The U.S. Open started on Monday without the greatest player in tennis history.
Alright, one might wonder if Novak Djokovic is the GOAT. What is indisputable is that the reason he is not playing is DUMB.
Djokovic is not vaccinated against COVID-19 so the Serbian can’t travel to the United States.
If you think refusing the needle makes Djokovic a dummy who denies science, fine. But please explain the scientific/safety rationale behind Djokovic’s stay policy.
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American players do not need to be vaccinated. None of the spectators cramming into the 22,547-seat Arthur Ashe Stadium need to be vaccinated. As far as we know, the guy sitting next to the courtyard might be coming back from a week sipping bat soup at his timeshare in Wuhan.
No one is even required to wear a mask.
Yet Djokovic, who is incredibly fit and ready to be tested 10 times a day, is a threat to public safety?
The US Open says it follows government rules requiring foreigners to be vaccinated. And if he fell on southern border In place? Would he get a bus ride to New York, free cell phones, meals, hotel rooms, and maybe even tickets to Serena Williams’ final game?
Djokovic was cleared to play last year when the CDC’s position was that vaccinations helped prevent the virus from spreading. CDC Now Says Vaccines Don’t Prevent Transmission, But Djokovic Is Banned?
I’ve been vaccinated and boosted and would advise everyone to get shot, but I can see why Djokovic might be a bit confused about American politics.
Winners of the week: Nick Saban, Irish catering company that served best for free
Stud of the week: Nick Saban. Not only did he get a raise to reclaim the title of highest-paid coach ($11.7 million a year), Saban told ESPN he never emailed in his life. . Take that, Big Brother Google!
Stud II: Levy UK + Ireland, the restoration company of Aviva Stadium in Dublin, where Nebraska played Northwestern. When its online payment system went haywire, the caterer served free beer and food to fans for two hours.
guy of the week: Huskers coach Scott Frost, who apparently drank a few beers before calling for an onside kick in the third quarter that sparked Northwestern’s 31-28 win.
money for nothing: Forbes reported last week that the average NFL franchise is now valued at $4.47 billion and Dallas is worth $8 billion. Hell, what would the Cowboys be worth if they had won more than three playoff games in the past 25 years?
male enhancement: While selling his TB12 boxers and briefs last week, Tom Brady said consumers might look like the male models pictured on his website if they rolled up a TB12 sock ($20) and stuffed it into their underwear. clothes. He then demonstrated the technique off-camera.
There’s an easy way Deflate joke in there, but good taste tells us to move on. …
mermaids signed 51 offensive linemen to NIL deals. There are none from Florida or FSU, but three from FAU, four from USF and six from Vanderbilt. Who knew Vandy even had six offensive linemen? …
The PGA Tour has announced that it will hold 12 tournaments with prize money of $20 million next year. In response, the LIV Tour announced that it would play three-hole tournaments next year and the winners would get an AFC Central franchise of their choice. …
Wimbledon runner-up and Celtics nut Nick Kyrgios told Sports Illustrated he was so depressed after Boston’s losses that he missed games. Good thing he’s not a Magic fan, otherwise Kyrgios wouldn’t qualify as a ball boy at DB Racquet Club.
Saban Update: Not to be outdone, Jimbo Fisher told ESPN that he, too, has never emailed. But he pretended to be a deposed Nigerian dictator who needed your bank account number in order to transfer funds to help pay for the Texas A&M recruiting class. … RIP Len Dawson. Hall of Fame stats aside, the QB’s greatest moment was being photographed smoking a cigarette and drinking a can of Fresca during Super Bowl I halftime. It reminds me of the times Tom Brady was pictured eating a chickpea bar and sipping cauliflower juice during Super Bowl XLIX halftime.
US Open Update: Unvaccinated US players will be allowed to sneeze in the linesmen’s faces as long as they say “gesundheit!” after.
Forbes II: The Jaguars, who have won seven playoff games over the past 25 years, are valued at $3.475 billion. That rose to $1.248 billion after Urban Meyer was fired.
Clarification NONE: Hooters said they signed Vandy offensive linemen because they are skinny enough to tastefully wear orange Dolfin shorts at promotional events. …
Now that the football facility is built, Florida’s next big project is the renovation of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. An initial survey revealed that 96% of fans want the school to hire Levy UK + Ireland as a supplier.
Forbes III: The Bucs, who have 10 playoff wins over the past 25 years, are valued at $3.675 billion. It would be $976 million more if their quarterback bothered to show up to training camp and not put socks in their underwear. … Len Dawson lived to be 87. Maybe Brady should add Fresca and Clove cigarettes to his TB12 diet. …
That’s about all the space we have for this week’s Whitley’s Believe It or Not. Until next time, if you receive an email from His Excellency Jimbo Fisher of College Station, Nigeria, please let the FBI know.
— David Whitley is the sports columnist for the Gainesville Sun. Contact him at [email protected] Follow him on Twitter @DavidEWhitley.
