Tim Beckman Fired By Illinois


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One epic Twitter rant by an ex-offensive lineman really can lead to real and positive change.

Chalk one up for Simon Cvijanovic.

Tim Beckman got fired by Illinois? Chalk one up for the players.

After all the body blows taking by the talent portion of the college athletics side – not being able to unionize, Virginia Tech coaches threatening to fine/withhold stipends – finally, there’s a win for the other side.

Beckman’s firing needs to signal a new era and the moment when coaches need to really and truly be held accountable for the way they treat their players. Now, considering the timing of the firing just a week before the start of the season, and with all the talk about business as usual with Beckman and the football program, concerns over student-athlete health – remember, technically, these are students, not football players – matters.

Maybe it was a move by the Illinois higher-ups in the athletic department to cover their own tails after a rough several months, and maybe it just became time after so many problems kept arising, but Illinois did what it had to do and showed that it really is a different era and a different time – in a good way.

“The preliminary information external reviewers shared with me does not reflect our values or our commitment to the welfare of our student-athletes, and I’ve chosen to act accordingly,” according to Illinois athletic director Mike Thomas in his statement. “I now have enough information to make this decision in assessing the status and direction of the football program.”

Would this happen to a Nick Saban or an Urban Meyer? No, but the Beckman firing is going to serve as a wake-up call that there really is a difference between being injured and being hurt.

It’s always going to be okay and necessary for coaches to yell and scream at players. It’s always going to be okay and necessary for coaches to make players fight through bumps and bruises and play through things that would keep most normal humans in bed for weeks – that’s the sport these players choose to play. But they need to not only be able to get medical treatment when needed, they need to feel like they can do it without threat of losing their spot on the team and their standing with the coaching staff.

Beckman famously stated that at Illinois, the motto is WIN – Whatever Is Necessary Today. Today, Illinois just WINTed.

So did college football players.