In less dangerous times, a more forgiving public viewed Novak Djokovic’s non-traditional views of science and health as the quirky characteristics of a hyperactive seeker who held firm beliefs about everything from sports to spirituality.
He sits inside a pressurized, egg-shaped pod during major tournaments, believing it will improve circulation, boost his red-blood cell production and rid his muscles of lactic acid. He supported the concept that prayer and faith can purify poisonous water. Djokovic and other high-profile athletes with unconventional approaches to health were a source of entertainment for the public, who, for better or for worse, have long regarded them as role models. These seem oddly harmless as quarterback Tom Brady’s bowl of avocado ice cream.
not anymore.
Djokovic, a vocal skeptic of vaccines, will spend the weekend detained in a hotel room in Melbourne, Australia, awaiting a legal appeal and hoping to gain entry into the country following a public and political outcry over medical exemptions. The hearing is expected on Monday. He got a chance to play in the Australian Open without vaccination. The Australian Border Force on Wednesday rejected its paperwork backing that exemption.
The fiery battle over his quest for a record 10th Australian Open men’s singles championship has unleashed a new dynamic for stars like Djokovic. latest surge of coronavirus Cases and the ongoing struggle to get out of the pandemic have changed public perceptions: athletes once viewed favorably as iconoclasts when they want to play by different rules than everyone else. He is now facing pushback.
Michael Lynch, former director of sports marketing for Visa and a long-time consultant for the sports industry, said, “If an athlete is speaking out on topics that make a difference to society and improve people’s lives, then the general The public continues to respond positively.” “But if someone takes a position that puts people’s lives at risk, they’re going to have a very negative reaction.”
The fame that comes with athletic success has provided Djokovic and other top athletes who oppose coronavirus vaccines, such as NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers and basketball star Kyrie Irving, with platforms to promote the causes they support. used to believe and collect millions of dollars to promote the products. But in recent months, his high profile has become a liability as his behavior and his views support misinformation and endanger public safety.
For sports organizations and leagues, the stakes are high. For more than a decade, access to social media has given sports stars the ability to become more outspoken and with more influence than ever before. As long as what they say isn’t offensive or polarizing, they provide free, mostly positive promotion for their games, their causes, and their own brands.
The issue of vaccination has changed the equation for sports, whose return to 2020 was seen positively when they practiced safe behaviour, such as wearing a mask, playing in front of sparse crowds or none at all, and participating in routine testing. Take. The behavior and outspokenness of Djokovic, Rodgers, Irving and others against vaccines has jeopardized that goodwill, and organizations are now tightening their rules for playing defense.
The NCAA said Thursday that, in many cases, it will not consider players or coaches “fully vaccinated” until they have also received a booster shot.
Although the guidance is not binding on schools and conferences, it is influential, especially with the NCAA-run Division I basketball tournament beginning in March.
Patrick McEnroe, a former professional tennis player who is now ESPN’s commentator, said, “You’re allowed to have your beliefs, but once those beliefs start affecting other people, things start to get a little messy. “
The standoff came to the fore in Australia when Federal Border Police detained Djokovic at Melbourne airport on Wednesday.
Djokovic, a Serb who has won 20 Grand Slam tournament singles championships, went to Australia to defend his title at the Australian Open after the announcement that he had to receive a vaccine for an unknown reason from two panels of medical experts. Medical exemption from Acting on behalf of the organization staging the tournament and the Government of Victoria, the state that includes the tournament site, Melbourne.
But as Djokovic was on his way from Dubai to Australia, the public and some politicians began to express their anger that Djokovic, the No. 1 ranked male tennis player, had received unfair special treatment.
Roughly 80% of Australians have received at least one dose of vaccination. Australians have endured some of the most stringent restrictions to contain the spread of the virus, including hundreds of days of lockdown and strict limits on travel. With the country averaging 30,000 new cases a day, Australians were no longer unwilling to tolerate an outspoken critic of vaccines, what seemed like a questionable special pass.
Border officials, backed by Prime Minister Scott Morrison and other top federal officials, later rejected his attempts to enter Australia on the grounds that his medical exemption was not valid.
Michael Payne, the former chief marketing officer of the International Olympic Committee, said Djokovic was “stuck in a game of political power between various government departments, which he should have told earlier, ‘No vaccine, no sport’.”
Perhaps, but Djokovic could have avoided his troubles by simply getting vaccinated, as millions of people have done over the past 12 months, either because he wanted to follow public health guidance or because employers or governments needed it. Was.
Same for Irving, the Brooklyn Nets guard who has consistently refused vaccinations. Irving’s refusal has made him ineligible to play at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, as New York City requires people working indoors to be vaccinated.
The Nets kept him off their roster for the first two months of the season. Then, as his losses mounted, the team opted to essentially make him a part-time employee, who would only play in arenas in cities that prohibit unvaccinated people from working indoors.
He scored 22 points Wednesday night in his first game of the season against the Indiana Pacers, but he will continue to be a symbol of everything the NBA has tried to avert during the pandemic, which is seen as a potential threat to the public. Used to be. And that public is running out of patience for anyone who might hinder efforts to end the pandemic.
Meanwhile, Rodgers, a folk hero in the Midwest, has the Green Bay Packers one win away from taking the top seed in the NFC for the playoffs starting next week. Rodgers was criticized and ridiculed in November when he tested positive for the coronavirus after months of making misleading statements about vaccination. He also violated NFL rules for unvaccinated players, including not wearing a mask when speaking with reporters. He missed a game while in isolation and recovering from illness. The NFL fined the Packers $300,000 for enabling his behavior.
Rodgers explained his decision not to vaccinate, saying that he had read hundreds of pages of studies and found treatments to prevent the infection, treatments that scientists have either rejected or that are a veterinary drug. have not been proven effective. He quickly became the object of widespread disdain and then blamed the cancellation culture for his treatment.
Star vaccine resistors have their supporters. Djokovic’s family held rallies in Belgrade on Thursday, where his father, Srijan, accused Australian Prime Minister Morrison of holding his son a “captive” for his beliefs and trampling all over Serbia, where Djokovic is a sacred treasure. .
He also read a message he said was from Djokovic: “God sees everything. Ethics and ethics as the highest ideals are the shining stars towards spiritual upliftment. My grace is spiritual and his material wealth.”
Djokovic’s main rival, Rafael Nadal, who is in Australia before playing at the Open, offered less than sympathy on the controversy on Thursday.
Nadal, who has long supported the vaccine effort, said: “In some way I feel sorry for them.” “But at the same time, he knew the terms many months in advance, so he makes his own decision.”
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