In 2021, the sports world continued to grapple with fast-changing pandemic circumstances.
The first months of 2021 saw many professional athletes test positive for COVID-19, causing disruption to league schedules and major events. Events that continued, such as the Australian Open tennis tournament, were held under strict COVID protocols and restrictions on fan attendance. By March, increased availability of COVID vaccines in places such as the United States saw some professional leagues incentivize vaccination by loosening COVID restrictions for vaccinated players. WNBA players showed remarkable leadership in achieving a 99% vaccination rate and supporting community vaccination efforts. Other pro leagues also had high levels of vaccine uptake; yet some superstar athletes, including NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers and NBA guard Kyrie Irving made headlines for their refusal to get vaccinated. Meanwhile, media also start reporting on athletes experiencing long-term effects of COVID infection.
The postponed 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics and Paralympics were staged amid controversy as COVID cases rose rapidly across Japan. As the Japanese government responded to these high case numbers by declaring a state of emergency, the Games were held in a “closed-loop” bubble system designed to prevent any interaction between Olympic participants and Tokyo residents. Olympic organizers declared the Games a resounding success, touting their efforts as a model for holding mega-events in pandemic times.
The waning dominance of the Delta variant through September and October saw case numbers decrease in many places and sports fans (often masked and vaccinated) returning to full capacity stadiums. However, the rise of the Omicron variant in late 2021 interrupted any hope of a quick return to normalcy as a rising wave of infection impacted professional leagues and led to the cancellation of several major sporting events.
Jump to other years:
JANUARY
January 17-20
Players arrive for Australian Open
As players, coaches, and staff fly in to Melbourne in advance of February’s Australian Open tennis tournament, intake testing reveals several positive COVID cases. Australia had been successful limiting the spread of COVID-19 throughout the country enforcing strict restrictions on international travel and quarantine rules. The Australian government set up what they called “the tightest quarantine arrangements in the world for a tennis tournament” to limit the Open’s impact on national COVID cases.
All players arriving in Australia are required to quarantine for 14 days at designated hotels and would only be allowed outside their rooms for 5 hours a day to train. However, players who were on flights with individuals who tested positive upon arrival would be subject to a period of “hard” quarantine for which they would not be able to leave their hotel rooms.
These extra restrictions sparked concerns about the competitive disadvantages faced by players unable to leave their rooms; Swiss player Belinda Bencic, the #12 ranked player in the world, tweeted, “We are not complaining to be in quarantine. We are complaining because of unequal practice/playing conditions before quite important tournaments.” Players under hard quarantine were forced to find creative ways to train while confined to their rooms, but still faced psychological difficulties; Ukrainian player Marta Kostyuk lamented during her isolation period that “being alone is such torture”.
These concerns coincided with existing tensions around player accommodations. Six of the world’s top players – Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, Simona Halep, Novak Djokovic, Dominic Thiem, and Rafael Nadal – were scheduled to play at a pre-Open exhibition tournament in Adelaide and were allowed greater freedom at their designated hotel. Jérémy Chardy, a French player ranked #66 in the world, criticized this discrepancy, saying, “They will almost be able to live normally. Already they have a lot of privileges. If they can do everything more than you, it will not be the same preparation. And that’s weird for a sport where we’re all supposed to be on the same footing.”
January 18
Summer Olympics and Paralympics to proceed
With COVID cases surging nationwide, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga publicly vows that the postponed 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games will proceed as planned in July and August. Suga asserts that the Games will represent “proof of human victory against the coronavirus” and a symbol of “hope and courage throughout the world.” He touts planned “anti-infection measures” as guaranteeing the success of the Games and calls forthcoming vaccines as the “clincher” that will bring about the end of the pandemic.
January 25
Gymnastics championships re-located
USA Gymnastics announces that the 2021 Senior Pan-American Championships will no longer take place in the United States. The organization released a statement saying, “after assessing all COVID-related risks and requirements, officials determined that it would not be in the best interests of all participating athletes for the event to be held in the U.S.” The Championships, which were already postponed from May 2020, would be moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and held from June 4-13.
FEBRUARY
February 15
NHL games postponed due to widespread outbreaks
A month into the NHL season, 35 games have been postponed due to COVID outbreaks. These cancellations have all involved American teams; the Northern Division, which includes the league’s six Canadian teams, has yet to postpone any games. While league protocols are identical for teams in both countries, experts hypothesize that relatively tighter government restrictions in Canada have likely protected players from community exposure to the virus.
