OFFICIAL 2020 COLLEGE FOOTBALL OFFSEASON THREAD

[ThaxbyChamblis]

If they have any OT’s that need a new home I know of a place

 

[IATT]

 

[N41D]

From the GVSU days, lots of guys talked about never wanting to see Brian Kelley after they left... Guy was an insult master apparently

Patterson runs his program likes he’s a Navy SEAL training sergeant apparently.

Just mind game after mind game. He’s a sociopath 100%. It’s why he’s never gotten a better gig.

If they have any OT’s that need a new home I know of a place

A&M folk already asking about Zach Evans and immediate eligibility after the Justin Fields waiver.

 

[aepps20]

This needs to get more attention. These conferences rushing to send the players out there just aren't right.

 

[langfor5]

This needs to get more attention. These conferences rushing to send the players out there just aren't right.

This is certainly the WORST case scenario of what can happen if you get COVID-19 but how many athletes have we heard about where something like this happens to them? We have to assume based on what little we know about this disease is that the chances are pretty slim something like this will happen to college athletes. In that regard if we talk about 'unknowns' and 'long term side affects' you probably shouldn't be playing football because we also don't know what kind of affect having violent collisions over and over again have on the body let alone your brain.

Well all know this is about the money but if we cancel football then what? Not playing doesn't eliminate risk it simply shifts it else where. So unless athletes and staff decide to go into total self-isolation until next season, which is obviously not realistic, they're not safer by not playing. In fact, Dr. Fauci made a similar point that frequent testing and isolation policies might even make athletes more safe than the general population.

If college conferences can design protocols that are acceptable to health experts at the local, state, and national level, they should be permitted to move forward.

The thing to remember here is that players have a choice whether or not they want to play. I would strongly advise each player to weight the pros and cons and then ultimately make the best decision for them and their family.

 

[nako xl]

This is certainly the WORST case scenario of what can happen if you get COVID-19 but how many athletes have we heard about where something like this happens to them? We have to assume based on what little we know about this disease is that the chances are pretty slim something like this will happen to college athletes. In that regard if we talk about 'unknowns' and 'long term side affects' you probably shouldn't be playing football because we also don't know what kind of affect having violent collisions over and over again have on the body let alone your brain.

Well all know this is about the money but if we cancel football then what? Not playing doesn't eliminate risk it simply shifts it else where. So unless athletes and staff decide to go into total self-isolation until next season, which is obviously not realistic, they're not safer by not playing. In fact, Dr. Fauci made a similar point that frequent testing and isolation policies might even make athletes more safe than the general population.

If college conferences can design protocols that are acceptable to health experts at the local, state, and national level, they should be permitted to move forward.

The thing to remember here is that players have a choice whether or not they want to play. I would strongly advise each player to weight the pros and cons and then ultimately make the best decision for them and their family.

The worst case scenario is players dying. Which is very possibly. Statistically, even likely.

 

[elpablo21]

I think another thing ppl tend to overlook is that obesity is one of the bigger factors that is leading to complications with Covid and while football players are athletic and all these lineman fit that range still

 

[fahqu001]

If they have any OT’s that need a new home I know of a place

Patterson runs his program likes he’s a Navy SEAL training sergeant apparently.

Just mind game after mind game. He’s a sociopath 100%. It’s why he’s never gotten a better gig.

A&M folk already asking about Zach Evans and immediate eligibility after the Justin Fields waiver.

No sergeants in the Navy - just messin’ w/ you though.

 

[aepps20]

This is certainly the WORST case scenario of what can happen if you get COVID-19 but how many athletes have we heard about where something like this happens to them? We have to assume based on what little we know about this disease is that the chances are pretty slim something like this will happen to college athletes. In that regard if we talk about 'unknowns' and 'long term side affects' you probably shouldn't be playing football because we also don't know what kind of affect having violent collisions over and over again have on the body let alone your brain.

Well all know this is about the money but if we cancel football then what? Not playing doesn't eliminate risk it simply shifts it else where. So unless athletes and staff decide to go into total self-isolation until next season, which is obviously not realistic, they're not safer by not playing. In fact, Dr. Fauci made a similar point that frequent testing and isolation policies might even make athletes more safe than the general population.

If college conferences can design protocols that are acceptable to health experts at the local, state, and national level, they should be permitted to move forward.

The thing to remember here is that players have a choice whether or not they want to play. I would strongly advise each player to weight the pros and cons and then ultimately make the best decision for them and their family.

