DICKENS: COMMUNITY COLLEGE CONTACT SPORTS STILL UP FOR DEBATE

By David Dickens
Updated: June 16, 2020

2020 COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOOTBALL

BY DAVE DICKENS

ECS

(06-13-2020)

EL CAJON – It all began with the closing down of the Grossmont Union High School District shutting down all of the east county-located campuses, beginning the week of March 13, 2020.

Per the Center For Disease Control, not only were public schools being shut down by the Governor, many more dining, local bar establishments, and certain retail stores were also closing, basically leaving open only businesses considered essential to the everyday survival of the human race.

Those establishments would also carry very strict sanitation and social distancing guidelines, and of course, the infamous face masks. COVID-19 caused the stay-at-home order through the end of April 2020, to which President Donald Trump and his White House Coronavirus task force deemed necessary to “flatten the curve.”

Through all of this global pandemic remained the issue of how to possibly allow concerts to be conducted, including several big summer tours.

And despite many months of planning, Major League Baseball’s return was put on hold as the billionaire owners, sources have made clear, would like to continue to cut the pay due to these talented athletes, with the minor league players down to a mere possible $400 per week.

Sources also say there is a suggestion in the works of a 50-game regular season.

Ladies and gentlemen this sounds like the owners are passing the buck per se.

Are there chances of an MLB season in front of fans or painted popsicle sticks with filtered crowd noise? Sounds like the political portion of MLB may lead to an asterisk season, and possibly even no play until April 2021.

We already have experienced this at the high school level as the beginning of the end of live sports play began once spring sports were canceled in April after all of the Athletic Directors across the state of California made a unanimous decision under advisement by the CDC that it would help flatten the curve if spring sports were canceled.

While this safety of the players is understandable, there should have been some safety guidelines put in place.

What some of these bureaucrats and many politicians, both at the local and federal level don’t understand is, this could affect bigger and better scholarships based on academics, but also, local scouts need to see these players live.

Folks, we, as a community, along with government officials and sports professionals, could not have come up with safety guidelines, for these student-athletes to get a better view, with safety protocols in place, to give the best possible opportunity, academically, and athletically, for our local talented kids to get the best looks from the best schools.

Anything is possible as we are now just reaching Phase 3 of the reopening of California.

The main point is, so many changes have taken place at every level of sports as a whole.

Fall sports, football, in particular, is one of the leading school fundraisers, and typically paves the way for other programs. In many instances, the football fundraising has leftover monies that can sometimes be allocated to jumpstart boys and girls basketball programs.

Division 1-through-3, in particular, will take an enormous hit, along with missing out on fundraising monies locally.

Let us not forget that the San Diego State Aztecs just signed a deal to move forward on the renovation of what is currently the property that is home to SDCCU stadium to hopefully bring out-of-state tuition, and a plethora of tourism dollars into the San Diego County system that is in dire need of infrastructure dollars after the recent riot and property damage.

A $54 billion debt in California is unacceptable.

Governor Gavin Newsom and San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer cannot punish the athletic programs, educators, law enforcement, and firefighters, and cannot be undercut to balance the budget.

There are many better suggestions for elected local officials.

The California Community College Athletic Association has chosen July 17 to choose a scheduling option for the 2020-21 academic year, however, at least one local JC is not waiting to decide on their fall sports.

Kindrid Murrillo, president of Southwestern College in Chula Vista, confirmed the Jaguars will not participate in football or any other contact sport during the fall semester, citing “additional health and safety precautions” because of the higher numbers of COVID-19 cases, reported in the south bay.

Long-time Southwestern head coach Ed Carberry said late Sunday evening: “Last week the state association (CCCAA) voted in unison to support a four-stage plan by the governor. A trigger date of July 17, 2020, was chosen as a unanimous stage 1 and 2 trigger for a start date of Sept. 28. Stage 3 and 4 shifts all sports including Grossmont, Mesa, Southwestern, and Palomar, (actually, all football teams in the state), to playing in the spring due to the virus.”

According to Grossmont College head coach, Mike Jordan, they still have a shot at playing a football season on time.

“Three units and 12/9 units will now determine eligibility, in addition, if the Jags do not extend football to be physically played at SWC, any player that chose to transfer may do so,” said Jordan.