By Stevie Corio — Reporter
People aren’t willing to live without sports and entertainment. Because of this demand, professional and collegiate sports have begun to take place again.
At the beginning of the spread of COVID-19 everything went dark. Most people strictly quarantined in their homes, public spaces were closed indefinitely and sports and entertainment were put on a long pause.
Due to the unpredictable nature of COVID-19 there are a few reasons why college football should not have proceeded this season.
1. Traveling is still a detrimental component
From the start of the spread of COVID-19 travelling long distances has not been recommended. Exposing the players to high traffic public spaces such as airports is not ideal for minimizing the spread of the virus.
2. There is no way to limit contact between players
Football is a contact sport. Players are tackling each other and have a chance to exchange bodily fluids with each game that is played. One of the recommendations for stopping the spread of the virus is remaining at least six feet apart from each other, which is clearly impossible to do on the field.
3. There is no guarantee that all schools are taking the same precautions
At San Jose State the athletic department has tried to keep players and staff safe by enforcing masks in athletic facilities, taking proper disinfecting procedures and altering the way the different sports have been able to proceed with their practices. This cannot be said for schools who may not be taking the precautions as seriously as they should be. Other states have different rules regarding the pandemic and are not being as strict about social distancing and mask enforcement.
4. There is no guarantee the players are being responsible individually
There are precautions being taken by the athletic departments to keep the players safe. This is not to say that players are being responsible on their own time. There is no sure way of knowing — outside of practice and workouts — that all players are not engaging in irresponsible recreational activities in their free time.
5. The health and safety of the players is not worth having a season
The decision to carry on with this football season just further enforces the notion of entertainment over the players. The health of the athletes should be the top priority. Football is probably the last sport that should have been incorporated back into action because of the contact aspect of the sport.
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