MARCH
March 18
NBA announces incentives for vaccinated players
As doses of COVID vaccine become more available across the United States, attention turns to how soon professional athletes will have the opportunity to be vaccinated. The NBA announces incentives for teams with high rates of vaccination: when a team reaches an 85% vaccination rate, vaccinated players will be tested less frequently, will no longer be required to wear masks at team facilities, and be subject to fewer restrictions related to socializing and public mobility (e.g., eating in restaurants, leaving team hotels on road trips). The New Orleans Pelicans are the first team to confirm that they have launched a team-wide vaccination effort.
March 19
Inequities revealed at NCAA basketball tournaments
As the popular March Madness tournaments are set to begin, the NCAA faces criticism for inequities within the conditions for men’s and women’s players. Viral social media posts document how women’s teams have been afforded inferior weight rooms and fitness facilities, subpar food amenities, and less tournament merchandise compared to the men’s side.
University of Connecticut women’s coach Geno Auriemma tells reporters that these discrepancies extend to the COVID-testing technologies available for men’s and women’s teams with testing in the men’s tournament using “gold standard” PCR tests whereas the women’s event is using less reliable Rapid Antigen tests.
These reports describe how PCR tests are considered the “gold standard” technology since they “actually detect RNA (or genetic material) that is specific to the virus and can detect the virus within days of infection, even for those who have no symptoms.” Rapid Antigen tests, which offer quicker turnaround times than PCR tests but are more likely to miss active infections – especially those that are asymptomatic.
NCAA President Mark Emmert responds to the criticism by saying, “I’m not a medical expert so not going to get into a debate about PCR and antigen. All the health experts said the protocol that we’re using in all of our venues and all of our championships has no difference at all in terms of our ability to mitigate risk.” Yet investigations later suspect that the rapid tests produced many false positive tests at the women’s tournament: 226 positive tests were recorded without any other evidence of COVID transmission. This meant that some players had to miss tournament events while they waited for further testing – a problem not encountered on the men’s side.
The inequities across the men’s and women’s tournaments spark a months-long review, culminating in a 118-page report detailing recommendations for addressing these gender inequities.
APRIL
April 1
MLB Season Begins
The Major League Baseball season begins with visible differences in fan attendance at different stadiums. In states where robust COVID protocols remain in place, such as New York and California, stadiums are subject to greatly reduced capacities and fans must present proof of vaccination or proof of a negative test to enter. Most spectators at these outdoor venues are also seen wearing masks as an added layer of protection. These images stand in stark contrast to those of a packed Globe Life Stadium, the home of the Texas Rangers. The lack of state-wide pandemic restrictions allowed the stadium to be at its full capacity of 38,000 for Opening Day. President Joe Biden called the Rangers’ decision “a mistake” and “not responsible” as it defied public health guidance from the CDC.
Meanwhile, due to U.S./Canada pandemic border travel restrictions, the Toronto Blue Jays will play their home games at their Spring Training facility in Dunedin, Florida. Blue Jays management says that the team will then relocate in May or June to the home of their AAA affiliate in Buffalo, New York.
NHL will not offer players vaccine incentives given high compliance
Reports indicate that the NHL is unlikely to offer incentives to promote vaccination as the vast majority of players say they are amenable to being vaccinated.
Yet the Canucks outbreak had revealed how multinational sports leagues must contend with varying levels of vaccine access in different countries. As the United States was able to manufacture an ample supply of vaccine for its citizens, Canada does not have the production capacities and is forced to rely on the global supply chain. Thus, while U.S.-based NHL teams have been able to offer opportunities for players to get vaccinated, player on Canadian teams have to wait for public health authorities to expand vaccine availability beyond priority populations.
Soccer star Leroux’s social media post details her children’s severe COVID infections
U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team star Sydney Leroux posted to Instagram describing her children’s severe COVID symptoms. Leroux, who also plays for the NWSL’s Orlando Pride, explained that her 4-year-old son and 21-months-old daughter had experienced harsh fevers, exhaustion, and vomiting. Leroux ends her post by refuting the notion that children cannot be impacted by COVID-19 infection, saying, “It has been an extremely hard couple of weeks, but thankfully things are much better now. I wanted to share this story to urge everyone to continue taking this virus seriously, when it comes to both you AND your children.”
April 6
NCAA men’s March Madness wraps up; linked to two COVID deaths
At the conclusion of the NCAA men’s March Madness tournament held in Indianapolis, Indiana, officials call the event a resounding success. The tournament was held entirely in Indianapolis (instead of its traditional format of being spread across multiple cities) and used a bubble system with COVID safety protocols in place (including testing, isolated accommodations, restricting interactions with individuals outside of the team environment, limiting fans to 25% capacity).
