Tag: we want to play

President Trump weighs in on college football

If you’ve paid any attention to college football players on social media the last day you’ve seen “#WeWantToPlay” take off. Stars from colleges and universities all over the nation have let their thoughts be known that they in fact want to play …

If you’ve paid any attention to college football players on social media the last day you’ve seen “#WeWantToPlay” take off.

Stars from colleges and universities all over the nation have let their thoughts be known that they in fact want to play college football this fall. The biggest name in college football this season and the likely next first overall pick in the NFL Draft was among them.

But it wasn’t Trevor Lawrence who drew the most attention Monday for his cause, but instead the President of the United States of America who jumped aboard the cause.

Donald Trump is on board with college sports returning this fall and athletes not having to miss seasons they’ve worked so hard for.

There’s two sides of this and like society anymore, anyone with a strong belief doesn’t seem to want to hear the other side.

It’s not even 1:00 p.m. where I’m at as I type this and it feels like the day is only going to get crazier for the college football world.

Stay tuned.

Najee Harris helped orchestrate ‘#WeWantToPlay’ movement

Alabama senior running back Najee Harris was a part of a 15 player group call the help in the creation of the ‘#WeWantToPlay’ movement.

The No. 1 trending topic on Twitter in the United States last night was ‘#WeWantToPlay,’ a movement led by college football players from various programs, conferences and divisions.

The movement is driven by recent rumors that claim Power 5 conferences may look to cancel the 2020 college football season, and all fall sports, due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.

The hashtag was spearheaded by Clemson’s star quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, a player who is likely set to be an early draftee in 2021, but still wants to play.

In a report by The State, Lawrence got the ball rolling, but it took 14 other players to put together a short list of demands and begin spreading the hashtag like wildfire. The list is asking for conferences and the NCAA to protect the players on various levels and ensure the players’ voices continue to be heard through a players association.

The report names some players that were involved on the call, one of which being Alabama’s senior running back, Najee Harris.

Roll Tide Wire will keep you updated on the movement and the state of the 2020 college football season as more information becomes available.

Seahawks players express safety concerns ahead of training camp

Seahawks players, and others around the NFL, have expressed concerns ahead of training camp start dates with no safety protocols in place.

NFL players are expected to begin to report to training camps this week, yet the league and the NFLPA have yet to agree on a number of protocols the union believes need to be in place to protect the safety of its players.

A number of NFL players – including Seahawks Russell Wilson, Bobby Wagner and Bruce Irvin – took to Twitter Sunday morning to express their concerns using the hashtag #WeWantToPlay. Wilson included the following message in his tweet:

“I am concerned. My wife is pregnant.

NFL Training camp is about to start.. And there’s still No Clear Plan on Player Health & Family Safety.

 

🤷🏾

We want to play football but we also want to protect our loved ones. #WeWantToPlay.”

This Twitter campaign comes on the eve of the day Texans and Chiefs rookies are scheduled to arrive at camp.

The NFL and the NFLPA are continuing their negotiations today per numerous reports.

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Drew Brees, Saints leadership call out NFL’s COVID-19 response

New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees and teammates Malcolm Jenkins, Demario Davis, and Michael Thomas criticized the NFL’s handling of COVID-19.

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Drew Brees joined many of his New Orleans Saints teammates in putting the NFL on blast for its response to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, lending their voices to a wide range of posts from members of the NFL Players Association.

According to NFLPA President JC Tretter, these messages are protesting the league’s lackluster response to expert recommendations in the interest of player health and safety. One example cited by Bleacher Report’s Master Tesfatsion is a lack of NFL policy should a team facility record multiple infections, or if a player or their family member becomes seriously ill. That’s in addition to possible impacts on the NFL salary cap in future years due to depressed revenue in the 2020 fiscal year, which could end up costing players jobs.

Another snag in negotiations was brought up by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero; a joint medical committee suggested the NFL institute a 21-day acclimation period before training camp so that everyone can adjust to new health and safety protocols, but league ownership wants to limit that to just 14 days. Additionally, the players union wants to eliminate preseason games altogether, while the NFL is set on shortening the exhibition series to just two weeks of games.

All of these points of contention and more were raised by Brees, Malcolm Jenkins, Michael Thomas, Demario Davis, and other big names in New Orleans and around the NFL. Regardless of their personal focuses, the central point remains the same from all of them: they want to play, but with the assurance that the NFL is doing everything it can and using all of its resources to protect people.

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