Seth Udinski, FISM News
In 2020, many sports media members assumed that a widely distributed COVID-19 vaccine would provide a simple solution to allow professional sports to resume operation in a pre-pandemic fashion. Yet even after many leagues have instituted strict vaccine mandates, COVID-19 is still disrupting professional sports.
A recent example of this is the L.A. Lakers, who canceled the team’s Tuesday practice due to a reported outbreak. Other teams, including the Brooklyn Nets and Chicago Bulls, have had their rosters slashed for the time being because players have either tested positive for the virus or come into close contact with someone who had the virus. The Bulls were forced to miss two games this past week due to multiple reported positive cases.
Similarly, the NFL has faced its fair share of positive cases. On Monday, ESPN insider Adam Schefter revealed that the league reported 37 new positive cases.
Worth noting that 86 percent of NFL player and staff Covid positives this season originated away from team facilities. Community-spread has been the issue. 37 player positives today – 36 on NFL wire, one added after it came out.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 14, 2021
According to the league, multiple teams have increased numbers in new cases, and several teams are alleging that members of their personnel have contracted the Omicron variant. The NFL said in a memo:
On November 29, the CDC issued a study showing that the effectiveness of the approved COVID-19 vaccines may decrease over time and has recommended that all eligible vaccinated individuals over the age of 18 should receive a booster shot. Given the increased prevalence of the virus in our communities, our experts have recommended that we implement the CDC’s recommendation.
It is likely that these new developments will lead to even greater restrictions and mandates in both of these professional leagues.
It should be noted that both the NBA and NFL have already exhibited notably strict tendencies in their vaccine protocols, even compared to other professional leagues. In both leagues, almost all players have received at last one COVID-19 shot. It should be further noted that neither league has shown even the slightest doubt in the efficacy of these vaccines.