Tag: Kevin Warren

Columbus Dispatch: Well known attorney believes Justin Fields’ actions could result in reversal by Big Ten

Well-known player advocate attorney Tom Mars believes Justin Fields’ and others’ actions will force the hand of Kevin Warren the Big Ten.

Just when you think the moves Justin Fields, football parents, and other administrators’ actions are well-intentioned but unlikely to make any real impacts on the Big Ten’s decision to postpone the 2020 football season, we get some news about well-known attorney Tom Mars entering the fray.

For those that need a reminder, Mars has represented (successfully I might add) many high-profile college football players in their attempts to obtain a waiver exception for immediate eligibility for undergrads. He was the attorney that represented Justin Fields in gaining immediate eligibility at Ohio State.

The Columbus Dispatch (subscription may be required) reached out to Mars and got some insight on where the huge pushback from Big Ten players, parents, and coaches might be headed. Be ready to be surprised, because he believes it could all result in a reversal of action by the Big Ten.

Mars believes that having Fields as the face of this whole push means more than anyone is giving it credit for.

“I think it’s going to matter a lot,” Mars told The Dispatch. “I think it already matters. I don’t think this dilemma is going to be solved in a court of law. I think it’s going to be solved in the court of public opinion. I can’t think of any individual in college football — player, coach or otherwise — who has more credibility and respect than Justin Fields.”

Also of significant note — and a bit of a revelation — at the request of several parents of Big Ten players, Mars has written a two-page proposal entitled “Action Plan to Mitigate Concerns and Legal Risks of Playing Fall 2020 Football.”

Yes, you read that right.

And here’s the deal. Mars believes the Big Ten has to act or face some issues in the court of public opinion. With the groundswell of support for getting on board with trying to play games in the fall, there are some real problems that could arise for the league.

There are concerns about counterproductive moves to ban liability waivers, as well as what can only be viewed as a premature decision by the Big Ten to postpone the season and the lack of detail and transparency in making such an impactful decision.

“The failure of transparency has called into question the legitimacy of their decision,” Mars said, “which reminds me of that expression I heard and was taught long ago: Transparency is the foundation of legitimacy. Without it, you can expect people to question your motives and question whether you made a good decision.”

Mars said that there has also been some talk about taking legal action, but it isn’t the path he would prefer to go.

ESPN Radio: Justin Fields on why he created the online petition to reinstate the Big Ten fall football season

Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields appeared on ESPN radio Monday morning to continue the fight for players’ rights and a fall B1G season.

The online petition Justin Fields created to gather signatures towards reinstating the fall Big Ten season has taken a life of its own. As of Monday morning, it has now collected over 230,000 signatures from all walks of life, even Michigan players.

But why did Fields feel the need to take action on his own? The former Heisman finalist and Big Ten Player of the Year appeared on ESPN radio Monday morning to discuss just that. He said it was more than just about him, it was for the fifth-year seniors and others that came back to give it one more go in Columbus.

“The guys that have come back for their fifth year — coming back off of injury — I think we owe it to those guys the most,” Fields told ESPN. “I’ve just seen behind the scenes all the work that they’ve put in and how much they really care about it, and I also believe all the coaches and all the players’ parents want us to play, and they’re also safe with the guidelines Ohio State has set.”

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For him personally, a guy that’s projected to be a top pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, there’s more at stake too than just making money. Rather than sit things out and rest on his lot in life, Fields is fighting for his teammates, and for the ability to compete. But why?

“My love for college football, and my love for my teammates at Ohio State,” Fields said. “I’ve seen the guys battle back from injuries, and I’ve seen how hard our coaches have fought for us to play, so really just for them, and just my love for the game,”

Fields also had a message for Kevin Warren and the Big Ten on the divide between what the conference is doing vs. three of the other Power Five conferences.

“If the SEC, ACC, and Big 12 all think that we can have a season safely, then I don’t see any reason why the Big Ten can’t do the same,” Fields said. “If we’re sitting at home watching the other conferences play, I think that’s gonna hit somewhere down deep. Sometimes it doesn’t hurt that much until you realize that you’re not playing, but I think the players don’t realize how much it’s gonna affect them once they see other conferences and other schools playing — and we’re just sitting at home not doing anything.”