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett say that the city has “proved to the world that we can responsibly host major events.” Dan Gavitt, NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball, similarly praised Indianapolis for meeting the challenge of putting on a major sporting event during a pandemic. Gavitt highlights that out of approximately 28,000 COVID tests of participating players, coaches, and team staff, only 15 (~0.0005%) came back positive.
Yet the tournament also concludes in the shadow of the deaths of two men, Luke Ratliff and Michael Gaines, who both died from COVID infections possibly linked to the tournament.
Ratliff, a 23-year-old student at the University of Alabama had traveled to Indianapolis to attend an Alabama tournament game and died in hospital after returning home to Alabama. Research following the tournament indicated that less than 75% of spectators at tournament games complied with masking requirements. Gaines, a bartender at an Indianapolis restaurant popular with tourists, died in the midst of a COVID outbreak among the restaurant’s employees. In the aftermath of Gaines’ death, the Indianapolis Star reports that hospitality workers felt they were not prioritized in public health efforts around the tournament (in contrast to stadium workers or tournament personnel) even though fans attending games would be staying in hotels and visiting restaurants or nightclubs.
Subsequent research published in October also shows that gatherings to watch tournament games on university campuses likely contributed to increased COVID infection rates in those places.
April 7
NBA partners with digital security firm CLEAR
The NBA announces a partnership with CLEAR, makers of “secure identity platforms,” for use of their Health Pass app at league arenas. The app “securely connects a user’s verified identity to multiple layers of COVID-19-related health information” such as test results or vaccine information. The league states that a third of all teams have already implemented the technology for their employee or fan COVID protocols.
NFL’s Bills announce use of vaccine passport for fans
The Buffalo Bills become the first NFL team to announce they will be using a vaccine passport system at their home games. Requiring proof of vaccination at the stadium will allow for the Bills to play games at full stadium capacity. Erie Country Executive Mark Poloncarz explains at a news conference that being a spectator at a sporting event is a choice and a privilege that can be taken away under certain circumstances, saying, “there is no God-given right to attend a football game.”
MAY
May 6
Pfizer will donate vaccine doses for Tokyo Olympics
Pfizer and BioNTech announce that they will provide doses of vaccine to the International Olympic Committee to help vaccination efforts among athletes and their national delegations. IOC president Thomas Bach describes the donation as “another tool in our toolbox of measures to help make the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 safe and secure for all participants and to show solidarity with our gracious Japanese hosts.”
May 14
CDC updates guidelines on masking
The U.S. Center for Disease Control issues new guidance stipulating that those who have received two doses of vaccine are safe to stop wearing masks in public spaces. While local and state regulations still ultimately determine the enforcement of mask mandates in different parts of the country, the new federal guidance offers opportunities for other jurisdictions to relax their rules. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky tells reporters, “We have all longed for this moment, when we can get back to some sense of normalcy.” The CDC is both praised and criticized for their decision, with critics pointing to uneven levels of vaccination across the country and the possibility of “breakthrough” infections among vaccinated people.
Commentators suggest that the updated guidance will be “good news” for the sports industry that is seeking to have stadium capacity restrictions relaxed and further encourage fans to return to live events. A few days later, New York governor Andrew Cuomo announces that the NBA’s New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets can have 50% of their arenas reserved for vaccinated fans who will not have to wear masks.
May 17
Poll shows opposition to Olympics across Japan
A national poll suggests that 80% of Japanese people oppose hosting the Olympics this year. 43% of those surveyed want the Games canceled altogether while 40% of respondents prefer further postponement. The poll results come with only 10 weeks left until the start of the Games and Japan under an expanded state of emergency amid a nationwide COVID surge. The resurgent spike in COVID infections has placed the nation’s healthcare system under stress with mounting concerns about healthcare staff shortages and physician burnout.
JUNE
June 5
Positive test forces Rahm to withdraw from PGA’s The Memorial
Golfer Jon Rahm tests positive for COVID in the middle of the PGA’s The Memorial tournament and has to withdraw while leading by 6 strokes in the third round. Rahm, the tournament’s defending champion and number two ranked player in the world, was already enlisted in PGA COVID protocols having been exposed to a COVID-positive person before the tournament started. He had tested negative throughout the week until his routine Friday test turned up a positive result on Saturday. Rahm said in a statement, “I’m very disappointed in having to withdraw from the Memorial Tournament. This is one of those things that happens in life, one of those moments where how we respond to a setback defines us as people.”
June 11
Cubs’ Rizzo announces he is not vaccinated
Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo receives backlash for announcing that he has not been vaccinated. The Cubs had already drawn criticism for being one of the eight MLB teams to not reach the 85% vaccinated mark that would qualify them for league incentives. Rizzo explains that his refusal of the vaccine is a life decision” made for “personal reasons” and that he supports people getting the vaccine. He says, “there are a lot of lives that are being saved by this vaccine” but he was “taking more time to see the data” before making a final decision.
