As colleges take heat for athletes (vast majority asymptomatic) contracting COVID, public opinion seems to be that athletes are being put in needless danger just to protect the budget’s bottom lines.
Here’s a thread on why I disagree, using Northwestern as an example.
Here’s a thread on why I disagree, using Northwestern as an example.
Northwestern took things slow bringing their athletes back — official report day is 6/22. They’ll get tested upon arrival. But while this is a return to team activities, it’s certainly not a return to group workouts for most players.
Here’s something published recently on Northwestern’s own social media channels: a star football player back in Evanston going to Chicago with a few teammates for field work and speed training.
On the hoops side, here’s sophomore forward Robbie Beran’s highlight tape from some recent 5-on-5 runs. Go through social media, and you’ll find this for several players at every school... and that’s only those who got it documented on video.
Of course, there’s nothing different about playing pickup or drills on or off campus — COVID doesn’t have a bias towards higher education. The only difference is the players are being tested and then isolated when finding the positives before they spread it. This is a good thing!
Playing college sports this year is a big challenge, and right now I don’t think we can say it 100% can be done safely. But the media has to be really careful not to punish schools for testing athletes who’d be doing the same things whether on or off campus.
This tweet is a good one that ties back to my earlier point. Whether or not they are on campus, they are still going to be out and about if allowed (and even if not!). The difference is, they are actually getting tested because they are student-athletes.