Excellent post my thoughts are as follows.

1. As you said, "the little we know". This is what is scary. We don't know very much because our President ELECT is telling people to down Clorox, pulling us out of WHO and lying everyday. People are dying right now, not in the future.

2. How can colleges design protocols when most of these schools are in states that still think Hillary created COVID-19 in her basement? Without bubble isolation like the NBA is doing you end up with MLB only worse.

3. Would you trust states like Florida with DeSantis or Texas with Abbott to have proper health protocols? Both states were willing to sacrifice the old for the economy just one month ago. Trump and others have politicized the CDC that we can't trust what they say. They tell us one thing, Trump tweets then they tell us something else.

 

[nako xl]

Saying that athletes are “safer” because they will be getting tested daily, is like saying sex workers are less likely to get STDs because they are being tested every day. That’s fine until someone tests positive. Then what?

 

[Bobby Layne]

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

They make these uni-reveals so dramatic

It's Rutgers. Relax.

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

The NFL is beginning to see a list of players opt out of the upcoming season. According to the latest version of the CBA, players are allowed to opt out of the season in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. While the NFL players are covered financially in some capacity, college football players have a larger decision to make. Now, college football will have a big time contributor opt out of the upcoming season. That's where the big news for Gopher Football is their top player in WR Rashod Bateman has decided to opt out of the 2020 season to focus on his health and getting ready for the 2021 NFL Draft.

In his video statement, Bateman wrote the following.

"I am now making the hardest decision, that I have ever had to make in my life. I first, want to express my thanks to God, my family, coaches, academic advisors and my peers fpr their continued support during this uncertain time.

Secondly, I want to thank my community. Minnesota, you have my heart forever. Moving from a small town to a big city, I was very nervous. You all have accepted me and embraced me with open arms, and have helped me find myself.

Thanks to my amazing teammates. If it weren't for you guys, I would not be in the position I am today. The relationships and memories will forever be with me, and we will forever make more.

Thank you to Coach Fleck and the rest of the Gopher staff for the unending support and guidance I have received these past few years. Coach, you are the reason that I came to Minnesota and I would do anything to be able to play football for you again alongside my teammates and bring back a Big Ten Championship to the Twin Cities. I'll be right there cheering along this program, whenever Minnesota football resumes.

Unfortunately, in light of the uncertainty around health and safety in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have to set my wishes aside for the wellness of my family, community and beyond. Because of this, I have decided to opt-out of the 2020 college football season. I will be taking the next steps in my journey by declaring for the 2021 NFL Draft.

Minnesota will forever be a place I am lucky enough to call home. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, I love you all.

Bateman, out."

All Rashod Bateman did in a Minnesota uniform was break records.

As a true freshman in 2018, his 51 receptions and 704 yards in 2018 set a Gopher freshman record while his six touchdowns were the second most ever for a Minnesota freshman. He crossed 1,000 career receiving yards in his 17th career game (2019 at Purdue) to become the second fastest Gopher ever to reach that mark (Ryan Thelwell did it in 15 games). Set sophomore program records with 1,219 yards and 11 touchdowns, plus he has the top two Minnesota receiving games in TCF Bank Stadium history (2019 Penn State with 203 yards and 2019 Wisconsin with 147 yards).

Virginia Tech's Caleb Farley (a projected top-45 2021 NFL pick) announced on July 29th he will sit out the college football season. And on the 27th, Illinois running back Ra'Von Bonner announced to the Chicago Tribune that he and offensive lineman Jake Cerny would not play, although Cerny's reasons were not COVID-19 related. Bonner had 137 carries for 620 yards and six touchdowns the past two seasons for Illinois. He is hoping for a fifth year with Illinois but they would need to bring him back on scholarship in 2021. The Big Ten said earlier this month that any player who chose to sit out their fall sport would have their scholarship honored in 2020.

 

[witnesskb24]

I think more and more people will opt out the closer we get.

University of Illinois has had 23 athletes test positive, not sure which sports they play

 

[nako xl]

They make these uni-reveals so dramatic

It's Rutgers. Relax.

That’s New York City’s (by way of Piscataway, NJ) one true team you’re talking about! Watch your mouth.

 

[651akathepaul]

Damn, not Bateman.

Oh well.

 

[langfor5]

Saying that athletes are “safer” because they will be getting tested daily, is like saying sex workers are less likely to get STDs because they are being tested every day. That’s fine until someone tests positive. Then what?

