This has been an amazing week of contributed articles by Fishduck readers! We thank Haywarduck, PittDuck, BigDucksFan and now 30Duck for the wonderful Ponder-Points for us all to discuss. Everyone is invited to contribute as the water is fine for all Ducks! Charles Fischer
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The Pac-12 and Big 10 have postponed their football seasons, but, really, who are they kidding? The 2020 football season is canceled, along with basketball, until 2021 at the earliest. “Postponed” is just a way for the conferences to assuage the fans that the reality that sports aren’t going to be back until at least 2021.
The optics of playing football this fall don’t work in the Pac-12, let alone in California. The Big 10 sees it the same way, including even blue blood Ohio State. Yes, some of the players have said they want to play, but the conference is standing firm. As long as students are not allowed back on campus, the players won’t be either.
But, it isn’t that clear in the SEC. There’s no sending out well-intentioned (“postponed”) messages to fans. The football season is proceeding as scheduled, and it’s going to take more than a global pandemic to stop Roll Tide.
How WOULD SEC fans feel about players suing their Alma Mater?
If Oregon or Washington played football this season, and one of the players contracted a debilitating condition, or even worse, died from COVID-19, the ensuing lawsuit would be swift and devastating to the affected university. I also believe the fan bases of both teams would support that lawsuit.
But, what would happen at Alabama? If a Tide player died I can envision the tears running down the faces of the fans as they console the player’s family, assuring them the fallen player will be remembered forever in Alabama lore. I have a much harder time seeing the player’s family bringing a lawsuit against the University. Shared pain is one thing. All the other fans would undoubtedly come together and ensure the player’s family knew they were all there for them. But, “You’re suing Nick Saban? You’re trying to take millions of dollars from the football team, for yourself?”
That’s different.
The situation could be similar at LSU, Auburn, Georgia, Florida, etc. Would players and families affected by exposure to COVID-19 through SEC football sue their University in any of these football-crazed environments?
That is quite a Ponder-Point…
30Duck
Portland, Oregon
Top Photo by Sidelines-Bama Twitter
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I’ve been a Ducks fan as long as I can remember. The first game I attended was on Feb 21, 1970 when the Ducks beat the Bruins, 78-65, and Billy Gaskins became my first favorite player. Of course, Ronnie Lee and the Kamikaze Kids were next, and then Bobby Moore and Dan Fouts. Of course there were the Norv Turner years when you went to Autzen to find some solitude and where you could be alone.
Of course, it’s unbelievable to see where Oregon sports are now.