Rizzo’s teammate Javier Báez, who publicly promoted getting vaccinated, supports Rizzo’s decision, saying “Everyone feels different, and they just don’t believe in it right now. We respect his decision…We know who the people are who are not (vaccinated). We respect him.”
June 29
WNBA reaches 99% vaccination rate following player-led initiatives
Only one month into their 2021 season, the WNBA announces that 99% of the league’s players are vaccinated against COVID-19 with all 12 teams meeting the threshold for a “fully-vaccinated” designation under league rules. The CDC applauds the Women’s National Basketball Players Association for their “impressive milestone,” which was achieved through player-led initiatives. These included facilitating open-ended education sessions with racially diverse medical experts during which players could ask questions and engage in conversations with other participants.
WNBPA executive director Terri Jackson explains that union leadership invited experts from multiple medical and scientific disciplines: epidemiology, researchers connected to the vaccine clinical trials, obstetricians, mental health specialists, and those with experience navigating Black and Brown communities’ historical mistrust in medical institutions. This was done with sensitivity to the league’s diverse population, which is comprised of women and non-binary individuals of different races, ethnicities, and sexualities. Some players are mothers or were interested in knowing how the vaccine might impact future pregnancies. USA Today asserts that the WNBA “put the NBA to shame” in showing leadership on COVID-19 vaccine conversation.
Jackson notes that the player leadership within the WNBPA saw the vaccine issue as connected to the league’s history of social activism, saying that they approached her with the message, “If Black Lives Matter is what we’re about, then in the public health space, this is really big for Black and Brown communities.” In August, the WNBPA partners with the Black Women’s Health Imperative and the National Council of Negro Women to launch a vaccination education campaign called “Take the Shot for the WIN”, which focused on promoting COVID vaccines among Black women, their families, and communities.
JULY
July 17
First COVID case at Tokyo Olympic Village
The first case of COVID-19 is detected at the Tokyo Olympic Village, a week before the Games are set to begin. The decision to continue with the Olympics despite the ongoing pandemic faces strong criticism from American media.
The Washington Post asserts that “Holding the Tokyo Olympics amid the COVID pandemic threat is about corporate revenue, not the athletes.” Slate declares that “The Tokyo Olympics Were Always Cursed.” Scientific American surveys public health experts who conclude that “COVID Risks at the Tokyo Olympics Aren’t Being Managed” and that “current prevention measures may not be enough to prevent an outbreak.” Science magazine runs a story with the headline, “Japanese scientists warn that Tokyo Olympics could help spread COVID-19” and details how local public health experts “struggle to be heard by government set on holding games.” Wired cautions that “The Olympics Could Be a Covid-19 ‘Super-Evolutionary Event’” since “the Games could provide a place for variants of the virus to spread and then return home with athletes.” Satoki Itani, professor at Kensai University, tells CNN how public opposition to the Games can be explained, “Their main concern is Covid-19, but there is also an increasing frustration and anger towards the attitudes and glaring disrespect to people’s lives here by the IOC, the Japanese government, and the organizing committee.”
July 22
NFL announces new COVID protocols with focus on vaccination
The NFL distributes a memo to its teams outlining the league’s COVID-operating principles. Much of the protocol focuses on vaccines with the memo stating, “We know that vaccines are safe and effective and are the best step anyone can take to be safe from the coronavirus.” The procedures for positive cases are very different for vaccinated and unvaccinated players.
Vaccinated players who test positive will be isolated but permitted to return to work after two negative tests at least 24 hours apart. Unvaccinated players will be subject to 2020 protocols and must isolate for 10 days and must be asymptomatic before rejoining their team. Unlike in 2020, no competitive accommodations will be made for teams unable to field a full roster due to COVID protocols; a failure to do so will be considered “conduct detrimental” to the league and will require the team to forfeit their schedule game. Allen Sills, NFL Chief Medical Officer, tells reporters that 80% of all players have received at least one dose of vaccine.
Although the league did not issue a mandatory vaccine mandate, some players explained how they felt coerced into vaccination. Seattle Seahawks cornerback D.J. Reed tweeted, “I didn’t want to get the vaccine. The NFL & NFLPA made getting the vaccine a competitive advantage. I just got my vaccine because I don’t want to hinder my team.” Arizona Cardinals star wide receiver De’Andre Hopkins posted a (soon deleted) tweet, saying, “Never thought I would say this, But being put in a position to hurt my team because I don’t want to take part in the vaccine is making me question my future in the @Nfl.” This backlash was in addition to previous criticisms made by Buffalo Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley whose defiant opposition to vaccination made him, along with Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, a key figure in the NFL’s anti-vaccine movement.
