Race, Class, College Football, and Covid

I was listening to ESPN radio this morning and had to walk out of the

room. I was SOOO angry, and I stayed angry, and I'm still angry.

Let me explain....

First some background. I love sports, all sports, but I live and breathe college football. I guess you could say it's in my blood. I read Street and Smith magazine cover to cover and back again every summer. Saturdays are spent watching Game Day and every game that comes on usually with another one playing on the radio in the background. If you can't find me on a Saturday, come to Bdubs. Chris and I are usually there so we can watch college football in a 360 motion. (If you go to the one near where I live, just ask for "the crazy UVA lady." They'll point you right to me) Okay, so you get the point. Bottom line, I want more than anything for college football to play this fall. 

There's another reason I want it to start. I feel for the young men especially the seniors or those who plan to enter the draft at the end of the 2020 season. I am currently in a house with 4 collegiate athletes--3 seniors. Two of them are fall athletes, and their conference has canceled the season. The other two are my children, winter and spring season athletes, and I'm holding my breath. I see it--there's grief, real honest to God grief.

So really I get it, I do. But, I also want the students to be safe and healthy; I want their families to be safe and healthy, and I want the coaches and staff to be safe and healthy. There are people far smarter than I am who I know are working overtime to try to make all of that happen. If they can do it, I'll be thrilled and come find me at BDubs--I'll even buy you a beer or a coke.

So why am I angry? Because this is what I heard today (and I'm paraphrasing because I was so angry and ranting but you'll get the gist of it.)

We need to go ahead and let them play. We know there will be a spike. We know athletes will test positive, but at least we'll get some games in, so we need to start the season. At least we'll get to watch some football before they shut it down because of the spike.

ARE. YOU. KIDDING. ME? You are willing to risk people's health, people's lives, so you a grown man can sit in your house and safely watch football? 

At first, I was Mama Bear mad. These young men are somebody's children, somebody's brothers, somebody's friend. You want to watch football. Well, guess what? So you can watch a few games of football before they shut it down, some of these Mamas and Daddys, siblings and friends might have to watch their child, brother, friend struggle through a virus where there is no treatment. They may have long-lasting effects; they may die. But you'll get to watch a few games...so okay....

Next, I briefly calmed down and tried to see it from another perspective. One could argue players could opt out of playing. They could decide they didn't want to take the risk and quit the team. Maybe coaches could even be told if a player chooses not to play this year it is mandatory he is allowed back on the team next year. Well, first, as a mother of sons age 21 and 23--really? You really think they should make this decision? Frontal lobe people--not developed! So then you could argue their parents could make the choice--if they're under 21 a parent has to sign a waiver. And then I thought about scholarships and the rage returned.

Yes, in 2015 the Power Five conferences passed rules outlining when coaches could remove scholarships. It was an effort to protect Division I athletes. Guess what's not included? Exactly! Those who choose to take a leave from a team. Maybe some schools would still honor those scholarships; maybe not.

My mind kept going. So let's say my son was on a full DI football scholarship, we could choose for him to quit the team (once we got past that underdeveloped frontal lobe), AND he could continue to go to school because while we are not living in a yard full of money trees, we could and would make it happen. There are many other young men who would be forced to withdraw from school. 

So let's just name it--it becomes a class and a race issue. Those who have, have choices with win-win options. Those who have not, don't. Fifty-five percent of college scholarship athletes are black. Twenty-five percent of those athletes graduate. We've just put another roadblock up. But hey, we get to watch college football. It becomes another way we use people who have no choice, no other option, and we're using them for our entertainment. 

Using them for our entertainment---just think about that. When else in history did that happen? 

I understand the complexity of the decisions that need to be made. I understand the money that is at stake and the impact loss of football revenue will have on schools. I understand people just want life to go back to normal. Me too.

But to advocate for the start of football admitting you know it will be shut down because of the number of athletes, coaches, and staff who will be infected--I just can't. And as much as I want to ignore it, my faith, my promise to respect the honor and dignity of every person just won't allow it.