The Indiana Hoosiers have paused its voluntary football workouts after they received eight positive tests for COVID-19 last week. The pause doesn’t effect the voluntary workouts for men’s and women’s basketball, the soccer teams, as well as volleyball and field hockey. All of which have been back on campus working out since June 15.
This announcement comes only six days after Ohio State paused workouts for seven of its teams including football. However, on July 14 they announced that they would resume workouts.
Other Big Ten schools, Michigan and Michigan State have released recent results of testing. Michigan has conducted a total of 485 tests with 8 positives results. Michigan State reported similar numbers with 500 tests and only 8 positive results.
Let’s keep it real or all the way 100, whichever comes 1st! It’s great to see that the universities are following requirements for participants including daily medical checks, social distancing and testing. However, we’re talking about kids.
Let’s be honest here. How much social distancing are kids really doing when they’re back in the dorms at night. I went to college and there’s no way they aren’t all in each other’s rooms playing video games and kickin’ it. Forget about them wearing a mask. So throw that foolishness about social distancing out of the window.
And please stop calling it voluntary workouts because everybody on those teams are on campus right now whether they want to be or not. There’s no such thing as voluntary when you’re on scholarship. You do what you’re told to do because the scholarship is renewable annually.
Let’s get back to my original talking point from day one of the shut-down. It’s impossible to play football, a contact sport, in the middle of a pandemic. Guys are blocking, tackling and breathing all on top of one another. You can’t even get into a huddle for crying out loud.
Some things make no since and I’m the biggest football fan there is but it’s irresponsible at this point to try play that sport right now at ANY level. Everybody is just going to have to take an “L” this year, that’s if we’re truly looking after the safety of student-athletes. Stop me when I start lyin’!
