US Open to Allow Russians to Play (Novak still in question)

[jimlosaltos]

And they'll play "flagless"

NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/14/s...smid=url-share

"Russian and Belarusian players will compete in the U.S. Open, which will begin Aug. 29, under a neutral flag, just as they have been competing on tour and at the recently concluded French Open."

“This is not an easy situation,” Sherr said. “It’s a horrific situation for those in Ukraine, an unprovoked and unjust invasion and absolutely horrific so anything we talk about pales in relation to what is going on there.”

As for Novak Djokovic, the US still blocks unvaccinated travelers.

"Sherr made it clear on Tuesday that the U.S.T.A. would not be seeking an exemption for unvaccinated foreign players to compete in New York."

“We are going to follow the government and C.D.C. directives,” said Sherr, referring to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

[stotty]

You know my feelings already about Russian athletes competing in sport; no need to expand on that one.

I am perplexed why the US don't drop all Covid restrictions as we have. Nothing too terrible over here has happened as a result of dropping restrictions. I now, however, understand why China continues to lockdown as their vaccine is effectively useless. They need Western support through Pfizer or such like. It seems authoritarian regimes, despite their bluster, still lag behind in technology on all fronts, e.g. medical technology, warfare weaponry, etc. As Jim Morrison was said in a lyric...The West is the best.

[jimlosaltos]

You know my feelings already about Russian athletes competing in sport; no need to expand on that one.

I am perplexed why the US don't drop all Covid restrictions as we have. Nothing too terrible over here has happened as a result of dropping restrictions. I now, however, understand why China continues to lockdown as their vaccine is effectively useless. They need Western support through Pfizer or such like. It seems authoritarian regimes, despite their bluster, still lag behind in technology on all fronts, e.g. medical technology, warfare weaponry, etc. As Jim Morrison was said in a lyric...The West is the best.

Jim Morrison ! Loved the Doors.

Yup. China is in deep, doo doo. The "Zero Covid" policy is a mammoth disaster. After selling its subpar vaccine throughout the third-world, China would have a hard time admitting it needs mRNA technology.

As for US dropping all covid restrictions, I'm afraid we will.

Vaccination rates are significantly lower here than in the UK. That contributes to more spread, more mutations, and more deaths, sadly.

We're getting 283 deaths a day from Covid directly. If that flatlines (nobody knows) it's ~ 100,000 deaths a year.

It appears (emphasis appears) that immunity from infection is becoming negligible because of the continued mutations.

If that continues, Covid will be as contagious as a cold, yet lethal for many, most older but not all.

And we still don't understand long covid. The part of the iceberg that is under water looks to be -- increased cardiac disease and death, diabetes, and dementia.

Americans' average lifespan, which was significantly longer than that throughout Europe for decades, is now several years less -- and has actually gone down.

But, hey. It's just like a cold. Party down! Sigh

[glacierguy]

I am ashamed of the UK government not intervening to ban Russians from participating at Wimbledon and all sporting events held in the UK. As a result the AELTC took the principled decision themselves, which then led the ATP/WTA to announce their withholding of points.

If the UK government had banned Russians, then in principle, there would have been no difference between the cases of Russians at Wimbledon, and COVID-unvaccinated players at the Australian Open. But there was no withholding of points at the Australian was there?

[jimlosaltos]

Update: Aug 13 - August 25th deadline for US travel rules to be changed allowing Djokovic to enter US Open.

"US Open begins August 29, and the USTA told the Telegraph any changes to the travel rules before then would need to be announced by the time the draw took place four days earlier in order for #Djokovic to be guaranteed a place in the tournament." #ATP

"Novak Djokovic’s hopes of playing at the US Open have been given a late boost after American health chiefs relaxed nationwide coronavirus guidance for unvaccinated people two-and-a-half weeks before the tournament.

Telegraph via Yahoo (so outside paywall):

https://sports.yahoo.com/novak-djokovic-handed-us-open-170211446.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=tw&tsrc=twtr

[stotty]

Update: Aug 13 - August 25th deadline for US travel rules to be changed allowing Djokovic to enter US Open.

"US Open begins August 29, and the USTA told the Telegraph any changes to the travel rules before then would need to be announced by the time the draw took place four days earlier in order for #Djokovic to be guaranteed a place in the tournament." #ATP

"Novak Djokovic’s hopes of playing at the US Open have been given a late boost after American health chiefs relaxed nationwide coronavirus guidance for unvaccinated people two-and-a-half weeks before the tournament.

