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It’s funny to me that, only a couple of months ago, some commentators were mocking the decision of the NBA, NHL and MLS to play in bubbles, citing a probability apparently only they could grasp that the other major pro sports would be playing in front of live fans. The given premise these geniuses cited was that the pandemic would be all but evaporated by the end of July.
It hasn’t turned out that way, has it? Based on denial and a belief in conspiracy theories rather than the best available science, a refusal to stay away from large indoor groups and an obstinate and sometimes defiant refusal to wear masks, well, you know what’s happened.
So, the NBA and MLS, headed by decisive leadership at the tops of their organizations, have perked along for two weeks now, supplying the country with live pro sports and remarkably attractive products – especially considering that no fans are on-site. I would never have believed that fake crowd noise and video screens with fans sitting in their homes could actually be anything but cheesy. But it’s all worked.
And the best part is this. So far, the bubbles have not been punctured. The players, coaches, refs and support personnel have managed to lock themselves down in Orlando, stay clean in their controlled environment.
They’ve given us a reason to not only be happy that live major team sports are available but also optimistic that something still works in this country. That there are organizations able to work together, agree on a plan and, led by a figurehead with a clear vision and good advice, implement a functional strategy.
And then, we have college football.
Leaderless, fragmented even at its highest level, willing to rationalize continuance of a high-contact sport involving college students even without any other students meeting to, y’know, take in-person classes. The Power Five, and the NCAA that can no longer run them, are an ongoing laugh track.
Well, if one of your kids isn’t one of the guinea pigs involved in this insane lab experiment, that is. Then it’s not so funny.
You’ve probably already heard about the Pac-12 football players group that made a splashy statement of demands on The Players Tribune on Sunday. Maybe you harrumphed that college kids already get plenty for agreeing to the college football deal – scholarship worth six figures, stipends, maybe soon endorsements based on their name, image and likeness. Fine.
But what about the health issue of trying to practice and play the sport of football amid a raging pandemic? With cases already surging on several teams (28 among Rutgers’ roster and staff) before contract drills have even begun.
Imagine hearing the recording secured by The Washington Post of Wednesday’s confidential conference call among unnamed SEC administrators, its medical advisors, its commissioner Greg Sankey and over a dozen players.
According to The Post’s transcript, at one point, an unidentified player asks Sankey:
“For so much unknown in the air right now, is it worth having a football season without certainty?”
To which the commissioner replied:
“Part of our work is to bring as much certainty in the midst of this really strange time as we can so you can play football in the most healthy way possible, with the understanding there aren’t any guarantees in life.”
That’s nice. Know what? If I heard that sort of gibberish from the commissioner overseeing my kid’s conference, I can guarantee one thing about his life – he wouldn’t be playing football or any other college sport this year.
What a load of horse crap. No guarantees in life. Yeah, there’s no guarantee a seat belt and functioning airbag will save your life in an auto accident. But it raises your chances. There’s no guarantee you’ll die or kill somebody else if you drive drunk. But the chances are lesser if you don’t.
No, there are no guarantees in life. But mitigating stupid and needless risk is part of lifting your odds of success. Especially when taking one of them is ostensibly so that countless sports network executives and athletic directors and head coaches and some jackass like Greg Sankey can continue making as much of their 7-figure salaries this year as possible. That’s a risk my kid wouldn’t need to take. If, that is, I could persuade him to ignore the peer and coaches’ pressure to “man-up” and “play for the team,” because, y’know, the virus is pretty much just “fake news”.
As for students in classes, well, the SEC schools have so far been implying their classes will be in-person and attended this fall. Which would add yet another element of needless risk to the equation of any athlete.
At least Power Five football players are hyper-managed while they’re in their compounds. What happens when football players must attend class and sit next to some knucklehead with his mask drooping below his nose who went to a bar the night before?
According to the Post transcript, Mississippi linebacker Mohamed Sanogo asked almost that precise question:
“Why have students been allowed to come back on campus if we’re trying to have a football season?”
The answer Sanogo received from an unnamed official was unexpectedly transparent. Then again, it was supposed to be a confidential conference call:
“It’s one of those things where if students don’t come back to campus, then the chances of having a football season are almost zero.”
No more callers! The obvious implication: If we can’t make school look safe, we’ll never be able to pull off the scam of a football season to keep the billion-dollar business humming. Talk about a tail wagging a dog.
Near the end of the call, a player who did not identify himself asked the SEC officials:
“If we were your kids, would y’all let us play in this same football season?”
To which an unidentified official responded:
“One of my sons has played baseball for the last five, six weeks. And I can tell you, I have a couple of kids that have played soccer over the last four weeks. I don’t have great concerns about them contracting it during play.
“We can’t be 100 percent. We’re never going to be 100 percent.”
Let’s not even judge whether this guy, whoever he was, is telling a whole truth. Or, if he is, the asininity of comparing grade-schoolers’ soccer or baseball out on a community field somewhere to SEC football. I think the absurdity of the response stands on its own merit.
Instead, let’s move right to the mother of entering freshman Indiana Hoosiers offensive lineman Brady Feeney and her Facebook post on Monday. I urge you to read the entire post by Debbie Rucker below but, for the short of attention, here are the nut graphs:
"My son was negative when he got tested at the beginning of volunteer workouts. Within three weeks he and multiple others tested positive. His university has done everything right by shutting down workouts and retesting the whole team.
"Unfortunately, this virus hit my son very hard compared to most of his teammates. Here was a kid in perfect health, great physical condition and due to the virus ended up going to the ER because of breathing issues. After 14 days of hell battling the horrible virus, his school did additional testing on all those that were positive. My son even received extra tests because he was one of the worst cases.
“Now we are dealing with possible heart issues! He is still experiencing additional symptoms and his blood work is indicating additional problems. Bottom line, even if your son’s schools do everything right to protect them, they CAN’T PROTECT THEM!!
“I pray my son recovers from this horrible virus and can lead a healthy normal life!! Football does not really matter when your child’s health is in jeopardy!! Think about it!!! My heart is hurting, and I pray for all of these kids and for the people making the decisions about the season!!!
Debbie Rucker, of St. Louis, made this post on Monday about her son, Indiana freshman offensive lineman Brady Feeney.
For those of you still fretting about whether there’s a college football season this fall for your television and/or wagering enjoyment, just for a few seconds, really try to put yourself in the place of a parent of a player and ask yourself two questions:
• Do you honestly believe 2020 college football could be anything resembling the sport we know? It’ll be so clear that it’s merely a series of business transactions. No bands. No cheerleaders. No tailgating. So… why?
• If one of these players was your kid, would he play? Or would you blithely send him off, emboldened by the bromide: There are no guarantees in life.
The suits who run the business are counting on you not to answer. Of course, they’d rather you not even consider the questions.
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More PennLive sports coverage:
• For Penn State’s Blue Band and Pitt Marching Band, the music will go on even if the show doesn’t.
• Mid-Penn Conference to delay start of fall sports to September 4.
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