Ryan Day defended his man — after which went on the offensive with everybody else.
ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky began a firestorm final week in an look on “The Pat McAfee Present,” throughout which he, citing unnamed sources, introduced into query Justin Fields’ work ethic and perspective.
Speaking with NBC’s Peter King, the Ohio State head coach did his finest to defend Fields towards the claims, however within the course of levied some irresponsible and football-blowhard commentary finest served for Fb remark sections and different sordid areas of the web:
The entire concept that he doesn’t have an excellent work ethic? I imply, to me, that’s loopy. He acquired finished with the Clemson sport and he got here again and all he did was work to get again to that sport. And when these different guys are opting out, what’s he do? He petitions to have a season. He put collectively this petition that the Massive Ten athletes all signed saying that they need to play, however they need to play safely and that they don’t settle for canceling the season. It was all led by Justin Fields. The place was everyone else? The place have been the blokes who have been opting out then? You understand, you don’t love the sport in case you’re doing one thing like that. This child loves the sport.
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Appears daring to query the eagerness of athletes who already threat damaged bones, traumatic mind accidents and career-threatening accidents to not need to put their well being on the road long-term any greater than they should. In spite of everything, the previous three are inherent dangers of the sport. Enjoying within the face of a devastating virus isn’t.
In case you are waking up from a really conveniently and sadly positioned coma, the world has been coping with the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic for the higher a part of the previous yr and a half. The US has been hit significantly arduous, with more than 550,000 deaths attributed to the illness.
There have been additionally quite a lot of high-profile athletes who determined to not play within the 2020 school soccer season within the face of the pandemic, together with potential top-10 picks Penei Sewell (Oregon) and Ja’Marr Chase (LSU).
Even when deaths have disproportionately affected those of advanced age within the nation, school athletes have been affected. In a examine carried out by Day’s very personal The Ohio State College that included 26 female and male athletes, 30 percent were discovered to have heart conditions after even minor instances of coronavirus.
So, for sure, sports activities could not come No. 1 for lots of school athletes who’re already being exploited by big-money colleges for his or her expertise and talent.
At finest, Day’s feedback are a poor try and deify Fields and prop his man as much as rebuild his inventory earlier than the NFL draft. At worst, it is a thinly veiled shot at athletes who have been apprehensive about taking the sphere in a pandemic.
Both manner you take a look at it, it isn’t nice.
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