The views stated here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors of this newspaper.
The C.I.A.C. has made the wrong decision. Throughout the country, both high school and college football games are being played. States that have COVID “outbreaks’’ are playing. States included are Florida, Alabama, Texas and Georgia. On both the high school and college levels, alterations to the normal game and practice schedules have been made in hopes that there will be some kind of season. The important thing is they are trying. The C.I.A.C. previously set October 1 as the start of the football season, a reasonable date considering all the unknowns. Last week, in a state with arguably the best COVID record, they were influenced by a report from the DPH, and seemingly in an instant cancelled the season. Are there no football coaches or former players on the C.I.A.C. with the passion to try in a safe manner to keep moving forward? The Big 10 and PAC 12 prematurely cancelled the fall football seasons. The SEC, Big 12, ACC and AAC and other conferences forged ahead, setting start dates for mid-September and scheduling games with a number of bye weeks to allow for the unforeseen.
Football is a unique sport, the camaraderie, the Esprit-de-corps, the brotherhood that binds players, coaches, former players, is unmatched in any other sport. Take the time to watch last Saturday’s Game Day telecast where Kirk Herbstreit makes a passionate statement about how football even helps our young men confront the racial divide that we adults have not been able to do since slavery. Football is more than what we see on Friday nights and Saturday afternoons. Those teammates are together in spring camps, summer conditioning, summer pre-season camps, sacrificing for the good of the team, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, it does not matter.
To take that away from our young men without trying as adults to figure out some way, compromise in some manner, to make it work, is shameful. Set a date that makes sense, know that those dates may move. Set a schedule with less games, know that even some of those games may not be played. Give it a try. If testing is the main barrier, require some minimal level. Allow corporate sponsors to help with paying for the tests. Making this equitable for all towns and cities has its own challenges. Every team has booster clubs and alumni organizations that give money for myriad causes. They would be more than willing to help get at least part of a season.
Don’t give up, face this challenge just like any other challenge should be and has been approached.
Require face masks to be worn. If it is too hot on game day for masks, reschedule, set a maximum allowable game time temperature. If it is too taxing on the respiratory system to wear a mask for the whole game, limit the player to 4 consecutive downs, with 4 downs off the field in between. Our young men will do anything to play! We should be doing anything to allow them to play.
I am speaking exclusively for football, realizing this reasoning applies to most team sports that have had their seasons cancelled.
Steve Bull
Higganum
