AN EDITED VERSION OF THIS POST APPEARS IN THE LETTERS TO THE SPORTS EDITOR (ON-LINE EDITION) OF THE NEW YORK TIMES ON JUNE 25, 2016
("Rory McIlroy Says He Won't Attend Olympics, Over Zika Concerns")
("Rory McIlroy Says He Won't Attend Olympics, Over Zika Concerns")
Blame it on Rio. Or so we should if we accelerate the
worldwide Zika outbreak by putting not only the globe's finest athletes
but a half million of its citizens in harm's way.
With
there being some evidence that the health risks go beyond damage to new
born to multiplying the possibility of contracting Guillaume Barre
syndrome, who would suggest Rio, which appears to be at the epicenter of
the outbreak, a good place to visit in the coming months?
For athletes who have dedicated a lifetime to this moment
(echoes of Hamilton's "I am not throwing away my shot") the thought of a
mosquito denying them their glory is ludicrous. But for Rory McIlroy,
Vijay Singh and other pro golfers who have their fame and fortune
already assured, the decision to withdraw from the games seems a sane
and rational course.
"Let the games begin." Or should they?
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