DB5 i believe you will find that the blood rule is followed in all sports as per the guidelines of Rec & Sport

I'd rather them take a few minutes break than someone contract AIDS or Hep c and whilst i'm sure the chances are rare they are not non existant.

These days football trainers etc wear gloves when treating injuries it is better to be safe than sorry.

The Breakers guy wasn't wearing gloves which kinda defeats some of the purpose of carefully cleaning it up. Same deal with the Breakers game where Olson got cut on the face.

Thats right Tony Blair football trainers wears gloves etc when treating injuries. Wasnt the guy not wearing gloves when cleaning up the blood last night?

Damm Isaac got in the comment just before me. u gotta be on ya toes around here. LOL

Sorry that was one of my other points, forgot to put that in..
The guy was not wearing gloves at all.
Tony, are you sure there is even minimal risk in it? Magic could continue playing ball without it being too much of a concern, I would have thought that there would be more of a chance of catching something there...

DB5 - without too much of a concern???

Many moons ago (not long after Magic retired), there was whispers he was coming to play for Adeliade. Obviously quite far fetched, but Phil Smyth (playing with us then) was concerned enough to come out and publicly state ('tiser i think it was), that he would quit the team due to potential blood related health concerns.

Are you not getting his comments confused from back in 1992 around the Barcelone Olympics?

I was actually referring to when he came back to the NBA, the league had educated it's players like Karl Malone who publicly stated he had a problem playing with someone with the HIV virus.
When he came back, players embraced the fact that he could play without them being at much of a risk of contracting that virus.

With that in mind, I was making an uneducated guess that there would be even less of a chance that you could catch any blood related disease/virus from a spot of blood on the floor.

Like I said, I may be incorrect, but if I am, not as incorrect as the floor wiper that did not even wear gloves!

Rueben the comments Smyth made about Magic were made about the time of the Barcelona Olympics when he was playing for the dream team. Smyth was then captain of the Boomers and made a stance about not wanting to play against Magic.

DB5 I am not a doctor nor a microbiologist, I'm sure over time the 'scare' factor of aids etc has died down however, there is more than aids to be caught from handling blood products or indeed fresh blood.

The floor wiper etc should have worn gloves. I'm sure he was supplied them all Adelaide home games and Lightning home games has a 'blood bucket' at the scoretable with all the correct paraphanelia (pardon my spelling) these blood buckets i believe are a requirement of the league and a requirement of all sports in general from some governing agency.

I'd still rather be safe than sorry and see the blood wiped up but the floor wiper should have had gloves on IMO.

I know you aren't a doctor Tony, you are a Prime Minister..

I wish DB5 I wish but I have delusions of grandeur!

Just stay away from your pupeteer George W and you should be alright...ha ha

Cheers for the comments Tony.

Actually thought that George W and Jessica Simpson would make a great pair. Open their mouths and you never know what is going to come out.

I love the wording ".. without them being at much of a risk of contracting that virus."
From where I'm standing if you can transfer "not much of a risk" into no risk at all (by removing one player - or sitting out a game) i know which path i would follow ...

So on that note Melvin...
You were not a fan of Magic making a comeback when had been cleared to play?????
Still a minute risk, however the NBA and their doctors still allowed him to play, so what, you sit out the game you play against the Lakers, miss out on match payments and when your team misses the playoffs by 1 game then it is oh well, I didn't risk myself at all, even thought the rest of the NBA did, and no one has become infected.

Tony, nice observation, love it!

Imagine George W talking about Buffalo Wings with her...Crikey!!

There are guidelines for handling blood spills these include wearing gloves ... bad New Zealand clearer upera type person!

The guidelines are based on the reality that viruses may be passed from person to person via the exchange (contact) of bodily fluids.
This would also include sputum. Latest research has indicated that the risk of a virus being passed on diminishes when the fluid is exposed to the air. There is virtually no risk if someone comes in contact with dried blood.
How big a risk is a valid question and if there a viral transfer any risk is too large is an obvious reponse.
Also fluid to fluid contact poses the highest risk of virus transfer so any player or cleaner that has cuts scratches etc. is at risk of contracting. Lastly any blood on court is rather slippery so immediate game stoppage plus whatever it it takes to clean up is the direction and requirement for Bball. Most players now notify immediately and player who are bleeding leave the court area as soon as they are aware that they are dripping blood. Common sense as a sport, B'ball probably leads the rest in health & safety here!

DB5 they would have a language all of their own.

Sad thing is I can see them there nodding away agreeing with each others totally inane comments.

Even sadder one is a world leader :(

HIV cannot live outside the body for about more than 4 seconds, however there are other diseases (Hep C being one) that can survive a lot longer, hence the need for gloves.

DB5, true. When Magic returned I had this same argument, and my stance is same. As a coach, I would not lead a team into a game against a player that I knew was HIV positive. If it cost me the season, so be it - but i'm not putting winning ahead of EVERYTHING (though winning is pretty f'ing important ...)

Fair enough Melvin...
Appreciate the healthy debate....