Missouri coach asks people to wear masks to save football season

As the 2020 college football season's chances of actually happening seem to dwindle with each passing day amid the coronavirus pandemic, Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz has one simple request for fans: wear masks.

Per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN), the coach hired by Missouri last December spoke with reporters on the subject while wearing a mask that featured the Tigers' logo during a Wednesday Zoom meeting:

"I don't believe I have power. I have influence. There is a certain amount of influence being a head coach of an SEC school, being the head coach of Missouri, having the logo on your chest. It gives you a certain amount of credibility when you make conversations. What we are trying to do is encourage people that it's OK to wear a mask. It's OK to do it.

"I get that there are arguments on both sides. I get that for some reason it's been politicized. I just happen to believe that is good public health policy. Does it solve all the problems? I don't know. I'm a football coach. But I know that to get things done we have to buy into a collective mission. Is it a perfect plan? Seldom plans are perfect. But they have a plan in place. Let's work the plan. That's what we're trying to do. Let's see if it works."

Drinkwitz also hit out at those potentially risking football and other fall seasons: 

"I'm frustrated with the fact that when people argue against it, why are we not willing to try it? My decision for me is a personal decision because of how it affects me on a personal basis. I can't affect if someone in Florida is going to wear a mask, but I can — as an avenue of change — I can help recommend here in Columbia that people wear a mask."

Drinkwitz made his comments one week after the Ivy League canceled football and all fall sports due to the uncontrolled virus outbreak, and days after the Patriot League made the same call. 

Previously, Alabama football coach Nick Saban encouraged Crimson Tide fans to wear masks via a May public service announcement.