As college football players say they want to play, schools worry about heart issues
Monday links:
ESPN reports Big Ten has found heart issues in athletes. Paula Lavigne and Mark Schlabach report, “A rare heart condition that could be linked with the coronavirus is fueling concern among Power 5 conference administrators about the viability of college sports this fall. Myocarditis, inflammation of the heart muscle, has been found in at least five Big Ten Conference athletes and among several other athletes in other conferences, according to two sources with knowledge of athletes’ medical care.”
Heart problems worrying college sports administrators. Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated reports, “Of all the hurdles impeding a 2020 college football season, there is one roadblock that has gone mostly overshadowed, buried beneath the other more prominent obstacles, such as testing, travel, a bubble-less college campus and quarantine requirements. That hurdle? The heart.”
Lasting heart complications a concern. Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports, “Many questions remain unanswered, and they are coming at a pivotal time. Scores of NFL and college football players have opted out of competing this year, owing to concerns regarding COVID-19. Thousands of high school, college and professional athletes are returning to play, and inevitably some will contract the virus. Guarding against the possible effects the disease has on the heart will be crucial, and maybe even lifesaving.”
[Reports: College football season could be canceled as early as this week]
College football stars hold video call. Dan Murphy of ESPN reports, “In a matter of hours Sunday night, a dozen college football players from all five major conferences came together to create a joint statement that expressed their desire to play the 2020 season and shared items they feel need to be addressed to ensure a safe and fair environment for student-athletes moving forward. The unprecedented national push for unity comes as one tumultuous week in college sports bleeds into another that threatens to bring more significant change.”
Clemson quarterback leading the charge. Lou Bezjak of The State reports, “Trevor Lawrence has made it clear: He wants a college football season this fall. The Clemson quarterback sent out several tweets Saturday and Sunday as national reports circulated that the college football season in the Power Five conferences might be shut down this week because of coronavrius concerns.”
Kentucky college athletes join movement. Josh Moore of the Herald-Leader reports, “More than a dozen players from Kentucky Wesleyan College — a Division II school in Owensboro whose league, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference — has not yet postponed or canceled the season — also offered their support for the movement. Quarterback Wiley Cain, a former standout at Pulaski County High School, kicked off the big chorus of Panthers who wanted their voice heard.”
Canceling fall football appears inevitable. Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports reports, “A recent discussion among Big Ten presidents was reported to be the impetus for the meeting as league presidents appear to be leaning toward canceling their conference’s season and hoped to see where the ACC, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC stood. Big Ten presidents have yet to vote on whether to cancel fall sports in 2020, CBS Sports reported Saturday.”
Big 12 commissioner says decision hasn’t been made. Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman writes, “No decision has been made about going forward with the college football season, but there’s been no progress over the last 30 days to have complete confidence in that, Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby somberly told the American-Statesman on Sunday night. Asked if it’s looking less and less likely there will be college football this fall, Bowlsby said, ‘I don’t have anything other than our (medical) experts’ opinions to draw upon. Have we made progress? Probably not. Have they told us to shut it all down? No, they have not.’”
Conferences need to individually lead. Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports writes, “This shouldn’t be a game of follow the leader. Just because everyone in college sports expects one decision to force the hand of the next decision, it doesn’t have to be that way. Can a season be done safely? Can a conference-only season work? It was always going to be tough, but is it impossible?”
California doctor says it’s not safe to play. Shlomo Sprung of Forbes reports, “Dr. Richard Pan is a California State Senator representing Sacramento who has a bachelor’s degree in biophysics from Johns Hopkins, a medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a master’s in public health from Harvard. And he flat out doesn’t think it’s safe for college football to play this fall as the coronavirus pandemic persists across the United States.”
Five reasons why college football hasn’t been canceled yet. Matt Fortuna of The Athletic writes, “1. Transfers. This is the biggest wild card, and it’s the subject that has provided the most diverse array of opinions (and the most likely to feature coaches saying one thing and doing another). NIU Coach Thomas Hammock downplayed his level of concern about his roster getting poached by schools that have yet to cancel, but the reality of the situation is that no one doing the poaching will be upfront about it. (One only needs to look back at Tim Beckman’s first misstep upon entering the Big Ten in 2012, when Illinois’ staff crashed Penn State’s campus in light of sanctions.)”
This story was originally published August 10, 2020 at 7:10 AM.
