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While we clearly don’t know just yet whether or not the Big Ten season is canceled, postponed or whatnot, we also don’t know with certainty the level of safety if the season were to go on as planned.
However, while it’s being bandied about that the medical voices in the Big Ten’s member institutions aren’t confident that football could or should be played, there’s a prominent voice in Michigan athletics who would have a pretty good idea.
Former All-American defensive end Chris Hutchinson knows what it’s like to wear the winged helmet and play at a high level in the conference. That said, as the father of current Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, he would certainly be protective, given that he’s an ER doctor at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak — one of the areas hit hardest in the country by the coronavirus pandemic. So, at this juncture, if he felt like there were legitimate concerns, given his expertise and having his son on the team, he’d likely speak out about the dangers of him suiting up this fall.
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On the contrary, with the #WeWantToPlay movement gaining ground, and his son making a passionate plea to the Big Ten to allow the players to do so this fall, the elder Hutchinson is backing his progeny.
I support Aidan, not only as his father but as an ER doc who has lived through some of the worst Covid in the country. I support them playing as the protocols at the University of Michigan have proven to work. I feel my son is in the safest program and conference in the country.
— Chris Hutchinson (@chutch97) August 10, 2020
The question, though, would be: while Michigan seems to have a good handle on it all — like head coach Jim Harbaugh did with his itemized list of reasons to play — would the other Big Ten member institutions? That’s the question that would need to be answered, as Rutgers, Maryland, MSU, Ohio State, Indiana and Northwestern have all seen stoppages of training or COVID-19 problems at some point in the past two months.
The Big Ten presidents will reportedly meet Monday night at 6 p.m. EST to make a final decision.