Do As I Say, Not As I Do…
Big 10 Commissioner Kevin Warren
Last week, both the Big-10 and the Pac-12 decided to officially postpone the 2020 college football season, planning to play in the spring of 2021.
The response, criticism, support, and questioning of these decisions has been plentiful. No matter your opinion on whether schools and conferences should carry on with their revised schedules this fall, the hypocrisy of Kevin Warren’s decision is comical.
Warren’s own son, Powers Warren, is a tight end at Mississippi State. The Bulldogs start practice for their 2020 season today. That’s right - Warren denied thousands of student-athletes in his own conference the opportunity to play sports this fall - but his son will play football in the SEC. Do as I say, not as I do…
Citing medical data, which has since been brought into question, canceling the 2020 college football season in the Big-10 was aimed to protect student-athletes health and safety amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Players, coaches, parents, and fans have been clamoring for the commissioner and university presidents to re-think their decision and reinstate football this fall.
Ohio State star QB Justin Fields has even created an online petition, now with over 200,000 signatures, asking for Warren to immediately reinstate the 2020 college football season.
“We, the football players of the Big Ten, together with the fans and supporters of college football, request that the Big Ten Conference immediately reinstate the 2020 football season. Allow Big Ten players/teams to make their own choice as to whether they wish to play or opt out this fall season. Allow Big Ten players/teams who choose to opt out of playing a fall season to do so without penalty or repercussion.”
What will it take? The players clearly and unanimously want to play football this fall. The #WeWantToPlay movement has proven this sentiment true. They say they feel safest on campus and at their facilities.
The coaches are fighting tooth and nail for their players to have the opportunity to play. As it turns out, coaches want to coach football, and players want to play football. It’s crazy, I know…
Parents have even gotten into the fold, writing public letters to Warren and university presidents. They are voicing that their kids are safe on campus and in their respective facilities, showing support for the protocols and guidelines that the programs have put into place, protecting the student athletes.
And the fans? Well, just re-visit the link to Justin Fields’ online petition, which grew by 8,000 signatures while I was writing this blog.
Unfortunately, the momentum pushing the decision makers to re-think their choice to postpone the 2020 season may be much ado about nothing. There is no doubt that Warren and university leaders will do anything to save face and show that they will not fall victim to public scrutiny. By now, it is clear that the desires of their own student-athletes have no affect on the choices they make.
They have made their bed, now they have to sleep in it.