By Brayden Yin
Anthony Fauci, an expert on viruses that spread easily, like COVID-19, said that “football might not happen this year,” due to the coronavirus. As virus rates skyrocket in the US, Fauci is developing a point.
First of all, football is a CONTACT sport. Huddles, lineups, tackles, are all ways for the virus to spread. When the NFL players are lining up, they are nearly breathing in each other’s faces. Football is dangerous enough without the pandemic. Due to the risk they are taking, the players are being paid very well. The minimum wages for NFL players is $610,000, more than 11 times a normal American worker makes. The average wage is about 2 million dollars per year.
NFL football is questionable, but college football isn’t at all playable. College players are not paid gigantic salaries. They get a scholarship and money for some expenses. That isn’t enough to risk their lives for. Most small conferences are canceling the season. The big ones, like the Southeastern Conference, are playing a 10-game season, but some of them, like The Big 10, have already canceled their season.
If COVID cases continue to rise, both college and professional football might be canceled.
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