Most pro athletes are vaccinated — but the unvaxxed are making headlines
CBC
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The vast majority of professional athletes are vaccinated against COVID-19. But three famously non-inoculated superstars are currently making news for various reasons:
Novak Djokovic
The world's most dominant tennis player — who has refused to say whether he has been vaccinated but whose actions all indicate he is not — seemed poised to break the all-time record for Grand Slam men's singles titles at this month's Australian Open. His 20 major victories include a record nine at the Aussie, which he won the last three years in a row. But now it looks like Djokovic might not even be able to play.
The Serbian star arrived in Melbourne on Wednesday after securing a medical exemption from the Victoria state government that allowed him to bypass the vaccination requirement for those entering the country. But, after much public outcry, Australian border officials at the airport rejected Djokovic's exemption today and cancelled his visa. His lawyers are challenging the move in court in hopes of avoiding deportation. But the hearing won't take place until Monday, leaving the world No. 1 in limbo.
In the meantime, Djokovic is confined to a hotel room, and his mother is accusing Australian authorities of treating her son "like a prisoner" and waging a "political attack" with the goal of stopping him from setting the Slam record. Djokovic's dad took it a step further in the couple's press conference today, comparing his son's plight to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and framing him as a national freedom fighter. "Novak is Serbia, and Serbia is Novak," he said, in Serbian. "They are treading on Novak, and with that, they also tread on Serbia and the Serbian people."
Kyrie Irving
Normally, the return of one of the world's most talented basketball players after missing the first three months of the season would be met with unbridled celebration. But, with Kyrie, nothing is ever that simple.
The mercurial flat-earth dabbler caused a big stink in the pre-season with his refusal to get vaccinated — a major problem for his team, the Brooklyn Nets, given New York City's mandate requiring pro athletes performing in public indoor venues to be vaxxed. Irving could have played road games in areas that don't have such a rule, but the Nets said they wouldn't allow him to be a part-time player.
Until, that is, their roster was decimated last month by an outbreak. Brooklyn blinked, invited Kyrie back, and (after a stint in the NBA's COVID-19 protocol triggered by either a positive or inconclusive test) he made his season debut last night in Indiana. Irving scored 22 in a Nets win, then dodged questions from reporters about whether he'd reconsider his vaccine stance. This could become an even bigger headache for Brooklyn come playoff time, when Irving may have to sit out basically half the games in a series.
Aaron Rodgers
The reigning NFL MVP angered a lot of fans back in November when he tested positive for COVID-19 and was forced to miss 10 days, revealing he was not vaccinated. Prior to the season, Rodgers gave the impression he was vaxxed when he told reporters he'd "been immunized" and added "there's guys on the team that haven't been vaccinated… I'm not going to judge those guys." Turns out, he was one of those guys. Rodgers explained that he has "an allergy to an ingredient that's in the mRNA vaccines" but also didn't help himself by blaming "cancel culture" and "the woke mob" for his getting caught in a lie.
As we know, though, the NFL is famously forgiving of personal transgressions as long as you deliver on Sundays (see: Brown, Antonio). So Rodgers was able to largely put the controversy behind him by playing some brilliant football over the last couple of months. He's led Green Bay to six wins in seven games since his return to the lineup, putting the Packers alone atop the league with a 13-3 record heading into the final weekend of the regular season.
With no obvious choice for MVP out there, some are wondering whether Rodgers will become the first repeat winner since Peyton Manning in 2009. But it seems some voters might flat-out refuse to pick him, including one Chicago-based reporter who went on record this week. Rodgers responded by calling the guy an "absolute bum" who ought to be stripped of his vote.