Two of Beasley’s teammates, wide receivers Emmanuel Sanders and Stefon Diggs, post to social media publicizing their vaccinated status. Sanders posts a picture of his vaccine card to Instagram with the caption, “Availability. Accountability. Don’t have time to deal with no bs during the season.” Washington Football Team head coach Ron Rivera says that he is “beyond frustrated” with his team’s low vaccination rate even though he brought in medical experts to educate players. Rivera asserts, “I hope we can get to these guys, get them to understand really [that getting the vaccine is] not just for them, but it’s for the people around them. Rivera explains that he is immunocompromised after a cancer diagnosis the previous year and that his close interaction with potentially COVID-positive players “scares the hell of [him].”
July 30
MLB’s Blue Jays play first home game in Toronto since 2019
The Toronto Blue Jays play their first home game at Toronto’s Rogers Centre since September 29, 2019. US-Canada COVID-19 travel restrictions made it unfeasible for the team to play their home games in Toronto since they could not cross the border to play away games and opponents could not enter Canada for home games. The Blue Jays played their 2020 and 2021 home games in Buffalo and Florida until the Canadian government granted the team a “national interest” travel exemption on July 16.
The exemption requires pre- and post-arrival COVID-testing for all team members with unvaccinated individuals being subject to additional testing and a “modified quarantine” during which they will not be able to leave the team hotel except to attend games at the stadium. The team released a statement upon receiving the government exemption, saying, “First and foremost, the Blue Jays wish to thank Canadians for their unprecedented public health efforts and support for the team. Without you, Blue Jays baseball would not be coming home this summer.”
July 31
COVID concerns loom at Olympics’ halfway point
Halfway through the Olympic schedule, Tokyo reports a daily record of 4,058 COVID infections and the Japanese government extends its pandemic state of emergency measures. The rising cases spark more concerns about the severe strain being placed on hospitals and the country’s healthcare system. Canadian national newspaper The Globe and Mail asserts that “Japan’s Tokyo Olympics nightmare is coming true.”
Inside the Olympics bubble, organizers report a total of 259 cases since July 1 among athletes, staff, and officials with at least 3 individuals being admitted to hospital. International Olympic Committee spokesperson Mark Adams tells reporters, “As far as I’m aware, there is not a single case of infection spreading to Tokyo’s population from the athletes or Olympic movement.” This message is echoed by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who states, “I don’t think there is any [COVID spread from the Olympics to the broader Tokyo population]. In order to avoid the spread of infection from foreigners to the Japanese, strict border measures are being taken.”
AUGUST
August 8
Tokyo Olympics conclude
The Olympics end with 458 total COVID cases associated with the Games (29 of which were athletes; 25 individuals were admitted to hospital). The Games are completed while Tokyo continues to experience record case numbers, surpassing 5000 daily cases for the first time on August 5.
Since the Olympics began on July 23, approximately 170,000 people in Japan contracted COVID and at least 178 people died. MSNBC runs a column detailing “COVID’s devastating toll on the Tokyo Olympics” whereas Aljazeera asks in a headline, “Did the Tokyo Olympics drive Japan’s COVID-19 surge?” The International Olympic Committee releases a statement calling Tokyo 2020 “a global health effort that’s given hope to the world.” The statement includes comment from Dr. Brian McCloskey, Chair of the Games’ independent panel of medical experts who says, “What Tokyo 2020 has just done in an historic way is show that the WHO advice is right. By following basic public health measures, and by layering a testing programme on top, we have shown that it is possible to keep a pandemic at bay.”
In December, the IOC announces that genomic sequencing data indicates that there was no COVID-19 spread between those inside the Olympic bubble and local Tokyo residents. Yet research also suggests that the Games may have indirectly contributed to rising infection rates by encouraging mass gathering to watch events and communicating a false sense of normalcy that made residents feel they could relax their adherence to pandemic measures.
August 24
Paralympics begin as COVID cases rise across Japan
The Paralympics begin with as state of emergency continues across Japan due to escalating COVID cases and a strained healthcare system. Like the Olympics a few weeks earlier, Paralympic events will be held with no spectators in attendance. 161 cases have been linked to the Paralympics so far, including six athletes. New Zealand’s Paralympic team announces that it will not be attending the opening ceremony, stating, “Our team will not be attending as we continue our commitment to our Covid-19 Operating Principles and Guidelines, aimed at keeping our team as safe as possible.”
Some commentators express concern that continuing the Games under these circumstances can endanger Paralympians with pre-existing conditions making them more susceptible to severe illness.
