Tag: covid-19 pandemic

Jets LB C.J. Mosley explains why he opted out of 2020 NFL season

A few days after it was reported that C.J. Mosley was opting out of the 2020 NFL season, the Jets linebacker has explained his decision. 

A few days after it was reported that C.J. Mosley was opting out of the 2020 season due to family health concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Jets linebacker has explained his decision.

Mosley spoke about the choice Monday while participating in a Facebook Live event aimed at raising money for the Wounded Warrior Project. Mosley, who has a young son at home, told the Jets he was sitting out the season over the weekend.

“That’s probably the biggest football decision I’ve made in a long time, probably since I picked what college I’m going to,” Mosley said. “That’s a book I got to start writing pretty soon. What’s the next step? Because there’s a lot of negative things people been saying as far as me not playing two years. And there’s a lot of positive things that are being said.

“I’m out all year so I have all this time to mentally get better, to physically get better, kind of readjust and kind of find that flame again.”

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The Jets placed Mosley on the Reserve/Opt-Out List on Monday.

This upcoming season was supposed to be Mosley’s second in New York, but his contract will instead be pushed back a year. Mosley signed a five-year, $85 million deal with Gang Green two offseasons ago, but he played in just parts of two games during his first season with the Jets due to a lingering groin injury.

Now, with the NFL attempting to play through a global pandemic, Mosley is stepping away. His focus will be on keeping his family safe and returning to the sport in 2021.

“Because of COVID, my family is my support system with my son. I didn’t want to risk that obviously,” Mosley said. “Just looking at the big picture, for me, I want to make sure I’m mentally and physically the best person I can be so I can be that leader I know I can be.

“It’s a full-team sport. Sometimes people got to better on their own. We’re in a different situation, but I’ve got to look out for my family. Sometimes you got to make that small sacrifice. That’s something you might not understand right now but when you come out on top everybody’s going to be on your side cheering for you.”

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C.J. Mosley’s decision to opt-out deserves understanding, not hostility

C.J. Mosley is simply trying to mitigate the risks facing his family.

Back in June, Gregg Williams waxed poetically on a Zoom call.

The subject of the defensive coordinator’s admiration was C.J. Mosley. The middle linebacker only played in parts of two games in 2019, his first season with the Jets and Williams, but the coach was blown away by Mosley’s actions while recovering from a nagging groin injury.

“He may be the best I’ve ever been with in my life at the NFL level,” Williams said of Mosley, who delayed season-ending surgery in hopes of returning to the field. “He stayed active, energized and led this football team behind the scenes. He prepared like he was getting ready to play that week. C.J. showed tremendous leadership in doing that.”

With Williams’ praise in mind, there should be no doubt that Mosley is dedicated to his craft, that he was motivated to return to his Pro Bowl form in his second season with the Jets. And so, it stands to reason that his decision to opt-out of the 2020 campaign was not made lightly.

Mosley has yet to comment publicly on his choice, but ESPN’s Rich Cimini reported he was doing so due to family health concerns amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Regardless of what those health concerns are — and the details are hardly anyone’s business if Mosley doesn’t want them publicized — it should go without saying that there’s nothing wrong with a person putting their family before football.

And yet, the small ounce of consideration required to realize that seems lost on some after a quick scroll through social media.

“He’s soft,” one Facebook user commented on Jets Wire’s story about Mosley’s opt-out.

“No respect,” wrote another despite knowing nothing of Mosley’s family situation.

Those are just fragments from a few of the more mundane comments, but anyone who spends time on social media knows it didn’t take long for Mosley’s decision to be met with profanity, hostility and antipathy.

That’s been the case for most players who have chosen not to play their respective sport in 2020, no matter the reason or the detail in which the choice was explained. The expectation from far too many is that athletes are here to entertain the masses, their health and humanity be damned. The lack of compassion for them speaks to far greater problems in the world as the pandemic rages onto yet another calendar page roughly a month shy of the NFL season.

