Sports Controversies - Part 2
Vaccination Mandates
Several high profile athletes have refused to get the COVID-19 vaccination, which puts them at odds with professional leagues. In this story, we will explore three athletes who refused the vaccination and the consequences they have faced.
By Jack S. and Gabriel R.
COVID-19 vaccinations have created controversy in the sports world. Athletes such as tennis player Novak Djokovic, football player Antonio Brown, and basketball player Kyrie Irving have refused to follow COVID vaccination protocols and have been the focus of media attention.
Novak Djokovic
Photo source: People
Antonio Brown
Photo Source: Sports Illustrated
Kyrie Irving
Photo Source: New York Times
The controversy with Novak Djokovic has been on tennis fans’ minds, but even if you are not a tennis fan you should still care about this. If you don’t already know, Novak Djokovic was kicked out of Australia because he is unvaccinated. He had come to compete in the Australian Open.
Some people say that Djokovic should have been let into Australia. Australian journalist Michaell Koziol thinks that Djokovic should have been let in because he has recently had COVID, and Australia was averaging 60,000 positive cases per day.
Other people say that it was right to kick him out because he wasn’t vaccinated. They say that it would discourage people from getting vaccinated. Additionally, the Australian Border Force said that he “failed to provide appropriate evidence” to support his exemption from the vaccination requirement, according to ABC News.
Photo source: Unsplash
Another controversy that has risen is athletes using fake vaccination cards. For example, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown used a fake vaccination card in November 2021, according to ESPN. When the NFL found out about Antonio Brown’s fake vaccination card, they suspended him for 3 games, according to Sporting News.
Graphic source: CNN
In the basketball world, the NBA made it clear that athletes who didn’t receive COVID vaccinations ahead of the season would be required to follow a strict protocol, according to ESPN. Players who have been fully vaccinated will not have daily testing but unvaccinated players will. Fully vaccinated players will enjoy far more freedoms than unvaccinated players.
Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving threatened to retire when the Nets told him that he could not play in games or be in their practices until he was vaccinated. When asked why he was so against vaccinating himself, he said it was a personal belief and it went beyond his job as a basketball player, according to ESPN.
ESPN reported that Kyrie Irving said that he didn’t want to lose salary or a chance to compete for a championship with the Brooklyn Nets, but was doing “what’s best for me” by refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
The Nets decided that because Irving wouldn't be with his team he isn’t eligible to be paid for home games where a New York mandate requires professional athletes to be vaccinated to practice or play in public areas.
COVID-19 vaccinations have created some controversy in professional sports but by in large, most professional athletes are vaccinated. The NBA is currently at 95% vaccination rate, and the NFL is at 94%. Lastly, 97% of the top professional tennis players are vaccinated, according to Sports Illustrated.
Sports Controversies Series
Click to view Part 1 in this series: The Colin Kaepernick Story
Coming soon, Part 3: Mandatory media interviews and the story of Naomi Osaka
