You shudder to read his words, but it's hard to argue with his reasoning. In an appearance on ESPN Radio Thursday, Kirk Herbstreit shared his opinion that it's unlikely college and professional football are played in 2020.
"I'll be shocked if we have NFL football this fall, if we have college football. I'll be so surprised if that happens," Herbstreit said, via TMZ.
Herbstreit based his opinion on the fear administrators would have that, even if the virus gets under control Stateside in the coming weeks and months, it could only take one infection for the coronavirus to break out in a college or NFL locker room, and risk averse ADs and presidents wouldn't want to chance that happening on their campus.
"Just because from what I understand, people that I listen to, you're 12 to 18 months from a vaccine," he said. "I don't know how you let these guys go into locker rooms and let stadiums be filled up and how you can play ball. I just don't know how you can do it with the optics of it... Next thing you know you got a locker room full of guys that are sick. And that's on your watch? I wouldn't want to have that."
Peering over to Asia, the professional basketball leagues in China, South Korea and Japan had eyed late March or April to re-start their leagues -- which have been shut down since January -- but each of those leagues has pushed back their re-openings in efforts to contain the virus absent a vaccine.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.