The Big Ten just announced that it is canceling the 2020-21 college football season and it looks like the Pac 12 may follow suit before the end of the day.

It is certainly sad, no one wants college football canceled. The pomp and pageantry of college football is unique in the American cultural landscape and it will be dearly missed. But most people recognize that there is simply no way to go forward with an endeavor that will put unpaid students’ health at risk, as well as lose millions when those stadiums aren’t full. The pro leagues have enough money on the line in TV contracts to build some sort of professional bubble, and they pay grown men to put their health at risk. College sports are … played by kids.

So it was interesting to see who defended what when the announcement came out. It wasn’t terribly surprising to see Jim Jordan, the Republican congressman accused of looking the other way when college athletes were sexually abused by a team doctor, take a strong stand on behalf of … the fans:

America needs college football.

— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) August 10, 2020

Yes. That is certainly “On-Brand.” Jordan isn’t particularly worried about the difficulty of keeping the student athletes healthy and safe. Moreover, to the extent we “need” college football, it would have been great to have made that decision last April. We could have kept everyone sheltered and stamped down the disease. A plan could’ve been made. Instead, Trump ordered everything “liberated” and we’re worse off today than we were in April, by far.

Jordan heard back from furious Americans, many of them likely just as hurt by the announcement, but having better perspective:

Shocked to see Jim Jordan disregard the well-being of college athletes https://t.co/g4njIR8kBc

— Jamison Foser (@jamisonfoser) August 10, 2020

We could have had college football if Trump and his enablers like Jim Jordan had actually tried to combat the virus. This is on them. https://t.co/uqPOQz7i0k

— Josh Schwerin (@JoshSchwerin) August 10, 2020

America needs Jim Jordan in jail for enabling sexual abuse on the wrestling team at Ohio State https://t.co/6db9Yd7PpH

— Icculus The Brave (@FirenzeMike) August 10, 2020

Gym, I think we got bigger problems… pic.twitter.com/03FrAIqvob

— Charles T. Barreca (@chuckbarr21) August 10, 2020

shocking that Jim Jordan doesn't care about the welfare of college athletes

it's almost as if he stood by idly while countless college wrestlers were abused by their team doctor and his weirdo friends https://t.co/cIjsmLZp0w

— David Bixenspan (@davidbix) August 10, 2020

Looking for anothers scandal @Jim_Jordan how are going to cover the next one up ? https://t.co/kKiwN2VNgX

— jigillis (@allevilneedsis) August 10, 2020

America needs a functioning president instead of the idiot @realDonaldTrump in the WH now. If he hadn’t fcked up the pandemic response, you’d have college football @Jim_Jordan https://t.co/aKDNYeKKJS

— Penny (@CzechPenny) August 10, 2020

Might want to sit this one out, champ.

— Dave Zirin (@EdgeofSports) August 10, 2020

"Gym" Jordan – America needs you to come clean about what you knew about the sexual abuse of wrestlers at the Ohio State University.

— Jennifer Shultz (@11Shultz) August 10, 2020

Yeah. We are all going to miss college football, terribly. But we also know that we want it to come back eventually, and it won’t, unless some adults step in and wrestle control of the situation.

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Peace, y’all
Jason
[email protected] and on Twitter @MiciakZoom