It’s refreshing that Fields believes he and the players have a voice and that he’s using his leadership to fight for a cause he believes in. However, so far, the Big Ten has had no comment on any of this, and there’s really no reason to believe anyone’s going to walk this whole thing back at this point.

But that clearly isn’t going to stop Fields, parents, players, and coaches from going down swinging.

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The Big Ten’s response to the Justin Fields petition? Well …

According to a report from ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg, the Big Ten is aware of the Justin Fields’ petition to reinstate the fall season. But …

If you’re here, you more than likely already know that Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields started an online petition to have Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren and the rest of the league leadership reinstate the 2020 fall football season. You probably also know that it has garnered over 200,000 signatures as of late Sunday night.

The move got national attention and plenty has been written about it here on this site and beyond. But what we were really waiting for was some kind of response from Warren and the Big Ten. I mean after four schools had football parents write letters to the Big Ten offices, and now this, the pushback and attention have been about as extreme and polarizing as it can be.

So, you kind of expected some sort of response. Well, we do have one, and it is the good ‘ole “no comment at this time,” according to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg.

Okay?

Look, no matter how you feel about where all of this stands — and there are good arguments on both sides — where is the leadership here on something that has gotten this big is on the verge of getting out of control? Some would argue that it’s already out of control and will only continue to spiral.

Why not meet it head-on? I get that there’s no answer that’s going to appease everyone, let alone the majority here, but when something is nearing a big elephant in the room, rarely is just letting it take care of itself ever the answer. However, that appears to be the path the Big Ten is taking. Maybe because Warren and company just don’t know how to respond and that might be even more troubling.

This isn’t going away though so grab your popcorn. Something tells me we’re going to hear more developments on what can only be considered a no-win situation.

 

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Ohio State star quarterback Justin Fields starts ‘We want to play’ petition

Ohio State star quarterback Justin Fields is using his platform to try and apply pressure to get Big Ten football back for this fall.

Aside from Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who has already been very vocal about his wishes to have college football played this fall, there probably isn’t as recognized name in the game as Justin Fields.

For those who may not know though, Fields quarterbacks Ohio State and after a standout 2019, was a big reason for the Buckeyes being among the favorites to win it all in 2020.

‘Was’ might be a short word but carries massive importance in this case as Ohio State and the rest of the Big Ten saw their football seasons canceled last week in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now Fields is using his platform to try and pressure Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren and all 14 Big Ten presidents to reinstate football to the conferences 2020 fall schedule. Fields began a petition seeking nationwide support to this cause on Sunday and has already received more than 65,000 as of early Sunday afternoon.

Fields says of the ‘We want to play’ cause:

We want to play. We believe that safety protocols have been established and can be maintained to mitigate concerns of exposure to Covid 19. We believe that we should have the right to make decisions about what is best for our health and our future. Don’t let our hard work and sacrifice be in vain. #LetUsPlay!

I credit the young man for putting his support behind his belief. It’s not just about staying healthy this fall in order to be a first round pick in next spring’s NFL Draft. He clearly wants to play, potentially raise his draft stock and help lead a team with legit national championship aspirations.

Hats off to Fields for stating and acting on his wishes. Unfortunately for his cause I’d be shocked if this petition changes any minds of those in charge, even if it ultimately lands one million signatures that would fill all 14 Big Ten football stadiums.

If you’d like to sign the petition you can do so by clicking here.

Parents of Ohio State football players send letter asking for the season to be reinstated

Parents of Ohio State football players sent a letter to Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren recently asking for the 10-game schedule to be…

Parents of Ohio State football players sent a letter to Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren recently asking for the 10-game schedule to be reinstated and for overall transparency surrounding the decision of whether or not to play the season.

The demands are reinstating the revised 10-game schedule, full transparency to the parents, coaches and players regarding the decision and the data used, a Zoom call between the Big Ten Commissioner and senior players and parents, the conference choosing to allow teams who are prepared to play to play and a detailed action plan with standard protocols and safety protocols for all teams.

There is a lot to unpack here, but the fact that the parents of the players feel so out of the loop regarding the decision to cancel the season that they wrote a letter to the conference commissioner is not a great sign.

Is it possible to reinstate the 10-game season? Who knows. But overall transparency and all parties working together towards a desired outcome seems like a good place to start.

