It turns out that the games the NFL and college football conferences played last season weren't the "superspreader" events the fear-mongering lefty sports media warned. And now that a study proves they were wrong, the loudest "sky-is-Falling" squawkers aren't making a peep.
In the study, “The Effect of NFL and NCAA Football Games on the Spread of COVID-19 in the United States: An Empirical Analysis,” five researchers concluded that NFL and NCAA football games hosted with limited in-person attendance did not cause a significant increase in local COVID-19 cases. The study is not yet peer reviewed, but nevertheless bucks the fears of those on the shut-everything-down Left.
“For some odd reason, this discovery is not getting enough coverage,” wrote Clint Lamb of the Outkick blog. That’s putting it mildly. There is very little mention of the study in internet searches. Crickets are making more noise than the non-coverage this study is getting. Lamb goes on to write:
“For all of us in favor of fan attendance at sporting events (see photo of fans filing in to 2021 Super Bowl), we got some great news on Saturday. A recent study published on medRxiv found that having fans in the stands for NFL and college football games did not increase the spread of COVID-19.
“Yes, you read that correctly.
“There could be a few Coronabros out there upset with the results of this study, but folks, this is significant news.”
Outkick founder Clay Travis has been one of the most outspoken members of the media on COVID-19, claiming media fears by “the coronabros” have been overblown and sports should resume. His stance attracted considerable opposition – including The Washington Post, The Daily Beast, The Outline and more. Writing for The Outline, Samer Kalaf said last year that Travis is not a medical expert, not an epidemiologist and was spreading “the worst kind of advice” and should be ignored.
The Deadspin blog wrote a story last October about the politics of the NFL owners who wanted to allow fans into their stadiums. They were Republicans, friends of Trump, and this news was intended by Deadspin writer Jesse Spector to portray them as putting fans at risk of catching the COVID-19 virus at NFL games. In light of this new study, it’s Spector whose take is suspect. In October, he blared:
“Talk about superspreaders! Millions of dollars showered on Prez, GOP by NFL owners who allow fans in stadiums”.
Putting Republican hatred by the media aside, Lamb said, “And to think, we almost found ourselves in a situation where this information would not have been available. Why? Because the season almost didn’t happen, and it took a lot of fighting back from players and their families, coaches, fans and public figures such as OutKick owner Clay Travis.”
If the coronabros who wanted to cancel the 2020 football season had gotten their way, the question of allowing fans at outdoor sports events might still be unanswered. Lamb concludes it’s a good thing the college and pro football decision makers did not succumb to the sky-is-falling naysayers.
Playing out this past football season was also a good example of freedom prevailing in America for football players wanting to earn a living and fans wanting to attend games.
