Nick Saban says 2020 season is ‘about the players’
By Mark Powell
While pundits say the 2020 college football season is only being considered for financial means, Nick Saban disagrees
As COVID-19 cases rise across the country, specifically at college campuses such as Alabama, college football fans remain conflicted about rooting for a 2020 season. As much as we’d like to watch the nation’s finest athletes take part in a distraction of sorts from the world around us, it shouldn’t come at the cost of their health. Sound minds on the subject are still holding out hope that, assuming athletes are kept away from the daily hustle of college life and are tested frequently, they can avoid contracting COVID-19 and therefore not spread it to their teammates.
It’s not as farfetched as it seems, especially since there are plenty of players dead set on participating. Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban has bought in, and his players have had a critical role in that development.
Nick Saban believes the players’ point of view should prevail
“This is about the players. Everybody acts like we want to play for the money. We have a lot of guys on our team that can create a lot of value for themselves by playing this season. This is really about providing an opportunity for the players if we can do it in a safe way,” Saban said, per The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman.
Underneath his hard shell, Saban’s always been a players’ coach, especially in an era when recruiting wins all. But what makes his comment so admirable is that he takes the point of view of a player who might not otherwise have a chance at making the NFL, or whose draft status could be dramatically impacted should they not be afforded the chance to play this season. Those stories exist, and as much as public safety has to be a priority, Saban at the very least is giving the opposing viewpoint some credence.
That’s all most college football players are asking for — a platform.
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