They Say to Never Meet Your Idols

When the sports world learned of Aaron Rodgers’s unvaccinated status from COVID-19 in 2021, they also realized what it means to “break down the fourth wall” from afar. The old adage of never meeting one’s idols is true, even if it means we see people for who they really are at a time when we least expect it.

That Rodgers chose to not get vaccinated against a virus that has killed millions and over 700,000 in the United States alone is definitely his choice. Health is a personal thing, especially when it involves injecting a substance into one’s body. It’s the most intrusive of steps to take, perhaps matched only by taking medication orally. His body, his choice, and all that.

Where the line gets crossed, of course, is when a person’s choice for their own health may negatively impact that of another’s. What I would have assumed we all learned in grade school was that viruses, regardless of their severity, can be transmitted from one person to the next. While it is true that the Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson vaccines do not prevent a vaccinated person from spreading the virus, it’s also true that the likelihood of doing so is much lower than someone who is unvaccinated.

By now you’re probably asking what any of this has to do with golf. Sure, Rodgers plays golf (sometimes in front of television cameras, too!), but that’s not the connection.

As time goes on, it is almost certain that we will all learn of other high-profile sports stars who have chosen not to become inoculated against the deadliest virus of our lifetime, including those in golf. In fact, we already have.

While names like Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm were the biggest to inadvertently disclose their vaccination status, there is no doubt a cluster of others fall into the same category. The manner by which the public is learning of this very personal medical decision is arguably wrong, especially when it’s through a prying reporter or “leaked” piece of information. However, when the adherence to well-intended testing and safety protocols is breached by a big name star, the narrative changes a bit.

What was most interesting about Rodgers’s situation was how glaringly obtuse he seemed when defending his stance in a podcast interview later in the week. Rodgers did bring up interesting points regarding the NFL’s protocol for unvaccinated players, and I admittedly had to sit back for a moment and remark how strict they were. I’ll say it: to be an unvaccinated player in the NFL is to be an outcast of sorts, being confined to one’s hotel room on travel days with minimal contact to others. I was not aware of the yellow wristbands unvaccinated players are required to wear, which certainly is not inconspicuous and borderline intrusive.

However… that’s kind of the point.

Rodgers himself quipped about the attempts to “shame” players who chose against receiving a vaccine, which is of course subjective in interpretation. On the other hand, wouldn’t someone who is gravely concerned about COVID, or perhaps has an immunocompromised child at home, want to know who to avoid?

This is where I believe Rodgers’s stance begins to fall apart. Even if we overlook his multiple reasons for choosing to not get the vaccine — which ranged from an allergy to a common ingredient found in many products, to concerns about blood clots due to a rare reaction — his decision to not abide by the NFL’s mask protocol when around others is maddening. His assertion that his teammates “all knew” of his status may be true… but if even one person believed he was vaccinated due to his actions, that opens the door to risks that otherwise could have been prevented.

On the PGA TOUR, it is believed that upwards of 80% of the roster is vaccinated against COVID. There is little doubt that names everyone knows are in the remaining 20%, which raises concern to a degree. Even as the pandemic is predicted to be lessening at a rate where the light at the end of the tunnel can be seen, there are still fans who remain nervous attending events. They, of course, have the choice to not attend.

I am not sure where the line of too much information rests these days when it comes to sports stars we idolize. As a big believer in the importance of public health, my opinions are biased toward knowing more than not enough, especially when that information could impact — or save — someone else.

What is certain, however, is we are a society with far less privacy than ever before. Meeting one’s idols may be something we’ll all experience much more often, and we may not like what we see.