Folks, these days it seems like it’s quite difficult to find good news in the world of sports these days with most major media outlets and Big-J sports Journalists actively pushing for the cancellation of football season and everything that goes along with it. Things were looking quite grim Sunday evening when a report surfaced that the Big 10 was looking to cancel their college football season.
My stomach dropped as I saw that report and I became sick to my stomach. A fall without college football would be so wrong on so many levels. On top of that, it seems completely irrational to cancel a full season in the beginning of August when most schools aren’t planning on starting until the end of September. A lot can change between now and then.
All hope seemed lost until the biggest player in college football spoke up and dropped some truth bombs on the people who are pushing for the season to be cancelled.
BANG! The argument from Trevor Lawrence here is outstanding. On top of that, this is the player who doesn’t need to play this college football season yet he’s still clamoring for it. This man will be the number 1 draft pick in 2021 regardless of what happens this season and he still wants to play football.
There’s also something to be said about the fact that Trevor Lawrence is fighting for the student athletes who will most definitely be safer on a college campus than in their own homes. That sentiment was shared by many players today.
For many people, not just student athletes, being at a college or university is a place that feels like home to them. The connections and memories that you make at college will last for the rest of your life. For some students, it’s even more serious as college is a place where they are guaranteed to be fed and sheltered safely which may not be the case for them in their homes at all times. Considering the fact that most college students are extremely low risk when it comes to serious complications from the coronavirus, it’s time to get things moving back to normal for them.
Another thing that I’ve never understood about cancelling the college football season or colleges doing online classes instead of having students back is that college students living at home with their parents who are aged 50+ and potentially exposing them to the virus is much more dangerous than 20 year olds giving it to themselves. That’s not something that’s said enough but it’s 100% factual.
Lastly, the media has spent too much time focusing on the players who have opted out in both college football and professional football. For the record, I will always support a player’s choice to do what they want to do. I have no issue with any of the players who opted out and I wholeheartedly support their choice. I also agree with University of Pittsburgh DE Rashad Weaver when he says that opting in is just as important, too.
The common response to this sentiment from the naysayers is that “NONE OF THESE PLAYERS ARE DOCTORS” or that “FOOTBALL CAN CAUSE TRANSMISSION AT A HIGHER RATE DUE TO ALL OF THE CONTACT INVOLVED.”
You know what? Both of those things may absolutely be true. That being said, this is America. America is about having the right to make your choice. If eighteen year olds in this country are allowed to take out tens of thousands of dollars in student loans to pay for college then they should have the right to have in-person classes. They should have the right to play football if they want to and they’re given the opportunity to. They should have the right to evaluate a risk and make a decision on whether or not they feel like the risk outweighs the reward or vice versa.
So if you’re a sports fan then let’s get behind these student athletes. They deserve to play if they’d like to play. I encourage you all to tweet using the hashtag #WeWantToPlay so that it floods social media and every important decision maker hears the voices of the student athletes and the fans who support them.