NFL’s Rodgers misleads on vaccination status
In comments that would soon prove controversial, Green Bay Packers star quarterback Aaron Rodgers tells reporters that he has been “immunized” against COVID-19. Rodgers goes on to say, “There’s guys on the team that haven’t been vaccinated. I think it’s a personal decision. I’m not going to judge those guys.” His statement does not attract much attention at the time and local media interpret his comments to mean that he had received an authorized COVID vaccine. On the same day, the NFL announces that 93% of its players have been vaccinated.
SEPTEMBER
September 5
Paralympics conclude
The Games end with over 300 cases linked to the event, most of whom were not athletes but officials, volunteers and contractors who were residents of Japan.
September 14
NBA will not have vaccine mandate for players
Reports indicate that the NBA will not require all players to be vaccinated for the 2021-22 season. Vaccination will be required for referees and staff working in close proximity to players. Such a protocol would align with rules instituted by MLB and the NFL.
September 16
NWSL’s Spirit found in violation of COVID protocols
The Washington Spirit of the NWSL forfeit their second straight match due to their breach of league COVID protocols. The match was initially postponed when the Spirit had four positive COVID cases within the team but their violation of league protocols meant they would no longer be accommodated with a rescheduled match. The team was also fined $25,000.
The Spirit released a statement saying, “We, the members of the Washington Spirit organization, sincerely apologize and take full responsibility for breaking protocols that forced our previous two matches to be cancelled,” the Spirit said in a statement. “We understand our actions have serious consequences and we have let our fans down. Moving forward, we are committed to being better and adhering to all protocols.”
OCTOBER
October 2
NBA teams announce rules for fan attendance at 2021-22 games
With the NBA season starting in less than three weeks, 15 of the league’s 30 teams release COVID policies for fans attending future games. Four teams (Brooklyn, Golden State, New York, and Toronto) will require fans to provide proof of vaccination when entering their home arenas with no exceptions. Eleven other teams will require fans be vaccinated or present results of a recent negative COVID test. These rules are additional to a league-wide policy stipulating that all fans sitting within 15 of the court or player benches must provide proof of vaccination or results of a negative test.
Each individual arena will also have its own mask policy aligned with local or team rules. Many arenas, such as Los Angeles’ Staples Center and Charlotte’s Spectrum Center, require fans to wear masks unless they are eating or drinking in their assigned seats. In other venues, such as Atlanta’s State Farm Arena or Detroit’s Little Caesar’s Arena, masks are only recommended and not required. As the season progresses, reports from some NBA cities indicate minimal compliance with mask requirements.
The NHL has a similar range of vaccine/mask policies at team arenas, some of which are shared with NBA teams.
October 6
NBA reports high rates of vaccination; unvaccinated players must comply with local rules
NBAPA president Michele Roberts states that 96% of NBA players have been vaccinated. NBA officials also warn that forthcoming city-imposed vaccination mandates will impact unvaccinated players’ eligibility to play games and practice at team facilities.
Mandates have been announced (or are expected) in New York City (New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets), San Francisco (Golden State Warriors) and Los Angeles (Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers). The mandates dictate that employees of businesses located in these cities must be vaccinated to work in-person. Unvaccinated players on visiting teams are exempt from these rules since their employers are located in places outside the city’s jurisdiction. Unvaccinated players visiting Canada to play the Toronto Raptors are subject to a modified quarantine system (similar to that implemented for MLB’s Toronto Blue Jays) whereby these players are prohibited to from leaving their team hotel except to attend the scheduled game.
The NBA asserts that unvaccinated players ineligible to play home games due to local mandates will lose their salary for those games.
NBA’s Wiggins reluctantly gets vaccinated
Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins, who was denied a “religious exemption” to vaccinated from the league, announces that he has been vaccinated. He explains that he felt “forced” to do so and that he believed “the only options were to get vaccinated or not play in the NBA.” Wiggins tries to justify his hesitation by saying, “I know a lot of people get reactions or injuries from getting the vaccination, so I don’t know what it’s going to do to me in 10 years.”
Journalists and public health officials have pushed back on the misinformation communicated by these and other unvaccinated NBA players. Dr. Anthony Fauci warned in an interview that the players were sharing theories about vaccinations harms that were “just not factual.” Fauci also clarifies that “although there are individual choices that people can make, when you’re dealing with a deadly pandemic, you’ve got to also understand your responsibility to the society within which you live.” Other commentators highlight the unfortunate acceptance of vaccine misinformation among NBA players and lament that few players are publicly counteracting this trend by promoting vaccines.