As Athletic writer Bill Landis perfectly put it in the tweet above: what a novel concept.

 

Check back in to BadgersWire in the coming weeks to stay up to date on any development regarding the season and how the Big Ten responds to the letter.

Ohio State football parents group FPAOS to send letter to Big Ten asking to reconsider fall season

An Ohio State football players association has sent a letter to the Big Ten asking to reconsider playing a fall 2020 season.

Ever since the Big Ten made the decision to postpone the fall football season for 2020, the reaction has been swift, pointed, and overwhelming. Players have reacted with confusion and disappointment. In addition to that, the parents of Ohio State and Iowa have both expressed concern, confusion, and outrage and how it was all handled by commissioner Kevin Warren and the conference.

And it doesn’t appear it’s going to stop there. According to the Columbus Dispatch (subscription may be required), the FPAOS, an OSU football parent organization, has taken it a step further and sent a letter to the Big Ten offices Saturday. In it, the parents asked the league to reconsider fall football and directed some very pointed questions, much like what Iowa parents did earlier in the week.

“We believe the August 11th decision was made in haste,” the Football Parents Association of Ohio State (FPAOS) said in the letter emailed to the Big Ten according to the Dispatch. “As we have continued to learn nationally about COVID-19, our understanding and protocols in dealing with this virus have also continued to evolve. In the best interests of our players, we strongly believe that the Big Ten should re-evaluate its decision. Additional time and consideration provided by deferring the decision would allow for more data to be analyzed and evaluated.”

The letter also expressed the inherent risk that comes with playing football, and the freedom players and parents should have in deciding their future.

“Football is a game of risk,” the letter continued. “Our sons work extremely hard for the opportunity to play and fully understand the risks involved when they step on the field. Their personal decisions should be acknowledged and honored to give them the opportunity to compete as athletes in the game they love.”

Not only does the letter request that the ten-game schedule released by the Big Ten just six days prior to the decision to postpone be reinstated, but it also requests several things to be addressed including the following:

  • Full transparency to the coaches players and parents about the data used by the Big Ten to make its decision.
  • A meeting with representatives that include players, parents and coaches and that Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren have a Zoom call with senior players and coaches.
  • The Big Ten allow teams that are prepared to play be allowed to do so. Teams that aren’t prepared may forfeit or opt out until next season.
  • Provide a detailed action play, including standard protocols and safety practices for all teams.

The letter requests for a response from the league no later than Wednesday.

It’s just another move by parents of Big Ten football players that are outraged and concerned about the lack of communication and plan by the league in going from the release of a schedule to the postponement of it just a few days later. So far, both Iowa and Ohio State football parents have sent letters in response to what they believe was a short-sighted and poorly planned decision-making process.

As always, we’ll be on top of any response from the Big Ten that’s made public.

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Ohio State and Iowa parents express frustration with Big Ten on postponement of season

According to ESPN, Iowa and Ohio State football parents have expressed frustration over the Big Ten’s decision to postpone the fall season.

Nothing brings rival fanbases together like the postponement of an activity that is a way of life. Fall Saturdays have always been a staple of culture and in the very fabric of Midwesterners are.

It should come as no surprise then that several fans are outraged at the Big Ten’s perceived lack of leadership and communication surrounding the postponement of the Big Ten football season. And it has gone even further now.

Parents of both Iowa and Ohio State have expressed disappointment and outrage at how the Big Ten handled the whole ordeal. Both groups believe the communication and planning were poor, and that players should have had more of a say in the decision-making process.

According to a piece by ESPN, Iowa parents hand-delivered a letter to the Big Ten offices Friday and asked for a meeting with commissioner Kevin Warren. The letter was tweeted out on Friday and can be seen below. In it, the parents asked for the league to reconsider playing in the fall, and for a response by no later than next Wednesday.

“The Big Ten had months to develop a strategic plan but instead chose to leave it up to each individual school creating confusion, inconsistency and no plan of action,” the letter stated. “There is time to fix the wrongdoings and come out as leaders. We strongly encourage the Big Ten to reconsider playing the fall college football season, develop a plan of meaningful action and letting these young adults be included in the decision-making process.”

But that’s not all. Several Ohio State parents also reached out to ESPN expressing concern about how things were handled.

