Dan Mullen, the guy who wanted 90,000 fans in the stands, has COVID-19

First, Florida coach Dan Mullen said that he wanted to see 90,000 people at the Gators’ game against LSU this week, having felt that Texas A&M’s loud crowd gave the Aggies an advantage in upsetting then-No. 4 Florida last Saturday.

Then, there was no Florida-LSU game because of a coronavirus outbreak on the Gators roster.

On Saturday, the story reached its predictable “life comes at you fast” coda: Mullen has contracted COVID-19.

“I’m continuing to self-isolate from my family, who all remain healthy, and am following all the guidelines set forth by UF Health, the CDC and our public health officials,” Mullen wrote in a Notes app statement on Twitter.

A week ago, Mullen didn’t seem to care much about those guidelines while advocating for a full stadium of fans in a state where a pandemic is raging out of control. It’s amazing how getting infected with a potentially deadly virus changes your perspective on things.

Obviously, it’s better late than never, and everyone hopes that Mullen recovers fully and quickly from his bout with coronavirus. Hopefully, his experience will be a beacon to those who continue to downplay the severity of the virus and the importance of taking every precaution to stop the spread.

That, however, would seem to be unlikely when the President of the United States, hospitalized with coronavirus earlier this month, is continuing to go around the country holding non-socially distanced rallies.