I am not sure anyone would disagree that these are amongst the most trying times any of us have faced in college athletics. Tough decisions are being made all across the country. As a result, we have heard opinions being offered by individuals all over the spectrum regarding return to play or postponing sports. This has led us to hear from far too many people whose opinions we care for and sometime from those we do not. But do they all deserve to be heard. Opinions require no accountability, no understanding, and no real investment into any decision-making process.
Opinions have been offered about everything from should we play, the best practices for testing for Covid-19, proper isolation techniques and social distancing and just who should make the final decision on whether a college or university athletic team should play this fall. Everyone it seems has an opinion about some part of the decision making process that has consumed college athletics this summer.
It appears there are as many opinions as there are people regarding this topic. And in America, the belief is that everyone is entitled to his or her opinion. Freedom of speech is one of the basic tenets of American life that allows you to share your opinion without fear of retribution or prosecution. Wise people make their own decisions and ignorant people follow public opinion.
Dr. Cortney S. Warren in an article written in Psychology Today in 2017 stated, “the right to an opinion is a given but having an opinion does not make it fact”. Most people who have an opinion believe that their own opinion is fact or else they wouldn’t think that way. This creates some tough discussions when opinions are offered without evidence. Opinions based on facts are statements that can be proven or disproven based on data or evidence. Opinions are the medium between knowledge and ignorance.
Today far too many people offer opinions based on their own personal history, emotions and values- and usually they are unsupported by evidence or data. Understand we feel that everyone is entitled to his or her opinion but they are not all equally valuable and based in fact. Be prepared to state when questioned how you reached that decision and what data is it based on?
Different eyes will look at the same thing and see it differently. Mark Twain said that “the rule is perfect: in all matters of opinion our adversaries are insane”. Opinions are often created in defense as well as offense. Respect the fact people will disagree over any opinion no matter how based in fact it is. You are entitled to your opinion but your opinion is not going to be everyone’s reality. Opinions matter when they are backed up with facts and data making them indisputable. Otherwise they are just feelings.
Executive Management Partners LLC 