Two Mondays ago the following was the lede paragraph from an ESPN article. “South Carolina’s top two cornerbacks, Jaycee Horn and Israel Mukuamu, have opted out less than 48 hours after coach Will Muschamp was fired this past weekend.”  South Carolina fell to 2-5 after a loss to Ole Miss two days prior.

Yesterday it became official that Terrace Marshall, by far LSU’s best receiver this year and a significant part of last year’s National Championship team, opted out right after LSU played a sloppy offensive game on a sloppy Kyle Field.  The loss to A&M brought the LSU season record to a sloppy 3-4, a far cry from last year’s excellence.

The three players cited above are far from the only college players who have opted out in the year 2020 of our COVID-19 pandemic.  Some hung up the cleats of their choice prior to the first kickoff of their season. Some after minor injuries.   Some conferences, ahem, the PAC-12, wanted to hang up their season before it started as well.  But, we digress.

Merriam-Webster defines opt-out as a transitive verb meaning “to choose not to participate in something.”

The NCAA took numerous steps this fall to attempt to play fall sports.  One step was that  “all student-athletes must be allowed to opt-out of participation due to concerns about contracting COVID-19. If a college athlete chooses to opt-out, that individual’s athletic scholarship commitment must be honored by the college or university.”

Further, that student-athlete would not lose any eligibility if they chose to opt-out.  In other words a sophomore on the field in 2020 who became a junior in 2021 in the classroom would still be considered a sophomore in 2021on the field.

The original idea’s intent was to give each individual a path to choosing what they deemed appropriate and safe for themselves without any loss of opportunity as a result.  And, that sounds fine in, ready for it, unprecedented times.

What doesn’t sound fine to many is how the one-year “loophole” is being used by the players relative to their responsibility to their team, coaches, and peers.  None of the three mentioned above are concerned about COVID-19 suddenly.  They are concerned about their individual future.

The two from South Carolina “quit” on their team and teammates 48 hours after the administration “quit” on the coach that recruited them.  It’s time to get ready for the draft they said.

The one from LSU gave an impassioned speech to the entire team sans coaches present two weeks ago about finishing strong as a team.  So much for that.  Is he suddenly afraid of the disease?  No.  Was he suddenly afraid of injury? No. He played on a rain-drenched, slippery College Station field Saturday night all the while knowing that Sunday was time to tweet that he was opting out.

“It’s time to get ready for the draft,” they say.  “Weren’t you doing that in so many ways while playing, lifting, etc. within the framework of the team?”  Fans ask.

“It’s an individual decision,” some say.  “It’s putting the individual before the team,” the retort bellows.

“It’s a sign of the times,” some say.  They go on, “this generation is so soft.”

“Doesn’t college prepare you to go out into the real world, get a job, and make money?”  “If they feel ready for the draft, so be it.”  This sounds selfish (bad) and capitalistic (good till Bernie takes over) all at the same time.

Only a few months back, NCAA players across the fruited plain were organizing.  They demanded to get paid for playing at the college level.  Not yet it seems.

Is this a one-time pandemic opt-out, some call it a cop-out, only one time?  Or is it a natural progression beyond the players choosing to skip bowl games that they deemed “meaningless?”

Is this yet another step towards a watered-down college football game going forward?

Soon might college football remind you of college basketball?

If you support the team you won’t like it.  If you support the player you will.

There is no “I” in the word “team,” especially if “I” opts out.

Truer words…………..