“It’s unacceptable,” Corey Teague, father of Ohio State running back Master Teague III told ESPN. “It’s something that needs more explanation because when you go in a certain direction and days later it changes, and no one has spoken to anyone else, and players weren’t able to be involved in this decision, and the protocols that were put in by Ohio State were very successful. It’s unfortunate and I don’t know if it’s shortsightedness there, lack of leadership, but it’s definitely something that needs to be rectified and more dialogue needs to happen. It’s just a very messy situation, and we want to clean it up.”

Kristina Miller, the mother of sophomore OSU offensive lineman Harry Miller took things into her own hands and wrote her own letter to Warren. She said there was confusion and a lack of communication to the parents and players throughout the whole process.

“There’s been no communication, no transparency, nothing to say what has changed in the last five days that we give you your schedule and we cancel the season within five days,” she told ESPN. “There’s been nothing.”

Miller also suggested that schools and players should have been provided with an option to play or opt-out — citing the glaring differences in thoughts and cultures at schools in the conference.

“Similar to players having the opportunity to opt out if they choose, we feel like our teams should have that opportunity,” Miller said. “We’re at a different level of Rutgers and Maryland. I don’t mean that to sound pompous, it’s just true. Our guys want to play. They want to play and they should have the opportunity to play if they want. They shouldn’t be subjected to this vote, yes or no. Well, if you guys don’t want to play, opt out. Opt your team out. Let the six teams that want to play, play.”

While all of this seems like another Hail Mary gasp at getting the Big Ten to change its mind and reconsider having games this fall, it’s unlikely to make much of a difference in what Warren and the Big Ten has decided.

Clearly, we’re under a pandemic and it’s hard to do everything perfect here, but the Big Ten could have been more transparent and inclusive in its decision making at the least.

We’ll keep an eye on this, but don’t get your hopes up about this being a catalyst towards things turning around this fall.

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To leave or not to leave? Nebraska’s flirtatious look at sticking it to the Big Ten

Just before and after the Big Ten’s decision to postpone the football season to spring, Nebraska got a little too big for its britches.

There’s no way else to put it. The last week or so of the college football world was one we’ll never forget. The Big Ten and Pac-12 both made the expected decisions to postpone the fall football seasons, and that set off a chain reaction of emotion and reported animosity within the league.

While most schools toed the company line and sent out statements in support of the league’s decision to be ultra-conservative amid the coronavirus pandemic, there are two schools in particular that flirted with going out on an island to find somewhere else to play in the fall.

The Cornhuskers were the first to thumb its nose up at the league before the decision to postpone the season was even announced. Like an independent and stubborn foster child, Huskers’ coach Scott Frost got up in front of the media and vowed to play in the fall no matter what.

“We want to play no matter who it is or where it is, so we’ll see how those chips fall. We certainly hope it’s in the Big Ten, if it isn’t, I think we’re prepared to look for other options.”

And while many applauded the spectacle of disdain from Lincoln, others heavily criticized Nebraska as a program still hanging on to the past and trying to throw around some weight that is a few pounds lighter than it used to be.

Following the comments by Frost, many analysts, including Michigan star Desmond Howard, had choice words for the program even though the Wolverine outfit looks a lot like Nebraska’s these days, only in shades of Maize and Blue.

After the Big Ten made it official, Nebraska then came out with yet another stubborn push back statement filled with disappointment. In it, Chancellor Ronnie Green, President Ted Carter, AD Bill Moos, and Frost made it clear the program would still look to play in the fall. They made it sound like they’d call up the local YMCA or travel to American Somoa to do so.

Oh boy. That led to some quotes from Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren to Pete Thamel of Yahoo! Sports indicating the Cornhuskers were on shaky ground.

In other words, go to your room, put all the electronics away, turn out the light, and go to bed Nebraska. Oh, and you’ve lost the right to use the car. Give me those keys.

But hey, all of this has an amicable ending — or so we think. Who knows who called who first, or if there were threats of the mob getting involved, but there must have been some pretty difficult conversations that resulted in a come to Jesus moment. That’s because Nebraska issued a statement just a couple of days later that appeared to diffuse the situation.

That sure sounds like Nebraska has quit shucking corn aggressively and is now ready to see this whole spring season thing out.

Whew.

