Notes, thoughts and takes on the coronavirus chaos that is college football
Random notes:
▪ What does the Big Ten and the Pac-12 know that the SEC, ACC and Big 12 does not know? Maybe more importantly, what have the lawyers told the Big Ten and the Pac-12 compared to what the lawyers are telling the SEC, ACC and Big 12?
▪ As always, there will be lawyers.
▪ Thankfully, the NCAA banned the practice of schools issuing coronavirus waivers for athletes to sign. No athlete should sign a waiver without legal advice.
▪ The Big Ten and Pac-12 did not cancel fall football because they wanted to cancel fall football. They’re giving up millions of dollars. They know that.
▪ My guess is SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey is buying time. Delaying the start of practices. Delaying the start of the season to Sept. 26. Measures to give conference presidents time to consider their options.
▪ That said, were I to gaze into the crystal ball right now, I’d say no one is playing college football this fall.
▪ COVID-19 positive seven-day percentage averages in SEC states according to Johns Hopkins: Mississippi, 21; Texas, 20; Florida, 17; Alabama, 16; South Carolina, 14; Arkansas, 13; Missouri, 12; Georgia, 11; Tennessee, 9; Louisiana, 7; Kentucky, 7. (Hat tip to Jon Solomon of the Aspen Institute of Sports.)
▪ Former Green Bay Packers executive and current Villanova law professor Andrew Brandt was succinct on the Ross Tucker Football Podcast. Cut to the chase for college and professional football: “Can you tolerate negative outcomes?”
▪ Speaking of students and athletes, North Carolina’s student newspaper, The Daily Tar Heel, will no longer use the term “student-athlete” in stories. “To accept the term “student-athlete” is to accept the NCAA and the nation’s college athletic departments’ agenda that these athletes are not employees and to silence the voices of these athletes. We think we should frame coverage using our own words instead.”
▪ This posted on Facebook by Debbie Rucker, the mother of Indiana freshman offensive lineman Brady Feeney, who was hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19:
“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 virus, the school did additional testing on all those that are positive. My son even received extra testing because he was one of the worst cases. Now we are dealing with possible heart issues! He is still experiencing additional symptoms, and his bloodwork is indicating additional problems.”
▪ The idea of sticking college basketball players in a bubble to play a 2020-21 season is not going to work. Not without compensation. Non-starter.
▪ Kudos to Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren slapping down Nebraska head coach Scott Frost for saying the Huskers still might play games. You’re in the conference or you’re not.
▪ For the “We Need Football” crowd, what we need is to pay attention to the health experts. If there was an expectation in March that this would all be fine by fall, well, that’s obviously gone.
▪ I know most players want to play (#WeWantToPlay), but they’re not the adults in the room.
▪ College football is much like horse racing — several different jurisdictions each wanting to make their own rules and do their own things.
▪ Speaking of horse racing, I think Bob Baffert summed it up best after trainer Barclay Tagg’s Tiz the Law ran away with the Travers last Saturday. “I don’t think Churchill is going to need a 20-horse gate for the Derby,” Baffert said.
▪ I know now-former Kentucky assistant basketball coach Kenny Payne wants to be a head coach. Earning NBA experience with the Knicks will hopefully help him achieve that goal.
▪ This might be heresy, but I like Major League Baseball starting extra innings with a runner on second base and no one out.
▪ Get well wishes to legendary trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who has tested positive for COVID-19 and is recovering at home. Lukas is 84 years old. He’s won the Kentucky Derby four times. Ultimate tough guy.
