Mississippi will become the latest state to mandate face masks in public places. Governor Tate Reeves announced Tuesday that he will sign an executive order saying just that. During a news conference, Reeves cited college football as a reason for it:
“I know that I want to see college football in the fall. The best way for that to occur is for us all to recognize that wearing a mask, as irritating as it can be – and I promise you, I hate it more than anybody watching today — it is critical.
“If you wear a mask, if you socially distance, if we do the little things, it will make a difference, and therefore I am implementing a statewide mask mandate today.”
With Mississippi being in the heart of SEC Country, it’s possible that a few football fans who haven’t taken the measures dictated by COVID-19 seriously said something like this:
A similar sentiment was expressed by USA Today sports columnist Dan Wolken:
Four months ago this messaging would have been really helpful to college football https://t.co/j3ghR4rIhB
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) August 4, 2020
We’re in the first week of August, and Reeves is just saying something about this now? He’s had more than enough time to strike this nerve with his constituents. Now, it might be too late. It’s still not a given that we’ll have college football this year because the U.S. has not done its part in containing this virus, and much of that stems from a lack of leadership.
While the number of cases of the U.S. seems to be plateauing again, many public health officials and experts have warned that they might go back up soon with school starting and cool weather not far away. How college football will be able to operate in that environment is anyone’s guess. All that’s given is nothing will be possible if enough people continue to ignore the COVID-19 directives. Our way of life has been upended, and we don’t need things to get any worse.