Highest Profile CFB Players Emerge in Support of 2020 Season as #WeWantToPlay Climbs Trending Charts

Depressing reports have been dropping all weekend about the sure-fire demise of college fall sports in 2020, including football. Earlier in the weekend, the Big Ten was reportedly going to pull the plug… but the announcement keeps on getting delayed. Tonight, we moved closer… but still nothing.

As the cancellation of college football in 2020 is being debated, players are finding their voices. We had only heard from about the 40-ish players (including Rashod Bateman) who had chosen to opt-out of football this season. Finally, we are starting to hear from those who want to play… and the names are GIANT. Trevor Lawrence came out with the most powerful statement.

Source: Big Ten Presidents remain on the cusp of cancelling the season, but the league isn’t ready to announce. The decision is close, but not final. Big Ten programs have been instructed by Commissioner Kevin Warren to essentially go light in practice tomorrow.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 10, 2020

College football stars around the country took to Twitter and expressed their desire to play in the fall. pic.twitter.com/tB893TCZBs

— ESPN (@espn) August 10, 2020

Not to mention the players coming from situations that are not good for them/ their future and having to go back to that. Football is a safe haven for so many people. We are more likely to get the virus in everyday life than playing football. Having a season also incentivizes –

— Trevor Lawrence (@Trevorlawrencee) August 9, 2020

#WeWantToPlay is trending on Twitter and hundreds of college football players have tweeted it out tonight. Will any of it matter, though? That’s the real question.

Everyone cared when we saw players start opting out. Now though, you can already see the COVID shaming taking place. I wrote about it yesterday (and clearly nobody gives two shits what I think), but you can catch corona anywhere. If not on a college football field, then at a grocery store or gas station. Unless you’re going to lock yourself in (college players aren’t and won’t), then what are we doing?

When someone does catch the virus, like Trevor Lawrence stated so nicely, they are in better hands on campus than off of it. That goes for just about every American out there. Even if an athlete is asymptomatic on campus, their positive case will be found. In normal life, that’s not the way it works.

Let these young adults make their own decisions just like others get to. Do it without guilt trips too. Do you get a guilt trip about the possibility of spreading Covid to your family members because you go to work? No.

Also, if you profit off of college football you don’t get to speak on this issue (according to Mike Florio).

Should we be surprised that multiple media members who make millions from broadcasting college football games while the players get jack diddly squat are insisting that the season must proceed?

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) August 10, 2020

There has never been any doubt that players want the season to happen. But when the people in charge ask themselves if they would they stake their career on being right about playing, what’s their honest answer? https://t.co/PdafckbKlK https://t.co/Ngw2rm7yBg

— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) August 10, 2020

and they same people who don't want to listen to players when they discuss social justice issues.

— Matt (@BWWMatt) August 10, 2020

Even with all of these blue check marks ignoring players or talking them down, the #WeWantToPlay hashtag gets more and more popular. It is currently blowing up over on Twitter and I want to believe this is going to make a difference. I just wish these players would have come out sooner, to voice their desires.

Just keep them coming I guess….

#WeWantToPlay

— Ja’MarrChase (@Real10jayy__) August 10, 2020

The Penn State Football Parents Association has released a letter in support of moving forward with the upcoming season https://t.co/SxXruHv2Wo pic.twitter.com/gGUTDDnxry

— Ben Jones (@Ben_Jones88) August 10, 2020

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan