Report: Small Protest by Parents Reflects Concerns of Majority of People Inside Big Ten Programs

I laughed off the protest. It was made up of around 25 parents of Big Ten football players that happened last Saturday. It was funny to me. I couldn’t help but think that the players who had parents attend the protest were a little bit embarrassed by the whole thing. You know how parents can do that to their kids.

Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images

Many on social media belittled the protest as ineffective and a waste of time. It could be true.

However, the protest takes on a whole different meaning when ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg reported that the concerns the parents voiced during that protest is actually shared by the majority of people he talked to that work for Big Ten programs.

Not just Nebraska.

Parent complaints can be written off, especially after a small turnout Friday, but their concerns are shared by the majority of people inside Big Ten programs ESPN has interviewed during the past few weeks. That’s a problem for Warren and the league, especially if the bad feelings continue to fester.

“Been in this league for 20-plus years,” a league source told ESPN. “This has been embarrassing.”

“Everyone is furious,” added another source. “Not the way it has ever gone down. And the ramifications are staggering.”

Read Rittenberg’s article. The hits keep coming. It is embarrassing.

Some probably think I am beating a dead horse. We have gone over this already haven’t we? Absolutely. We would just like some answers to our questions. If you make a unpopular decision, then tell us how you go to that decision. That is the difference between the Pac-12 and the Big Ten.

Luckily, we have an Athletic Director in Bill Moos is at least willing to talk to Sam McKewon of the Omaha World-Herald. Big Ten Athletic Directors were not a part of the zoom call with the Presidents and Chancellors when they made their decision to cancel football. I don’t believe these same Presidents have any more interest in having football in the spring.

If the Big 12, SEC and ACC pull off the season then the heat needs to be turned up on these University Presidents as they made a billion dollar decision with zero transparency. They didn’t want to listen to ideas on how the season could happen. Even from the people who have spent five months trying to figure out a way forward.

This creates questions that deserve answers.

Meanwhile things continue to change. The Center for Disease Control release a report today stating that people who are asymptomatic and were in close contact with somebody who tested positive does not need to be tested.

Remember that 14-day quarantine for people who did any traveling? Well now, updated today, the CDC is stating that after traveling to continue to follow safe social distancing.

The NFL has started padded practices. The report that there were 77 positive covid-19 tests turned out to be incorrect as they were all false positives. It will be interesting to watch and see how things go for the NFL.

In the meantime, the Presidents of these educational institutions will continue to welcome the tens of thousands of students to campus in their dorm rooms, fraternities, sororities and through the various buildings on campus. These Presidents cashed the checks and then are somehow surprised that college kids act like college kids and don’t practice social distancing.

One the flip slide, do you know who would have a great incentive to wear a mask and practice social distancing? College athletes that are going to be held accountable by their coaches and teammates as they are tested multiple times a week.

Take a quick search on social media of all the pictures and videos of students at bars and parties acting like the virus doesn’t exist. Now tell me that by playing college football we are putting these “student athletes” at a higher risk. Aren’t you putting students at a higher risk by asking them to show up on campus at all? Or is that a requirement to get that tuition check?

I don’t know. It would be nice however to get some answers at some point. I won’t hold my breath. I need the extra oxygen as I continue to beat the dead horse.