This isn't a war, and these stay-at-home orders are about as stupid as it gets.
The media is just pushing doom and gloom; nobody’s talking about the 90% of people recovering at home with barely any symptoms.
Seriously, just drop it and leave this thread alone.
Adam Collins4 said:Look, there are some of us who spent three or four weeks at a time out in the Appalachians or near the Rockies back in the '90s—while snipers were popping off and grenades were flying all around us, much to the delight of the local kids...
And we did it without any connection to our families... because technology basically didn't exist, and I won't even get into the other reasons for that...
But you people? In this era of high-speed internet, smartphones, and endless apps, you think being alone for a little while is some kind of crisis...
If things actually got real—if you had to dodge the police or bust through blockades—you’d be running.
I agree, there's no point in this debate. You honestly have no clue what actual shit looks like—especially when your mother or your wife is waiting at home, praying you actually show up alive...
Or what it feels like every single time you say goodbye before heading to a post where you won't be back for weeks...
Or going back out into the field for the first time after being wounded, trying to deal with the chaos in your own head while watching your mother refuse to let go of your hands...
There are things you haven't experienced, and you should just thank whatever Bog you believe in that you didn't have to.
This is a minor issue that can—and must—be fixed...
Nobody said it would be easy, but the sheer amount of pathetic whining here is getting a bit much... especially considering everything modern technology provides.
Look, this isn't the time for war stories or acting like a know-it-all.
I'm looking at this from the perspective of being grateful to everyone who fought for the freedom and rights that allow these mobsters to keep us indebted for the next 1,000 years.
So, this thread isn't about war stories. Honestly, if a war broke out today, I'd be the first one out of the country—I'm smart enough to realize there's no sense in throwing my life away for this homeland. That’s just how it is for a young guy focused on his job, his money, his investments, and his future.
Adam Collins4 said:But you aren't even complaining about the economy—you're just upset because you can't go see someone...
That is a completely different issue; the economy is moving along as well as it can...
But, since you brought up the economy...
If the government shut down all the potential hotspots—restaurants, bars, various shops and small businesses—and limited how many people can be in places like grocery stores, pharmacies, or repair shops, then why on earth are they allowing people to travel dozens of miles and potentially spread the virus?
Are you guys seriously not watching what's happening in the UK, Spain, or France?
This isn't about being heartless; it's just how things are right now...
If you were half as smart as you think you are, you'd see that nothing special is actually happening here.
For every doomsday scenario being written, there's evidence that completely shuts it down.
The virus spreading? Look—first off, I have a cousin living with her boyfriend who tested positive and already recovered.
They didn't even test her because they said they were waiting for symptoms—that there weren't enough tests available.
They didn't test everyone she had contact with either—her family with two little kids and a chronic patient.
And what? Are you going to lecture me again about that famous flu that supposedly kills everyone?
If it were true, they would have tested everyone who was exposed.
It’s not about the symptoms—it’s about the virus spreading through people who are infected but have no idea, or won't even show symptoms at all.
It’s like everyone thinks if we didn't get sick, it just means we caught the bug but our immune systems—you know, the MVPs—just shut it down before it could even start.
Anyway, there goes a few minutes of my life I'll never get back—spent replying to you when you clearly weren't looking for an answer.
Jacob Alvarez said:Doesn't it always end with some fine print at the bottom of the page? Something like "...except in cases of national emergencies" or whatever bullshit they use to bypass everything else? 🤔
My take? Just hold steady and practice some patience for a few more weeks. If people start dropping like flies here the way they did in Italy, we won't have any other problems to worry about. Honestly, we just need to wait and see if these restrictions are actually crossing the line.
What "few weeks"? They pushed through an indefinite mandate that basically tramples on civil rights.
And on top of all that, they're handing out permits to anyone able to work, yet a huge chunk of people are using them for stuff that has nothing to do with going to a job.
Rebecca Peterson94 said:I actually started typing out a response to this thread, but then I realized... I've got absolutely nothing to say. 🤦
Same here. I don't have the energy or the will to waste my time on people like that. Honestly, they seem pretty heartless.
There's a massive difference between saying, "Look, a 14-day lockdown, then we move on," and making some mindless decision that stays indefinitely.
They could have just put the whole state under quarantine for 14 days—everyone on paid leave—with the government covering the wages for those two weeks.
That would actually be cheaper than the economic disaster this is going to turn into.
I'm sending an email tomorrow—just saw another member's comment too—and I'm looping in the President's office and CCing all the major news outlets.
I'm pissed, not gonna lie. Let's see who's actually speaking up.
EDIT: Though I'm sure they'll just hide behind that "protecting public health" excuse.
Here’s what I’m thinking—things should start hitting the fan this week for regular folks, especially couples torn apart by this morbid decision.
I’m sending an email to the Department of Justice tomorrow morning. Naturally, I’ll be citing the U.S. Constitution and all those international treaties we signed that guarantee nobody can just restrict your freedom of movement.
There are thousands of couples in America being screwed over right now.
Is this really okay with them? Just dropping an "indefinite" ruling like that and making people suffer?
The government needs to let these couples move freely. And look, I’m not saying this as some "softie" who can't function without a girlfriend or partner.
I can handle it, sure—but it’s just not mentally healthy to have the government telling you that you can't see your significant other.
They need to fix this law immediately and allow travel from point A to point B.
The real question is when someone is going to snap—and I might be the first one to hop in my car and end up in a holding cell because I refuse to run from the cops.
If I could just slap 32GB of RAM onto this motherboard, I’d be set for life—wouldn't need anything else.
But nope—stuck where I am.
I mean, why would the CPU even struggle if I'm only running 16GB?
Yeah, it sucks, but honestly, I don't really need a hardcore gaming rig. I work in Meta 2016, and back then, this processor was actually doing alright.