#StayHealthy and practice social distancing.
I know this isn’t what people want to hear right now, but we all need to come to this conclusion. We have to realize that these kids have been off campus since mid-March. With spring practice for everyone shut down, players have not been able to absorb new schemes. Most of the work for the season happens during the spring and in the time coaches can put in with the players during the offseason. The players have not had been able to workout with the Strength and Conditioning staff.
A lot of the campuses are shut down and students were sent home. That means a lot of these players are in situations that do not allow them to remain in the kind of shape that is needed to play high-level college football. The SEC has banned all workouts and gatherings until May 31.
The only thing the SEC is allowing is remote film sessions. There is no way that these players will be ready in the 60 or so days from June 1 until week 0 August 29. That amount of time alone might be able to get these kids in shape but not the football shape that they are going to need to be in, come August.
The second issue I see has one to do with the first responders that are required at each game. After the months of nonstop working do you feel comfortable having them work those games? I sure as hell don’t. These people deserve a break and making them work these games to protect people from heat exhaustion during those first few weeks seems selfish. They also have to deal with those drunks who are acting like fools. And after months of being cooped up in houses and not being able to get out, those first few games are going to have a lot of intoxicated people out there and that is a recipe for disaster.
On top of that, there is no way that the Personal Protective Equipment that is needed to replenish the stockpile at hospitals and nursing homes is going to available. There is no way that states are going to divert that equipment to first responders just so games can be played. It is going to take months and possibly years to get that equipment back to levels that predated this pandemic. What recent history has shown is that hospitals and nursing homes do not have the required equipment and that they should be restocked first.
Reason number four for me is that we are not even sure at this point that classes will be held on campus’s come the fall. The UNC system has suspended in-person classes indefinitely. It’s hard to believe that classes will be held as soon as this thing calms down. I could see the ban on in-person classes going into the spring. Imagine having college sports without college kids in the stands.
People are going to say that I am overreacting and that it is far to early to cancel the season. It isn’t, now is the exact time that those decisions need to be made because of the logistics of this sport. I hope I’m wrong, I don’t think I am.
Here’s the counter to this article where there is more optimism for the start of college football.
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