October 18
NHL suspends Kane for faking vaccine certificate
The NHL suspends Evander Kane, forward for the San Jose Sharks, 21 games for violating the league’s COVID protocols. Kane was found to have submitted a counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination card prior to the start of the season, which would have exempted him from the league’s stricter protocols for unvaccinated players. Kane issued a statement reading, “I would like to apologize to my teammates, the San Jose Sharks organization, and all Sharks fans for violating the NHL COVID protocols. I made a mistake, one I sincerely regret and take responsibility for.”
October 21
NBA’s Goodwin makes unsubstantiated claim about blood clots and COVID vaccine
In comments widely circulated on Instagram, free agent NBA guard Brandon Goodwin claimed that his COVID vaccination resulted in the development of blood clots that made him miss part of the 2020-21 season with the Atlanta Hawks. Goodwin said that the vaccine was “a thousand percent” responsible for the onset of these blood clots. His claim, presented without supporting evidence, came after the Center for Disease Control (CDC) expressed concerns in April about blood clots as a rare side effect of the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine. The CDC and Federal Drug Administration then recommended a pause on the use of the J&J vaccine.
Experts were quick to refute Goodwin’s unsubstantiated claims, however, stressing the extreme rarity of the J&J side effect and explaining that blood clots were more likely to be a result of recent COVID infection. Importantly, elite athletes also tend to be more susceptible to blood clots than the general population. Goodwin seemed to rescind his claim, tweeting, “I got sick. Maybe it was the vaccine maybe it was covid [I don’t know] I’m not a expert.”
October 25
Beijing 2022 Olympics COVID rules released
The International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee publish their Beijing 2022 Playbooks, which include COVID-19 guidelines. The Playbook outlines how the Games will be hosted across three “Olympic Zones” in Beijing, Zhangjiakou and Yanqing that will comprise a closed loop of facilities connected by dedicated transportation routes. All competition and training venues, as well as the Athlete Village, are contained within the loop and participants are forbidden from leaving the loop system to “ensure there is no contact with the general public.” As was previously announced, unvaccinated athletes will have to undergo a 21-day quarantine before entering the closed loop system.
Athletes will be subjected to daily testing and will be asked to wear masks whenever they are not competing, training, eating, drinking or sleeping. Anyone who tests positive during the games will be taken by “dedicated transport either to an isolation facility or to a hospital to isolate and/or receive medical treatment”. Athletes are also instructed to avoid physical interactions (including hugging and high-fives) are kept to a minimum.
An updated final version of the Playbooks is published in December.
October 29
Research investigates COVID spread during college football games
A study by researchers from Texas A&M, The University of Florida, and Louisiana State University suggests that college football games did not facilitate high levels of COVID spread among participating players. The researchers conclude that this low infection rate was promoted by Conference-wide COVID rules including regular testing and isolation protocols, as well as the relative safety of outdoor activities during the pandemic. The results mirror those from studies of other outdoor sports such as rugby that also found minimal transmission during matches. Commentators argue that these findings have significant implications beyond sports and should encourage public health authorities to promote the safety of outdoor activities and relax remaining masking requirements in outdoor spaces.
Importantly, the college football season took place in between America’s summer COVID wave spurred by the Delta variant and the beginning of the country’s immense Omicron wave that began in December (and had major impacts on end of season playoffs and Bowl games).
This study comes only a few weeks after University of Florida issued a press release announcing that “So far, COVID-19 spikes from college football games haven’t materialized.” Based on the work of UF epidemiologist Cindy Prins, the release asserts that there have been few COVID outbreaks associated with fans attending college football games at packed stadiums across the country. Citing the outdoor locations of most college football games and fans limited exposure to other people beyond those seated immediately around them, Prins suggests that football games are “not the super spreader events that people have worried they’re going to be.” Indeed, many commentators expressed concern about mass gatherings at NFL and college football in articles with headlines such as “Will College Football Games Become Covid-19 Coronavirus Super Spreader Events?” and “Crowded stadiums, pandemic create combustible mix this fall.”
Importantly, these fall football seasons took place in between America’s summer COVID wave spurred by the Delta variant and the beginning of the country’s immense Omicron wave that began in December (and had major impact on the end of these football seasons).
NOVEMBER
November 3
NFL’s Rodgers tests positive for COVID-19; confirms he is unvaccinated.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is ruled out of the team’s Week 9 game after testing positive for COVID-19. That Rodgers was immediately deemed ineligible for the game raises questions about his vaccinated status since NFL protocol allows vaccinated players to return to play if they receive two negative tests at least 24 hours apart (unvaccinated players are required to isolate for a minimum 10 day period). Reporters soon confirm that Rodgers is indeed not vaccinated, seemingly contradicting his earlier statement that he had been “immunized” against COVID-19.
