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Dabo Swinney should be better than this. A disagreement over a postponement of a match during a global pandemic has turned into a leadership referendum. He has also become incredibly mean.
Within three days of Saturday’s last minute postponement of the Clemson-Florida State game, the Tigers coach said the Seminoles administration had indeed “lost” the game. He doubled Monday night on his radio show. The state of Florida’s choice not to play after it was revealed that a Clemson player had tested positive for COVID-19 was “an insult to the credibility of our program,” he said.
Swinney’s attack on FSU entered Day 3 on Tuesday when it was released to media on a weekly basis. He reacted to a slight criticism from coach Mike Norvell. “Football coaches are not doctors. Some of us might think we are,” Norvell said Monday.
Swinney replied: “I’m not really worried about what they say over there in Tallahassee, for sure. I’ve been in this league for 18 years, I was a head coach. [for] 12. They have had three head coaches in four years. “
Regardless of your side in this painfully lengthened story, Dabo has now crossed the line. He injected what looks like an SMS war between two 12-year-olds over football’s success into a medical decision made by experts during a global crisis.
No one needs to hear this during Thanksgiving week, during a pandemic that continues to rage, during a time of incredible uncertainty. A disagreement over Florida State’s decision not to play has become personal, at least with Dabo.
Swinney’s comments deserve a public rebuke from ACC Commissioner John Swofford. There may have already been one, in private.
Swinney has now publicly disparaged a rival at the conference on several occasions. He said: “This game was not canceled due to COVID. COVID was just an excuse to cancel the game.”
What possible motivation would the State of Florida have for not playing the game, other than player safety? It is common knowledge that the Noles lost a seven-figure salary by not playing.
When it comes to Dabo, where are the adults in the room?
We want our leaders to be transparent. As journalists, we want our sources to speak. Dabo was more than accommodating in his role. But with $ 8.3 million a year, there is increased liability.
Words make sense, and Swinney’s latest are so out of character for him considering what he’s built in Clemson.
“We spoke yesterday,” Clemson athletic director Dan Radakovich said on Tuesday. “I love Dabo, and I think he’s incredibly passionate. He said, ‘I have a radio show. I will probably have a question [about Florida State], but tomorrow everything will move forward towards Pitt. Obviously, it was not his [Tuesday] press conference. …
“It’s hard for all of us not to answer a question. If it’s kept alive that way, then it’s going to answer it. Again, he likes the truth. So you say, ‘Why did you- he says that about three coaches in four years? ‘ [He would say], ‘Isn’t that the truth?’ “
Of course it is. The state of Florida has struggled in recent years, while Clemson was a national power.
These football truths have nothing to do with bigger medical issues. Just because Clemson doesn’t like the outcome doesn’t mean the process was wrong.
Swinney has mentioned several times that Clemson hit the “standard of playing” on Saturday. A Clemson backup offensive lineman was symptomatic but continued to train after testing negative for the week. On Friday, this player tested positive by the independent third party of the ACC.
The state of Florida has chosen not to play the way it is entitled to, according to the ACC’s Medical Advisory Group.
In accordance with NCAA Constitution 3.2.4.19, the medical staff of the institution must have unquestionable autonomous authority in determining the medical management and return-to-play decisions relating to student-athletes. […]
Nothing contained in this document is intended to prevent the medical staff on the team from following additional practices that they deem appropriate in light of the conditions existing in their respective localities, from information received from their health officials. local, state and national public and / or their own medical judgment. .
“There isn’t just one standard that relates to this,” Radakovich said. “The standard is the entire medical advisory group protocol.”
“It’s unfortunate, and I don’t think anyone is in a position to question a doctor’s decision-making in this type of situation,” Swofford told ESPN. “That’s where the decision lies.”
So who forgot to inform Dabo? He was part of the CCA Coaching Coronavirus Subcommittee that set policy in August. He also falsely claimed that earlier this season Pittsburgh traveled to Florida state with a player who tested positive at the site.
“It wasn’t quite true,” Radakovich said. “You know how coaches say things that heard from another coach, who heard from another coach?”
The teams then played the game on November 7.
The CCA proudly recognizes that it has played 69 of its 78 games. It’s the most in the country, and it certainly doesn’t suggest confusion over medical protocols.
An email from a Florida state assistant athletic director said: “The FSU’s concern was that if the players tested positive next week, how could they tell the players that they did everything? which could protect them. ” https://andywittry.substack.com/p/florida-state-president-john-thrasher
From that same report is the conclusion that the presidents of both universities agreed with the decision not to play.
Maybe ACC needs to tighten up its protocol language if this ever happens again.
“The standard doesn’t say whether it’s a positive or 30 positives,” Radakovich said.
But that would ignore the insidious nature of the virus that killed 250,000 Americans. The idea of playing in 2020 was to preserve the season and keep the players safe, not necessarily to count wins and losses.
The Bible tells us to turn each other against if we are persecuted.
Not only did Dabo not turn around, but he has been on the attack for three days.
The coach who sells fun and faith unfortunately turns a one-day story into one that won’t go away.
Dabo Swinney is better than that.
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