Innocent readers of the sports section of Friday’s New York Times were treated to reporter Matthew Futterman’s judgmental hysteria over vaccines in his story on the controversial case of top-ranked tennis star Novak Djokovic, who may be denied his chance to defend his Australian Open title for not being vaccinated against Covid. The headline was an eyeroll in itself: “Modern Grudge Match Pits the Individualist Vs. the Greater Good.”
Tournament host Australia has been particularly authoritarian in its Covid restrictions, but there’s no longer any media mood to celebrate athletes who question unreasonable government edicts:
In a less dangerous time, a more forgiving public viewed Novak Djokovic’s nontraditional views of science and health as the quirky characteristics of a hyperactive seeker with strongly held beliefs about everything from sports to spirituality.
(….)
Djokovic, a long-standing skeptic on vaccines, will spend the weekend detained in a hotel room in Melbourne, Australia, waiting out a legal appeal and expected hearing on Monday in hopes of gaining entry to the country following a public and political outcry over the medical exemption he received to play in the Australian Open without being vaccinated….
Futterman used hysterics as a confirmation of his own hysteria.
“The general public continues to respond positively if an athlete is speaking out on topics that make a difference in society and make people’s lives better,” said Michael Lynch, the former director of sports marketing for Visa and a longtime consultant to the sports industry. “But if someone takes a position that put people’s lives at risk, then they are going to have very negative reaction.”
Even though the Omicron version is less fatal than the Delta one it replaces, that doesn’t stop Futterman from using his Covid obsession as a weapon.
Djokovic, along with other athletes of elite status who are against the N.F.L. coronavirus vaccines has enjoyed the fame and fortune that sports success brings. Aaron Rodgers, the quarterback, and Kyrie Irving (star basketball player), have platforms that allow them to support causes and collect millions to promote products. However, in the last few months their public profile has become problematic as their behaviour and views supported misinformation which put safety at risk..
As he made clear in his piece, there will be no more tolerance for dissent (click “expand”):
Sport has seen its vaccinations change the game. The return of sports in 2020 was positively viewed by people who model safe behaviours such as playing with small crowds or not at all and regularly testing. Djokovic’s outspokenness and behavior against vaccines by Rodgers and Irving has damaged that goodwill. Organizations are tightening their defense rules.
(….)
Djokovic could also have avoided all his problems by getting vaccinated as many millions have in the last 12 months.….
Yet Futterman himself reported Djokovic has already been infected, in June 2020, and so presumably has some immunity from Covid.
As the world’s No. 1 tennis player, he’s presumably in above-average physical condition, in relatively little danger from the virus.
To underline his hysterics, Futterman switched to a sport back in the PA:
[ New Jersey Nets player] Kyrie Irving…will continue to be a symbol of everything the N.B.A. tries to stay away from during the pandemic. they are seen as a danger to the general public. This has led to a decrease in patience among the public for those who might be hindering efforts at ending the pandemic.
Unvaxxed Green Bay Packers star quarterback Aaron Rodgers was portrayed as dishonorable as well; “He was quickly ridiculed and then blamed for his condition on the cancel culture.”
Futterman voiced his opinion on the news coverage. Twitter: “[M]Most people have had enough of junk science and anti-vaccine rhetoric. Enough.”
About Post Author
