When it comes to the top inventions of all time – beer, rock-n-roll music, yoga pants – there is nothing that beats college football. Okay, so El Hombre understands the world’s greatest sport wasn’t technically invented in some lab and that it evolved over time from a bunch of guys in silly caps turning soccer into something worth watching and eventually into a true phenomenon. But when it comes to the perfect amalgamation of sport, color, pageantry and pure wonder, nothing touches college football. Not even bacon.
So, the idea of a fall without a full slate of college games is almost horrifying. As we approach the point in the year when true fans begin counting the days until the season opener and are watching rebroadcasts of games from the previous season – even those involving MAC teams – there is the real possibility that the 2020 campaign will be far different than any in history – if it happens at all.
As states move to “re-open” during the coronavirus pandemic, some gradually and others less carefully, there is considerable discussion and debate about what will be happening on college campuses beginning in August. The recent evacuation of schools and the ensuing “remote learning” model produced varied results. Many kids spent more time on their phones than actually paying attention to the professor, and some classes were victims of pranks that included the screen sharing of porn. That got extra credit in a course at Arizona State. But the one thing that was universal was the end of most, if not all, non-academic activities, including athletics, and most notably the NCAA Tournament. There was just too much danger to all involved to keep playing basketball – along with spring sports like baseball, lacrosse, softball and tennis. So, the seasons ended. Make no mistake: This was extremely difficult for the athletes, who watched months of preparation evaporate in a COVID-19 cloud.
The cancellation of March Madness meant significant financial hardship for a lot of athletic departments and the NC2A, but the elimination of an entire college football season could have a crippling financial impact that leads to program cuts and the elimination of sports at some schools all together. Most schools do not have rainy-day funds for their athletic departments. Instead, they chose to make sure their Xanadu-like football buildings had barbershops and beach volleyball courts. As a result, schools are already chopping programs, blaming the lack of activity for the actions, instead of using the usual excuse that women’s sports precipitated the decision. It’s always amusing to see a school like Central Michigan, which had $25.2 million of its $33.6 million athletic budget provided by the institution – an indication that it was losing big money on just about everything, especially football – axe indoor and outdoor track and field in order to keep alive a football team that attracts paltry crowds, which are aided by huge outlays of free tickets. So, there are some serious things to consider when making the decision to hold a season.
A series of protocols is already being instituted on some campuses. Locker rooms could be coated in germ-fighting particles from a fogging machine. Players will be required to follow strict behavioral procedures from the moment they enter the football building until the time they leave – and then will be strongly encouraged to engage in exemplary social distancing practices the rest of the day.
And that doesn’t even begin to cover what needs to happen on the field in order to keep players (and coaches, student managers, trainers and staff) safe while still preparing a team to play games.
Let’s begin with the most difficult part of all this: getting 18-to-22-year olds to follow the rules all the time. El Hombre may be getting older (shaddup!) but he remembers his days back at Oxford, and he didn’t always do what he was supposed to. And as he spends time educating and advising today’s college students, he is learning that not much has changed. No matter how socially conscious they may be, they aren’t about to become strict adherents to the regulations. If they can get away with something, they will. So, imagining that a group of college kids is going to stay away from weekend ragers at the notorious apartment complex or frat house and not engage in a little up-close, hand-to-gland combat with a fellow student at the end of the night is naïve.
Because of that, it is vital that colleges put the health of their students foremost when it comes to athletics, as well as the decision to open campuses in the first place. Students are simply not going to do what they are told all the time when no one is looking. It’s one thing for a young person to contract the coronavirus and another for one to die from it. That would be a tragedy – as well as a liability nightmare. (An aside: University general counsels are already working on complicated waivers to limit their exposure.) Since we know from the medical experts that an infected person can spread the virus to many others, including older, more vulnerable folks who are more susceptible to developing more serious symptoms, there are even greater concerns than the student body.
The upshot? No matter how well the plans go – on and off the fields – an outbreak on campus or around it could send the whole thing into the hopper and force the entire community back into their homes and onto the computers again. Perhaps it’s good that pro sports are trying to get rolling again. They can provide the laboratories necessary to find out what works and what doesn’t. It’s not quite as unseemly when someone getting paid millions gets sick, versus a 19-year old backup offensive tackle – although it’s not good in any circumstance.
Whatever happens, this is a risky experiment. Schools will take precautions. Coaches and medical staff will preach proper behavior. There will be screening and tracking and testing. And Saturday night at the Manor Hall Apartments, a tray full of Jell-O shots could undo it all.
