John Steigerwald: High school athletes don't need Gov. Wolf to keep them safe

Let’s see what happens in Sturgis.

You’ve never heard of Sturgis? It’s a little town in western South Dakota where at least 250,000 unmasked, un-socially distanced bikers are expected to visit over the next several days.

If Gov. Tom Wolf were in charge of the state instead of Kristi Noem, you can be sure it would have been canceled.

Wolf issued a recommendation — the kind that almost is always followed by a mandate — on Thursday that all high schools sports should be canceled this fall.

He just kind of threw it out there at the end of his news conference. No explanation. And, of course, no questions from the media, most of whom, throughout the covid-19 hysteria, have acted more like cheerleaders for whatever His Excellency decrees, than watchdogs.

The arrogance was stunning.

The lives of thousands of kids and parents would be affected by his almost off-the-cuff “recommendation,” and he doesn’t think he owes them more than that.

He later released an official statement: “The Pa. Department of Health and Dept. of Education today jointly recommended that Pre-K-12 school and recreational youth sports be postponed until at least Jan. 1, 2021, to protect children and teens from covid-19.”

Did you catch the “at least?”

Would you be surprised if that date changes before Halloween?

The PIAA released a statement saying it was disappointed and would push back the start of sports two weeks in hopes it could meet with His Excellency and get him to change his royal mind.

The vote was 30-2.

Wolf and every other lockdown-happy governor should pay close attention to Sturgis. Will covid numbers spike after the unmasked bikers return to their home states?

It didn’t happen after Noem invited thousands to an Independence Day celebration with President Trump almost six weeks ago. When she invited the rest of the country, she said, “We won’t be social distancing, and masks are optional.”

There was no spike in covid-19 cases.

She also “allowed” the Professional Bull Riders to stage an event in a 9,000-seat indoor arena. Social distancing was voluntarily followed, with the crowd limited to 1,000.

No spike.

Before Wolf recommended no high school sports, he had decreed that parents wouldn’t be allowed to attend their sons’ football games.

A few hundred parents wouldn’t be “safe” in a stadium that seats thousands?

Kids don’t need the governor or anybody else to keep them “safe” from covid-19. They are in no danger. The data proves that.

Thousands of high school football players in Pennsylvania have been waking up at dawn every day to work out and practice. Seniors have been working hard for three years hoping to get to this moment.

Scholarships are at stake.

Kids need sports. The CDC says kids should go back to school.

And it’s not just football.

Kids who take part in soccer, field hockey, golf, tennis and volleyball could lose their senior seasons and miss out on scholarships, too.

Noem has some words for governors such as Wolf: “We are allowing them to take control in a way we’ve never seen before. … What we are seeing is encouraging leaders to make decisions where they will overstep their authorities at a time of crisis, and that’s how we lose our country.

“The story that needs to be told is that I trusted my people. They trusted me. They took personal responsibility for dealing with this virus, and we are doing very well.”

What a concept.

Parents need to stand up to the governor.

Their kids need protection.

From the Nanny State.