Fla. High School Football Kicking Off; Rubio Jokes About How To Silence Critics
Despite concerns of health experts about the spread of COVID-19, Florida high school athletes will be playing football in just weeks.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) stunned the community when he joked about the decision, saying that if teams wore antifa protest “uniforms,” critics would shut up about the risky move.
The state’s high school athletic board voted Friday to begin football and other sports practices Aug. 24 — and games less than two weeks later. The board’s own panel of medical experts warned against the decision, and urged that practices should not begin at least until Sept. 28 because of the risk of COVID-19, The Associated Press reported.
“Until this virus is given the respect it deserves to quiet down, introducing sports adds fuel to the fire,” warned Dr. Jennifer Maynard, head of the athletic board’s medical advisory committee.
A high school in Georgia where photos of packed hallways made headlines closed after 35 students and teachers tested positive. The first cases reported by the school were football players who had been practicing together.
Florida is one of the nation’s COVID-19 hot spots. The state reported 6,300 new cases and 204 deaths Friday. Florida has more than 560,000 confirmed cases and a total of 9,300 deaths from COVID-19 since March.
Rubio shrugged off concerns about spreading COVID-19 among children at schools in his state. He quipped that people would be fine with teens suiting up for football if teams made a “few equipment & uniform changes” so athletes resembled antifa protesters. The dig was that large gatherings are apparently acceptable to many for protests — but not on a playing field featuring teenage athletes.
I think I found a way to get some of the people who want to cancel football this year to change their minds,but we will have to make a few equipment & uniform changes. Apparently this new equipment makes Covid a non-issue. pic.twitter.com/chGVAvA4VS
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) August 15, 2020
Rubio got sacked on Twitter for making light of a potentially fatal danger.
But go ahead and joke about it. You’re a disgrace. pic.twitter.com/8OycJ8kiv1
— GiGi 🦋 (@gigiwarriorgirl) August 15, 2020
I return to work under a hybrid plan on August 24. You know what 'equipment' we had to buy for ourselves & our students? Mass quantities of sanitizer & face masks.
But, here you are, making light of the danger we're putting ourselves in while trying to keep our students safe.— D Villella ❄️ (@dvillella) August 15, 2020
On behalf of the people who have suffered and died, and who will suffer and die, I hope the conscience and judgment you pretend to have nag at you for this.
— Elizabeth Picciuto 🌱 (@epicciuto) August 15, 2020
Florida has almost 10,000 dead and you are cracking COVID jokes. Can’t wait until you are voted out in 2022.
— Adam Best (@adamcbest) August 15, 2020
I don't want to cancel football.
I just don't want players, coaches, trainers, assistants, the TV crew, the stadium crew and yes even the referees to get forced into an unsafe situation just so a president running for reelection can pretend everything is normal.
Whew!— Glenn Ferrara (@GlennFerrara) August 15, 2020
Almost 170K deaths and Lil Marco wants to make jokes.
— Andrew Goss 👊USAF👊 (@Goss30Goss) August 15, 2020
Nobody wants to cancel football, Marco. We're forced to cancel football because, unlike other countries, the virus is still out of control due to the Trump administration's incompetence.
— Paul 👻 (@pablo_honey1) August 15, 2020
Ezekiel 34:3-4
The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them
Would you really risk their lives for a game— Adam Cohen Lawyers for Good Government #DemCast (@axidentaliberal) August 15, 2020
Over 170,000 Americans were unavailable for comment. pic.twitter.com/LjA39syscE
— Alamo_on_the_rise 🆘🍑 (@AlamoOnTheRise) August 15, 2020
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.