You know, it’s good to see everyone trying to play in the sandbox together now, but part of me was rooting for some of that sand to be slung around as mud pies. We are left to wonder what would have truly happened if Nebraska would have followed through with trying to play this fall somewhere on the dark side of the moon, presumably with intelligent life somewhere outside the Milky Way Galaxy.

And before you get to critical of Nebraska, remember Ohio State had it’s own less stern look at playing in the fall before Gene Smith “got sent for.”

Oh well. Back to reality and a boring wait for a spring schedule that’ll never happen I suppose.

 

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Leaving the conference? Nebraska releases a statement surrounding their Big Ten controversy

The Huskers have been making headlines over the past few days

The University of Nebraska has been the subject of Big Ten news immediately following the cancellation of the fall sports calendar. Nebraska football Head Coach Scott Frost immediately made it clear that his team was going to attempt to play regardless of a Big Ten decision, quickly leading to wild speculation about the plans for the university to play games this fall. Would they change conferences (again)? Should they be allowed in the Big Ten after such comments?

Following the comments by Frost, many analysts, including ESPN analyst and former Michigan star Desmond Howard had choice words for the program. 

Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren then made it clear that the Huskers were not allowed to play outside the conference, unless of course they planned to leave.

All of the events culminated today in a statement from Nebraska’s President and Chancellor:

For now, it looks as though Nebraska and Frost will remain committed to the Big Ten, but this saga looks like it has not ended just yet.

Why Nebraska trying to play outside the Big Ten in 2020 is probably a pipe dream

Before the Big Ten postponed football, Scott Frost said Nebraska is “prepared to look for other options.”

Nebraska football coach Scott Frost was one of several coaches publicly urging conferences to carry on with the 2020 season, despite the known and unknown health risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic. And he said Monday that if the Cornhuskers can’t play this season with the Big Ten, “we’re prepared to look for other options.”

But Frost didn’t get his wish. Tuesday, the Big Ten announced Tuesday that it postponed fall sports, including football, and it hopes to put something together for the spring.

The Pac-12 also bowed out of a fall season, but the rest of the Power 5 conferences — the SEC, ACC and Big 12 — currently are still moving forward.

So does this mean Frost and the Cornhuskers would seriously try to play outside the Big Ten if it meant they could play football in the fall? Here’s what Frost said Monday:

“We want to play a Big Ten schedule. I hope that’s what happens. Our university’s committed to playing no matter what. No matter what that looks like and how that looks. We want to play no matter who it is or where it is.

“So we’ll see how all those chips fall. We certainly hope it’s in the Big Ten. If it isn’t, I think we’re prepared to look for other options.”

And when the Big Ten announced the postponement of fall sports, Frost, athletic director Bill Moos and other university officials said in a statement that they’re “very disappointed” by the conference, adding:

“We will continue to consult with medical experts and evaluate the situation as it emerges. We hope it may be possible for our student athletes to have the opportunity to compete.”

That sort of sounds like Nebraska is still open to other options.

With a notable new and temporary exception with Notre Dame and the ACC, schools can’t be in a conference and be an independent, and Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren said as much when asked about the idea of Nebraska exploring other options. Via Yahoo Sports:

When Warren was asked specifically by Yahoo Sports if Nebraska could play college football this fall, he gave an answer that would make his hardline predecessor nod with approval.

“No,” he said, firmly. “Not and be a member of the Big Ten Conference.”

More from Warren about Nebraska following the Big Ten’s decision, via ESPN:

“We have 14 schools in the Big Ten conference. I appreciate the passion of all of our schools. I didn’t expect all of our coaches to be ecstatic that the decision was made, so I understand they’re passionate. … My expectation is that when you’re in a conference, you can’t be in a conference and be an independent. That’s where we are. I expect for our 14 members to go forward together.”

Clearly, Nebraska objected to the Big Ten postponing its season, but to try to leave the conference would be a particularly costly decision for the Cornhuskers. As the most profitable conference, the Big Ten had $781.5 million in revenue last year, which led to a payout of about $55.6 million to most of the schools, including Nebraska, USA TODAY Sports reported.

And, for what it’s worth, if Nebraska hypothetically tried to leave the Big Ten and join another conference for this season, returning to the Big 12 is the obvious choice. But Monday, according to the Austin American-Statesman‘s Kirk Bohls, that idea was news to the Big 12.

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