This to me is where a strict and concrete plan needs to be in place based on scientific and medical data. It needs to be clear and concise and something that the players can understand. Now what that is I have no idea. I'm not a doctor but whatever it is it needs to align with keeping players, coaches and staff as safe as possible.

Not trying to be combative with you but what is the alternative then for these athletes. They go back home and isolate themselves until next year. Very unlikely that happens. They will continue to live their respective lives and may or may not get COVID. Lets say they cancel the season and now players are on their own. If you are an athlete and you get COVID what do you do now? Do those players have access to testing? Do they still have access to the same medical care? A place to isolate while they recover? My guess is not. When a disproportionate amount of African Americans and those coming from lower income families are now making up the highest amount of cases I would much rather be at a University where protocols are in place if I do get sick. That was a great idea from the Pac 12 players coalition - access to health insurance for six years after graduation.

If I knew I was a guaranteed first round pick I would be strongly considering sitting out but this decision should be no different then when guys are opting out of playing in bowl games at the end of the year. You are sitting out because there is a fear of the unknown. The outlier, you could argue that is that COVID could kill you. Death is a scary thing but lets look at this from a numbers perspective. I am pulling this information straight from the CDC and was based on data from Feb 1 to June 17, 2020. During that date range there was 125 deaths in the US of ages 15-24 which comes to 1.1%. Now lets compare that to something we do every day. According to the National Safety Council in 2018 you have a 1 in 106 chance of dying in a fatal vehicle crash which is some where around 1.0%. That doesn't mean that people are going to stop driving.

What I'm trying to say is that COVID is very, very real but for the age range that these athletes are at least for now it doesn't appear to be in worse or deadlier than any other way hat you could get sick from or potentially die.

Also of note here. A very, very rigorous medical screening needs to be done for each player. All of these numbers get thrown out the door if you have a underlying medical condition.

 

[aepps20]

Maybe I'm missing something but has there been any discussion on what the plans look like.?Without a bubble concept there is no way this works long term. Not to mention this blows a hole through the amateur status of these players when they will most likely be on campus when everyone else is doing some sort of remote learning situation anyway. We don't know enough about the virus to claim it doesn't impact athletes in the age range. The picture has changed on who is most impacted by the virus for self serving purposes. People were saying old people should die for the economy, now they say kids are fine based on limited data when recent studies show kids are just as susceptible as anyone else. Comparing the virus to a car crash is disengious and seems like the arguments folks were saying when they said this was no worse than the flu.

 

[witnesskb24]

Maybe I'm missing something but has there been any discussion on what the plans look like.?Without a bubble concept there is no way this works long term. Not to mention this blows a hole through the amateur status of these players when they will most likely be on campus when everyone else is doing some sort of remote learning situation anyway. We don't know enough about the virus to claim it doesn't impact athletes in the age range. The picture has changed on who is most impacted by the virus for self serving purposes. People were saying old people should die for the economy, now they say kids are fine based on limited data when recent studies show kids are just as susceptible as anyone else. Comparing the virus to a car crash is disengious and seems like the arguments folks were saying when they said this was no worse than the flu.

These kids will have the virus before the first game anyway, then it’ll be really interesting to see what happens. Postpone a game? Cancel?

 

[aepps20]

These kids will have the virus before the first game anyway, then it’ll be really interesting to see what happens. Postpone a game? Cancel?

If MLB is any indication then games will be canceled but given the tight schedule I could see several games in a row getting canceled.

 

[dacomeup]

What I'm trying to say is that COVID is very, very real but for the age range that these athletes are at least for now it doesn't appear to be in worse or deadlier than any other way hat you could get sick from or potentially die.

We still don't know all of the long term effects. Death or no death isn't the only way to evaluate this. How can we fully evaluate the risk here when we don't know what the effects 5, 10 years down the line will be? Especially with respect to the lungs, which are obviously important for athletes.

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

Easy negative recruiting fodder

 

[atlsfinest]

 

[651akathepaul]

Figured there'd be this approach somewhere. Doubt they're the only ones out there doing this too.

 

[IATT]

Figured there'd be this approach somewhere. Doubt they're the only ones out there doing this too.

guarantee you got way too many dudes thinking herd immunity is a legit thing.. or it ain’t that serious

but almost every coach telling you to walk off shh or play through shh or you’ll be aiiright type of shh to leave that stuff In the hands of football people