In the case of Mosley, maybe some are mad that the Jets lost their two best players in the span of a week after trading Jamal Adams, thus putting their love of football before common decency. Other fans may feel entitled to an explanation like the one Eagles WR Marquise Goodwin gave for his opt-out, but they’re not. Or perhaps Mosley’s fortunate position — and that of other athletes choosing to opt-out — has rubbed people the wrong way.

Mosley is one of the best at what he does and still has guaranteed money left on the five-year, $85 million contract he signed two offseasons ago — of which he’s already collected $29 million for two games — so his job likely won’t be in jeopardy when he returns to the Jets in 2021. Players who opt-out also get either a $350,000 stipend if considered medically high risk or a $150,000 salary advance, something that was agreed to by the NFL and NFLPA.

Obviously, not every person has that type of money or security to fall back on. Supermarket employees, healthcare workers, teachers and countless others have been going to work for far less money — and, in some cases, with far fewer safety protocols than sports leagues have in place — for months. Businesses across the country have been forced to shut down and millions of people have had to file for employment. Countless loved ones have been lost.

So far, 2020 has been unimaginably cruel to far too many. But that doesn’t mean we should lack empathy when someone like Mosley chooses to mitigate the risks facing his family.

Because the reality is that many of the people calling him soft would make the exact same decision if they were in his shoes. Doing so would be nothing but respectable.

Organized team activities for college football begin today

Teams are now permitted to begin team workouts and film sessions.

It may not feel like it, but the college football season has technically started.

Monday July 13 is the first day that college football programs are permitted to begin organized team actives such as weight training, conditioning, and film sessions. Previously these activities were classified as mandatory, but the Big Ten announced that summer activities would remain voluntary through the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Michigan State football social team has started to share some content for the occasion. Below is a video from Twitter of a workout from this morning.

The teams’s official account also teased some new content coming out today, so we’ll be on the lookout for that.

MSU beat reporter Chris Solari was on campus today and posted a picture of an MSU QB working out with a couple of receivers at Munn Field.

Right now teams are permitted eight hours a week of walkthroughs and meetings. That will jump up to 20 hours per week on July 24. Then the first practices for the fall season are scheduled to begin on August 7.

We’ll see if the MSU football season ever gets off the ground with the planned ten-game conference-only schedule, but the team is still preparing as if it is.

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Texans DE J.J. Watt getting ready for 2020 with or without fans in the stands

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt says he is preparing for the 2020 NFL season, with or without fans in attendance.

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There is no time in the world except the present; future plans are as a tangible as alternate realities thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unlike a majority of the other sports league, the pandemic occurred in early parts of the NFL’s offseason, which gives pro football a chance to adapt its regular season to the “new normal.”

Though there is a strong belief the 101st NFL season will happen, it is still possible it may not due to a dreaded second wave on infections.

For Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, he prepares for the 2020 season one day at a time, regardless of what the future may allow or postpone.

“All I know is I’m preparing like it’s going to happen on time like normal, and I’m getting ready for training camp just like it’s going to happen at a normal time,” Watt told Houston media on a video conference Wednesday.

One of the plans the NFL has, as do all of the sports leagues, is to play games without fans in the stadium.

“As far as fans or no fans, obviously we always prefer to play in front of fans,” said Watt. “We love our fans and it makes the game — the energy, the excitement, the adrenaline — it makes it what it is. But at the same time, as an athlete and as a competitor, you can play in front of no fans.

“We want to go out there and compete. It doesn’t matter if it’s a practice against another team, it doesn’t matter if it’s a practice against your own team, it doesn’t matter if it’s in the weight room against yourself. You’re always looking to compete.”

There is some optimism on the horizon as a recent report indicates NFL teams could have minicamps as soon as June.

How is Texans DE J.J. Watt handling the COVID-19 pandemic?

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt says he is like everybody else in the way that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected his daily routine.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the lives of almost everyone on the planet, and NFL superstars such as the Houston Texans’ J.J. Watt is no exception.

The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year met with Houston reporters via video conferencing on Wednesday, and Watt said he is trying to “wade through” the information like everyone else.

