The NFL Reluctantly Bends the Knee to COVID Sanity – Opinion

The major sports leagues are perhaps America’s dumbest institution regarding COVID protocols. Because of the reality of major sports league members, I can say this.

Consider the NFL, as an example. Since the start of 2020, the league has maintained a rigorous and mandatory testing program. Even players who have tested negative have been made to miss games due to “close contact” with someone else who tested positive. A league that strongly promoted vaccinations resulted in approximately 95 percent of league members being completely vaccinated.

And yet…the league is currently seeing a massive COVID outbreak that has threatened to cancel multiple games over the next several weeks. This left the NFL with an important decision. They must decide whether to continue with their ridiculous coronavirus rules, which make absolutely no sense and are of no actual health benefit. Do they give in to their sanity? Or are they able to save lots of money by letting go of the stupid coronavirus rules.

Today, we got an answer from the NFL. They chose number 2.

BREAKING: #NFLNew Covid-19 Protocols Announced

– Fully vaccinated/ asymptomatic players/ staff don’t have to test weekly. (Those who are not vaccinated can still take a test).

– High risk players who wish to opt out of season have until 2pm ET Monday.

– Enhanced symptom screening

— Kayla Burton (@Kay_Breezy22) December 18, 2021

This is going to be hated by COVID mitigation cultists, but it makes sense. Everything except for continuing to test unvaccinated asymptomatic players. But, progress is progress.

On a weekly basis, it was absurd to have players tested for COVID if they were not showing any symptoms. The league is made up young athletes who are at the peak of their physical potential. The risk of permanent injury or death is virtually non-existent for even those in their 30s and 40s.

Want proof? Only a few NFL players were hospitalized with COVID in two seasons. This includes almost every league team having one at any given time. From what I understand, no one was ever seriously ill. All made complete recoveries. Again, that’s because the demographics of the NFL are statistically immune from the virus. But, COVID has been treated by the NFL as an existential, and life-threatening threat. Why?

It is easy to see why: These protocols are purely for entertainment. These protocols were not intended to provide protection for players, as they did not serve that purpose. But by appearing to “take COVID seriously,” the NFL avoided much chiding from the Washington bureaucrats and beltway hysterics who were seeking to stop all sports from happening back in 2020.

Now, however, the league wants to cover up the shortcomings of their original protocols. If they kept their current, stringent regime in place and had to cancel games, it would be an admission that their push for vaccinations didn’t work. Thus, you get this late-season change to ensure that these “outbreaks” don’t happen anymore, or rather, that the league doesn’t know about them anymore.

Yet, even though this move was reluctant and largely forced by the circumstances at hand, it’s still the right one. Will the NBA do the same? Don’t count on it. In that league, the level of woke-ness is higher than others.