Two days before their do-or-die, must-win game against the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins tested positive for COVID. As the poster child for the team’s pathetic vaccination rate, this is really no surprise. Since training camp, it felt inevitable. This exact scenario was hashed about in August. When he missed a few practices as a close contact, he said that he’d make it through the season by following all league-mandated protocols. He’d do everything that he needed to do except get the shot. He even suggested that he’d dodge the virus behind a plexiglass shield. Apparently that shield didn’t work. He’s missing the biggest game of the year. He’s missing the game because he held firm to baseless claims and listened to worthless advice instead of protecting himself, his family, and everyone around him. There are people that want to get through this pandemic and there are people that have chosen to watch the world burn. Cousins is part of the latter group. Several Vikings players are. Other than Adam Thielen, all of the Vikings players that I know to be unvaccinated have missed games due to being on the COVID list. Some vaccinated players have also tested positive. 15-25% of the team have sadly chosen the unvaccinated route. Despite being in the minority those players have had the majority of the positive tests. I’ve never been more disappointed in the team that I love.
I believe that a significant reason for this frustrating season has been the vaccination decisions of so many of the team’s leaders. How could this team come together when they started so divided?
There are much bigger things than a silly Week 17 Vikings-Packers football game. Years from now when this world is back to some form of normalcy, Cousins missing this game will barely be a blip. I’m sure that Vikings fans will remember. They’ll remember that must-win Packers game when the Vikings were forced to start Sean Mannion.
Get Well Kirk!
No comments:
Post a Comment