However, the defensive end does need to get ready for his 10th season in the league, so certain aspects of his routine have continued.

“For me personally, I go to the gym, and the gym is obviously fully wiped down and there’s protocols in place and you’re not close to anybody, things like that,” Watt said. “But other than that, I don’t really leave my house a whole lot.”

Occasionally, Watt will leave his home to pick up food, but with his wife, Kealia Ohai, preparing for a possible tournament style season with the Chicago Red Stars of the National Women’s Soccer League, the 31-year-old is home alone with the dogs.

“It’s just me and the dogs down here in Houston,” Watt said. “They love that because I throw the tennis ball 650 times an hour and when I’m not training that’s literally all I do.”

The pandemic has disrupted appointments, routines, and other staples that make time pass on a daily and weekly basis. A new part of Watt’s schedule has been his “Ultimate Tag” show, which he shot over the 2019 summer and co-hosted with his brothers, Derek Watt and T.J. Watt, both of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“I think the best part about it is I get to share it with my brothers, and parents got to be out there for filming last year,” Watt said. “We had a lot of fun with it and it’s a foray into a foreign situation for us, and for it to have success in its premier [May 20], we were just very thankful to all the fans and we’re glad they like it.”

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AD McGarity ‘planning for a full house’ for 2020 UGA football games

Georgia AD Greg McGarity went on 92.9 The Game’s morning show and discussed allowing fans into UGA football games this fall.

University of Georgia Athletic Director Greg McGarity went on 92.9 The Game’s morning show on Tuesday and discussed allowing fans into football games this fall.

Per 92.9 The Game’s Mike Conti

“We’re planning for a full house. Is that realistic? Time will tell,” McGarity said. “We have several internal documents ready to activate, but we don’t want to go public, especially in May.”

McGarity spoke just a few days after the SEC’s vote which allowed athletes to use on-campus facilities starting June 8, which followed the NCAA Division 1 Council’s decision last week to lift its restriction on workouts starting June 1.

It looks as if we are on the road to a 2020 college football season and McGarity thinks that, not only will there be football, there will be fans in attendance as well.

But, as he said, is that realistic?

From what we know about COVID-19 and the restrictions on crowds that are in place, it may be too early to get our hopes up.

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said:

“For us to have our football season our universities have to re-engage in a normal operating pattern.”

Once universities begin to fully-reopen is when we should find out if there is a realistic possibility for fans to be in attendance at college football games this fall.

Until then, let’s enjoy the fact that athletes are allowed back on campuses and it looks like football, with or without fans, will at least be played.

Report: SEC presidents to vote on when players can return to campus

LSU executive said Thursday that the conference’s presidents and chancellors will vote whether to allow players to return to their campuses.

Per Brooks Kubena of The Advocate, LSU executive deputy athletic director Verge Ausberry said Thursday that the conference’s presidents will vote whether players will be able to return to campus on either June 1 or June 15.

The vote could take place as soon as next week.

From Kubena:

Ausberry, told the Louisiana Economic Recovery Task Force that the athletic department is aiming to return its players to campus on June 1, something athletic director Scott Woodward had also said in the department’s virtual Coaches Caravan Wednesday night.

“The presidents are going to take a vote in the SEC,” Ausberry told the task force, a unit of private sector business leaders who advise lawmakers on the economy’s recovery amid the spread of coronavirus. “Do we come back? Do we bring the students back on June 1 or June 15?”

Per 247Sports, SEC administrator Herb Vincent said,

“We are in continuous conversations about athletics activities related to COVID-19 and will make decisions appropriately.”

As states begin to reopen amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s only a matter of time before athletes and coaches are allowed back on campuses. The question is, will football be played in the fall?

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said,

“For us to have our football season our universities have to re-engage in a normal operating pattern.”

For now, it looks like we should be hoping for schools to reopen completely before we can expect a football season, or at least that is what SEC officials have led us to believe so far.

Falcons OC says only question mark for Todd Gurley is durability

Atlanta Falcons OC Dirk Koetter talks about the concerns with former Georgia football star, new Falcons running back Todd Gurley.

Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter was pretty straight forward with the media about new running back Todd Gurley and his health concerns.

The 25-year-old sixth year pro is reportedly dealing with arthritis in his surgically repaired left knee.

Per ESPN‘s Vaughn McClure:

“He can still do it. It’s just a matter of how often can he do it,” Koetter said.

After being released by the L.A. Rams, Gurley returned to Georgia to sign a one-year $5.5 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons this offseason. The former Georgia football star was drafted by the Rams in 2015 NFL Draft and in his five seasons Gurley made three Pro Bowls while being named to the All-Pro team twice, in addition to winning NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2017.

However, in 2019, Gurley’s knee issues surfaced and the Rams questioned his durability – ultimately leading to his release just two years after signing a four-year extension worth $45 million guaranteed.

“This guy, when he’s at his best, he’s got speed, he’s got power, he can break tackles, he’s elusive, he can catch the ball out of the backfield,” Koetter continued. “We’ve all seen what he can do. His accolades speak for themselves. We just have to see how healthy he is and how consistently he can do it.”

Gurley’s deal with the Falcons is still awaiting a physical and due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Falcons staff hasn’t been able to evaluate him just yet.

“I know from talking to Todd that he’s fired up to be coming back to Georgia. He can do everything. He’s an excellent runner. He’s good in the pass game. He can protect. The main question that no one seems to know is, ‘What’s his health status? What’s his workload?’ He averaged about 17 touches a game last year, which is a little bit lower than he had been when he was All-Pro. We’re just going to have to find that out once we get here and get him working, get him up and running.”

Could the Texans be players in the 2020 NFL supplemental draft?

The NFL supplemental draft may be consequential this offseason due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If it is, would the Houston Texans be players?

The Houston Texans selected five players in the 2020 NFL Draft, their smallest class in team history. However, they may not be done picking players from the college ranks.

Barry Werner from the Touchdown Wire penned an article on how the 2020 supplemental draft could be more impactful than it has been since the late 1980s because of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the sports world. If the pandemic forces college football to cancel its games, and the decision is made in enough time for players entering their last year of eligibility to declare before the July draft, then there could be a bumper crop of college talent.

Players who decided to return to school and pass on the 2020 NFL Draft had no idea the coronavirus could impact the upcoming college football season. If it is delayed due to the impact of the pandemic, the NFL could see a large number of eligible players opt for the Supplemental Draft.

While it is the end of April, decisions are going to be made sooner than later as to how to handle college football 2020. A delay of months or until early next year would have a gigantic impact on players. The only thing certain now is how uncertain everything is.

Traditionally, players who enter the supplemental draft must file a petition, which is reviewed case-by-case. There would be a bevy of cases the NFL would have to review if players who lost their last year of eligibility due to the pandemic decided to enter the NFL.

In order to draft a supplemental player, a team bids on the prospect by submitting what pick they would be willing to give up in the next year’s April draft — this case, 2021 — to take the player.

The Texans have not made a pick in the supplemental draft since 2003 when they took running back Tony Hollings in the second round from Georgia Tech. Their first supplemental draft pick was guard Milford Brown from Florida State in 2002, a sixth-round pick.

Former players, current UGA staffers Jarvis Jones and Bryan Gantt helping others during coronavirus pandemic

Former UGA football players Jarvis Jones and Bryant Gantt gave out lunches in Athens-Clarke county during COVID-19 pandemic.

On Friday, former Georgia football players Jarvis Jones and Bryant Gantt provided lunches to the Athens-Clarke County Solid Waste Department staff.

Gantt wrote:

“We wanted to provide lunch to some of the people who are overlooked.”

Gantt was a letterman for the Bulldogs under the great Vince Dooley from 1988-90 and Jones was an All-American from 2011-2012. Both are now on the UGA staff.

It is nice to see the University of Georgia being represented by guys like Jones and Gantt. Hopefully acts like these can help to motivate and inspire us during these strange times.