Unforced Errors💉🎾

Novak, the Tennis champ, needs stop going over the line.

By now, everyone would/might be up-to-date about Novak Djokovic’s theatrics with the Australian immigration system. The whole episode has been borderline hilarious, and would be actually funny if we were all not stuck in this pandemic.

The Episode:

Let’s recount the different acts of this multi-act play:

Australia grants Novak a vaccination exemption so that he can enter the country and compete in the Australian open. (lol … right as Omicron starts wrecking havoc and lockdowns in Australia) ✅
Everyone in Australia, the England Cricket camp in Australia, English cricket fans in the U.K., and the rest of the world went: “What? Why?🧐”
In response to the public outcry, the Australian Govt. decides that the original exemption was, and pardon my plain-speak, dumb. And they deny him entry into the country. (I’m not clear if they revoked his visa at this point.) ✋
Novak appeals this decision to Australian courts, while being holed up somewhere in immigration limbo. 🥺
The Australian courts actually allow him entry into the country. 🇦🇺🦘
Then, and you cannot make this up, reports surface that he did not disclose that he had COVID while attending some media events, and was maskless — great job Novak! 🙊
Then he admits to actually having lied — or sorry — “misrepresented” some facts on his visa paperwork. 🤥
His visa gets revoked — I am guessing this happened when the Australian Courts learn of this ‘misrepresentation’. 🛑
And now, at the time me writing this, he is awaiting deportation. 🚀

The Reactions:

This has caused the New York Times to take a deeper look at Novak’s indulgence in… umm… ‘off-beat wellness’ approaches: “He has long been a spiritual dabbler, with a weakness for what some regard as quackery. […] In a video on YouTube, Djokovic is shown onstage with Imaz talking about the “need to be able to look inwards and to establish this connection with a divine light.” — Michael Steinberger, NYT, Jan. 15, 2022.

According to the NYPost: Rafael Nadal, another tennis champion, is fed up of this episode. And he is not mincing words anymore, “Australian Open will be a great Australian Open with or without him.” Most other tennis players around the event have a similar take.

There is a long trail of media articles covering this spectacle. Just google “Novak Vaccine Australia” and you are covered.

The Unforced Errors:

Novak, like most people on this planet, has every right to question what he injects into his body. I will be more charitable than that: I think he has the right to not inject stuff into his body, if he does not want to. Although, most people do not have that right — not in practical terms anyway. But anyway, if he does not want to get the vaccine that is fine. (Not really, but whatever.)

Here though are his errors … unforced 🎾:

He got COVID, after not getting the vaccine, and while not masking: Yeah, this is an error. Should have taken better care Mr. Athlete. COVID can have serious consequences on your physical abilities — not to mention mental abilities. He jeopardized his $$$-making abilities by insisting on letting nature take its course. If he was not going to get the shot, then he could have masked up, limited his social engagements. In other words, he could have acted responsibly. He chose not to. Error #1.
He exposed folks to COVID-19: This is inexcusable. How could he not mask up during social engagements, or skipped them entirely, when he knew that he had COVID-19? Enough said. Error #2.
He did not disclose that he had COVID-19: If he has the right to not inject himself with stuff he does not trust, then people have the right to know what they are getting into by being around him. There is a pernicious double-standard that I cannot get past here. Error #3.
He lied on his Visa Paperwork: Who does this? I … I am flabbergasted. Let me break this down in plain-speak: No matter which country it is, Border Control and Immigration officers take their jobs very seriously, and do not like being played around. Error #4.

He would have a lot of sympathy today, even without vaccinating, and even with COVID-19, iff:

He had masked up regularly; 😷
had been honest about his illness; 😇
practiced social distancing; and 🙋‍♂️…….💁‍♂️
not lied to Govt. officials. 🚫🤥

If you are going to have convictions, then stick to them.

For a tennis superstar, this is should be as easy as not going a clear, white line.

https://twitter.com/vkrishnapalepu/status/1481353080285188096?s=20 https://twitter.com/vkrishnapalepu/status/1481384815962177536?s=20

Winter Rant