Dear Misters McIlroy, Spieth, and Day:
I urge you not to attend the Olympics this summer. Here’ why:
- The threat of becoming infected by the Zika virus is too grave a risk to chance exposing yourselves to it.
- Rio is an unhealthy, crime-infested locale, quite apart from the Zika virus.
- Golf in the Olympics mean less than nothing. Basically, no one will care. And even if people did care, you’d only be stealing attention from athletes for whom an Olympic medal is the ultimate.
Undoubtedly, pressure will be put on you to attend. NBC — for my money, the slimiest media outlet on the planet — doesn’t give a damn if all three of you and your entire families become infected with the Zika virus. If they think your infections will bring them another penny, they are all for it.
Make a stand for reality and common sense: Don’t go.
And know this: Whatever happens in Rio will be forgotten in two weeks. Golf fans remember majors forever.
Lanny H Golf 
Whether it’s the countries, huge corporations in general, or specific media related corporations, someone will find a way to make it worth their while to risk it.
I don’t know. First off, if a player truly has concerns, it would take a lot to change his mind, if it could even be done with money. But consider a few other factors:
* Players won’t be wearing logos.
* Who will watch golf who doesn’t already?
* How much coverage will golf even get?
* Might a Nike not prefer Rory not play? Twenty more years of Rory vs an almost unnoticed Olympics appearance?
* I doubt anyone is going to spend two weeks in that mosquito swamp learning the course, so is there any expectations top players will contend?
I don’t know. I don’t like it at all. I do have a suggestion, though. I’ll write about that tomorrow.
Sounds like someone got to Rory. Just saw a story on Yahoo! Sports that said he “researched” Zika and is no longer concerned.
Wow! While various health organizations are growing increasingly concerned, Rory suddenly no longer is?
Here’s another possibility… Rory heard the golf competition is going to be moved, so can say, “Oh, yeah, sure I would have gone to Brazil,” as he tees off at Pine Valley.
I’ve heard similar things to what I’ve read about Rory’s comments. It’s a virus that works it’s way out of the system within 6-12 months. The concern seems to relate to people not knowing they have the virus and child birth while the virus is still in the system.
We just heard from… Dr. J. (rimshot!)
All I’m saying is that…what Rory said…..I’ve heard it from other sources too……so there seems to be a group of people (doctors?) who seem to have a less “end of the world” view on Zika.
I wasn’t mocking you. It was interesting, new info for me. I was making a play on Julius “Dr. J” Irwin.
Fair enough, I did get the reference, but did think it was a mock, so…..my bad.
This reads like apocalyptic fiction. Inflated importance of silly international sporting event spreads deadly plague worldwide. All because too much money was at stake to cancel it.
Indeed.
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