Telegraph via Yahoo (so outside paywall):

https://sports.yahoo.com/novak-djokovic-handed-us-open-170211446.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=tw&tsrc=twtr

Well it's going to be awfully tight if Novak is allowed in. He hasn't played and match recently and had probably given up hope of getting into the US Open. Be fun if he was accepted.

[glacierguy]

I hope Djokovic is allowed to play US Open. (And he's not my cup of tea.)

[jimlosaltos]

Hmmm .... have to repost since emoticons cut and pasted turned into foot high images here. So ...

Novak withdraws:

Sadly, I will not be able to travel to NY this time for US Open. Thank you #NoleFam for your messages of love and support. Good luck to my fellow players! I’ll keep in good shape and positive spirit and wait for an opportunity to compete again. See you soon tennis world!

https://twitter.com/DjokerNole/statu...06952136085504

[stroke]

The Covid vaccination restrictions to come into the US is just ridiculous to me, but that kind of decision is the world we live in now. I personally caved and got vaccinated and boosted in order to travel, Novak just is not the caving type. I doubt we will ever see restrictions like this on something that so many are pretty much asymptomatic, knowing that they have it only because they were tested. I would love to never hear the beyond annoying expression "out of an abundance of caution " ever again.

[jimlosaltos]

The Covid vaccination restrictions to come into the US is just ridiculous to me, but that kind of decision is the world we live in now. I personally caved and got vaccinated and boosted in order to travel, Novak just is not the caving type. I doubt we will ever see restrictions like this on something that so many are pretty much asymptomatic, knowing that they have it only because they were tested. I would love to never hear the beyond annoying expression "out of an abundance of caution " ever again.

It is annoying. On the other hand, covid is responsible for 15 million deaths worldwide to date, 8 million directly.

[stroke]

It is annoying. On the other hand, covid is responsible for 15 million deaths worldwide to date, 8 million directly.

That is the reported numbers I guess.

[stotty]

The Covid vaccination restrictions to come into the US is just ridiculous to me, but that kind of decision is the world we live in now. I personally caved and got vaccinated and boosted in order to travel, Novak just is not the caving type. I doubt we will ever see restrictions like this on something that so many are pretty much asymptomatic, knowing that they have it only because they were tested. I would love to never hear the beyond annoying expression "out of an abundance of caution " ever again.

Couldn't agree more. It's time to live with Covid. Flu will likely kill more people than covid this winter in the UK.

[stroke]

No doubt, I have never heard of someone who has the flu that is asymptomatic.

[glacierguy]

I question my own thinking about Covid after 2 years of propaganda and government conditioning. When my 18yr old son recently came back from holiday with his friends, he had scratchy throat, one of his party messaged to say they had tested positive, son tested himself and was also positive. No surprise there. Family are all vaccinated, but since son had been home for 24hrs already, I assumed we (4 of us) would all have been infected. So we didn't impose any restrictions, apart from asking son to put all of his cutlery and crockery straight in the dishwasher. We had meals together, sat on sofa watching telly together, all the time expecting to develop symptoms and test positive. Nothing happened. Nobody else caught it, and in a couple of days son was right as rain again.

In contrast, one of his positive friends was confined to their room, meals left outside door, etc, the whole isolation treatment.

I count ourselves fortunate, and his confined friend unfortunate. But I don't think our experience is what we were led to believe would happen.

[stroke]

I question my own thinking about Covid after 2 years of propaganda and government conditioning. When my 18yr old son recently came back from holiday with his friends, he had scratchy throat, one of his party messaged to say they had tested positive, son tested himself and was also positive. No surprise there. Family are all vaccinated, but since son had been home for 24hrs already, I assumed we (4 of us) would all have been infected. So we didn't impose any restrictions, apart from asking son to put all of his cutlery and crockery straight in the dishwasher. We had meals together, sat on sofa watching telly together, all the time expecting to develop symptoms and test positive. Nothing happened. Nobody else caught it, and in a couple of days son was right as rain again.

In contrast, one of his positive friends was confined to their room, meals left outside door, etc, the whole isolation treatment.

I count ourselves fortunate, and his confined friend unfortunate. But I don't think our experience is what we were led to believe would happen.

I certainly agree it is way past time for some questioning.