The NFL subsequently fines Rodgers and the Packers ($14,650 and $300,000 respectively) for violating the league’s COVID rules.
Rodgers soon adds to the controversy during an appearance on the radio program, The Pat McAfee Show. Rodgers first reveals that the Packers were aware of his unvaccinated status. He claims that he is allergic to ingredients in the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines and was concerned about the vaccine’s impact on male fertility (a concern not supported by scientific evidence). He says that he underwent a homeopathic “immunization” treatment to “stimulate my immune system to create a defense against COVID.” He also criticizes NFL COVID policies and condemns the league and media for “shaming” unvaccinated players. He also cites “cancel culture” and the “woke mob” as primary drivers of a “witch hunt” directed at unvaccinated individuals. Rodgers then discloses that he had taken two unapproved (and ineffective) medications – hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin – to treat his COVID infection after consulting with controversial podcast host Joe Rogan.
Rodgers’ position is widely criticized by medical experts as inaccurate and harmful. The New York Times calls Aaron Rodgers “a new source of vaccine misinformation.” Doctor and professor Eric Cadesky writes that Rodgers has “amplified dangerous and disproven myths about the COVID-19 vaccine” that have led to serious consequences including “physical violence against doctors, death threats against public health officials and protesters blocking cancer patients from entering hospitals.” Rodgers then admits that he “made some comments that people might have felt were misleading” and asserts that he takes “full responsibility for those comments.”
November 20
Australian Open will have vaccine requirement
Organizers from the Australian Open confirm that all players must be vaccinated to participate in the tennis tournament scheduled to begin on January 17, 2022 in Melbourne. Tournament director Craig Tiley stated, “There’s a lot of speculation about vaccination, and just to be really clear, when the [state] premier announced that everyone on site…will need to be vaccinated…we made that clear to the playing group.”
This announcement is especially significant for the status of #1 ranked men’s player Novak Djokovic, who has refused to disclose his vaccination status throughout the pandemic and has previously spoken out against tournaments requiring all competitors to be vaccinated. Tiley commented on Djokovic’s status, saying, “He has said that he views this as a private matter for him. We would love to see Novak here. He knows that he’ll have to be vaccinated to play here.”
Australia has had some of the most stringent travel restrictions throughout the pandemic, which largely mitigated COVID-spread inside its borders but also left some citizens living abroad unable to visit. The country only eased travel restrictions for fully-vaccinated citizens in October. On November 22, government officials announce that some non-citizens (such as skilled workers and students) would be allowed to travel to Australia if they are fully vaccinated. Australia would not permit the entry of tourists and other international visitors until late-February 2022.
DECEMBER
December 1
Omicron variant detected in the United States
The first case of the new highly transmissible Omicron variant is identified in the United States. By December 20, Omicron would become the dominant COVID strain in the U.S., accounting for more than 73% of new case and fueling an unprecedented surge of infections across the country.
December 2
Buccaneers’ Brown, Edwards, and Franklin III suspended for vaccine counterfeits
The NFL suspends Tampa Bay Buccaneers players Antonio Brown, Mike Edwards, and John Franklin III for providing false information regarding their vaccination status. In November, the Tampa Bay Times had reported that Brown had paid for a counterfeit COVID vaccination card before the start of Buccaneers training camp at which time he would be required to declare his vaccination status.
December 5
Philadelphia Union to miss 11 players for MLS Conference Final
Major League Soccer’s Philadelphia Union will be without 11 players for the team’s Eastern Conference final game against New York City FC due to league COVID protocols requiring players to isolate if they come in contact with a suspected case. Coach Jim Curtin confirms that all Union players had been vaccinated.
The team is able to sign three replacement players for the game on “hardship” contracts, yet the shorthanded Union loses to NYCFC 2-1.
December 18
Unvaccinated Irving to return to Nets for road games
The NBA’s Brooklyn Nets announce that star guard Kyrie Irving will rejoin the team on a part-time basis for the remainder of the season. Irving, who is unvaccinated, will only play in the team’s road games since New York City mandates still prohibit unvaccinated employees of city businesses from working in person. The Nets’ decision counteracts their earlier refusal to allow Irving to be a “part-time participant” in team activities. Irving plays in his first 2021-22 regular season game with the Nets on January 5.
December 29
NCAA Bowl games canceled or modified due to high COVID cases
The Hawaii Bowl, the Military Bowl, the Fenway Bowl, the Arizona Bowl, and the Holiday Bowl are canceled due to rising COVID case counts on participating teams. Other bowl games have teams withdraw on account of COVID outbreaks, but are replaced with alternate teams so the games can still take place.
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