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EL HOMBRE SEZ: There has been a decided lack of action at NFL team complexes, thanks to the suspension of OTAs and mini-camps, but plenty is going on off the field, as the recent spate of player arrests proves. First, Chiefs cornerback Bashaud Breeland was arrested in late April for drug possession and other alleged crimes. Then, DeAndre Baker and Quinton Dunbar were nabbed for allegedly robbing fellow partygoers at gunpoint. A couple days later, Cody Latimer was charged with assault and illegal discharge of a firearm. Saturday night Ed Oliver was picked up on suspicion of DUI and unlawfully carrying a weapon. With nothing to do, players are finding new “outlets” for their energies, not the best news for the NFL, which might have to bring everybody back to team facilities, just to make sure it can fill out its rosters this season…Rubenesque pitcher Bartolo Colon has said he wants to spend one more season in the big leagues. If the 47-year old Colon, who last pitched with Texas in 2018, can’t find a spot on an MLB roster, he will return to his current job as a barbecue inspector…There is big news from the world of cutthroat college cheerleading. Powerhouse Kentucky, which has won 24 of the last 35 national titles, has fired its coaching staff and advisors after reports of hazing and drunken parties with public nudity surfaced. In a quickly released statement, new Iona coach and one-time Kentucky boss Rick Pitino denied any responsibility in the matter…Vegas oddsmakers are likely to give the Tampa Bay Rays plenty of love, if baseball returns in early July without fans. The Rays have been playing in that environment at home for several years and should have a huge advantage against teams who play at home in front of more enthusiastic crowds…The left-turn contingent returned to Darlington Sunday and posted some big ratings – a 38 percent increase from NASCAR’s last race, on March 8. The action was scintillating, and Kevin Harvickzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…El Hombre has to admit it was strange watching the golfing matchup Sunday and hearing no one cheering when the players made good shots. It will be even odder if there is no cheering at baseball or basketball games. Some may not like the idea of piped-in crowd noise, but it will definitely add to the experience of watching on TV. And for those of you who blanch at the idea, just watch espn when it shows highlights of a game in which someone on the visiting team does something well, and the crowd “roars.” You’ll find you are quite used to piped-in sound during sporting events…Former Chicago Bulls forward Horace Grant is a little miffed about his portrayal in the Michael Jordan mockumentary “The Last Dance.” How miffed? During a recent radio interview, Grant called Jordan a “snitch.” In a different radio appearance, Grant said he would have “beat [Jordan’s] ass” if he had tried to take food away from Grant on a flight after a game in which Grant hadn’t played particularly well. Looks like MJ is still making pals almost two decades after his retirement from the NBA…A lawsuit filed by an unnamed NFL player accuses United Airlines of not adequately protecting him from unwanted sexual advances and touching by a woman seated in his row during a flight. The player alleges he complained about the woman’s behavior toward him and a friend three times before he was compelled to jump into the aisle and let the entire plane know the woman had grabbed his genitals. The woman was finally moved from his row, and United has already held meetings to determine whether it should change its slogan from “Fly the Friendly Skies” to “You can look, but you better not touch.”
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AND ANOTHER THING: Let’s all take a moment to applaud the NFL’s new initiative to spur the hiring of more African-American head coaches and GMs. One of the proposed components of the plan would have rewarded teams that bring aboard black coaches or general managers with a jump of 10 draft spots – in the third round. Wow! Now that’s some serious impetus. Rumor has it the league also considered giving teams one extra timeout – a season – if they diversify. None of that made the final version. The end result of it all was a strengthening of the Rooney Rule, which has been well-intentioned but largely ceremonial since its 2003 creation. Teams that don’t interview two external candidates for the top coaching job and one for the lead personnel position will have the penalty increased from “a stern talking to” to “no dessert for a week.” That will show them. There are some positive initiatives, such as intern programs and training opportunities. But in a league in which 70% of the players are African-American, that isn’t enough, especially when there are only two people of color among the majority owners of NFL teams – one Asian-American, one Pakistani-American – and only three African-American coaches on NFL sidelines. (A fourth minority, Ron Rivera, leads the Washington NFL franchise.) The only way for these numbers to increase is for the league to put into place a concrete rule that has real penalties. For instance, each franchise has 15 years to hire either an African-American head coach or GM. Those who don’t will lose their first-round draft picks for five years. That ought to solve the problem pretty quickly. By hiring more African-American coordinators, assistant GMs and heads of scouting, teams can develop pipelines that produce highly-qualified, experienced candidates who are ready to step in. It will take a real concerted effort and not the lightweight “commitment” the league has shown to this point. Get to work, people.
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YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT? It’s amusing to hear fans and media speculating that the time off due to the coronavirus epidemic will actually help the Sixers, if the NBA begins playing again. Topping the list of hypotheticals is the assumption that center Joel Embiid will be in excellent physical condition once everybody heads back out onto the hardwood. That has been the most elusive part of his game. Expecting Embiid to have worked out diligently on his own during the league shutdown is a bit foolish. And while the time off no doubt helped guard Ben Simmons’ injured back heal, the fact remains that the Sixers are an imperfect squad with a weak bench and an inability to win on the road. A few months off won’t change that.
-EH-
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