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Honest admission to start here.
I am not a huge college football fan. Never have been, probably never will be. I watch college football if it is on TV, but don’t have an allegiance to any team. I look for players who might be on the Steelers’ NFL Draft target for the upcoming season, but that is about the extent of my college football fandom.
The day after the Mid-Atlantic Conference (MAC) decided to cancel their 2020 season due to the coronavius pandemic, there has been some push back from the players who would be putting themselves at risk by playing games.
None bigger than Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Lawrence took to his verified Twitter account to send a very simple, and clear, message:
We want to play.
I don’t know about y’all, but we want to play.
— Trevor Lawrence (@Trevorlawrencee) August 8, 2020
Lawrence wasn’t alone. No he was joined with thousands of college and high school football players who used the hashtag #IWantToPlay after thousands of athletes are losing their 2020 seasons.
Here are a few:
— Sean Clifford (@seancliff14) August 9, 2020
There’s a reason our team has had little to no cases or complications with handling COVID-19. I am extremely grateful for our staff, and particularly the training staff, for putting our health first and thus allowing us to continue mastering our crafts. We are ready. #IWantToPlay
— Will Levis (@will_levis) August 9, 2020
— D. Ford (@TsunamiFord) August 9, 2020
Amidst COVID-19 concerns, organizations are pointing at safety as the reason to cancel football seasons at the collegiate level. However, the question is then brought up whether the players should have a say in the decision making process. After all, many of these decisions could have lasting impacts on the future of these players.
Lawrence retweeted this tweet from Rubbing the Rock:
Being dismissive of players voicing their real desire to play a season while also claiming to be for “players rights and them having a voice” is about as disingenuous as it comes.
— Rubbing The Rock (@RubbingTheRock) August 9, 2020
Stop pretending these are unintelligible athletes who shouldn’t have a say in decision-making.
Will it matter? Will the power five conferences keep their plan in tact and have games this season? Or will more players opt out and start preparing for the NFL Draft?
There is plenty left to be deciphered in this maze, but college football doesn’t have much time to finalize decisions. With the month of August almost halfway done, September is when teams will begin their 2020 seasons.
Where do you stand on the topic? Do you think the players should have a say? Do you think there should be games? Let us know in the comment section below!