Mayor Adams Getting Criticized For Exempting Athletes from Vaccine

New Yorkers are mad as hell at New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and some aren't going to take it anymore. 

On Thursday Adams did a complete about-face from his staunch stance that professional athletes would not be exempt from the employee vaccination mandate, flip-flopping on the position by doing a partial lifting of the order. 

Now Brookyln Nets star Kyrie Irving, as well as any unvaccinated Mets and Yankees player can play home games. Irving had been barred from playing in New York City all season; he has played in only 20 games this year, all on the road. 

The Nets had tried all season to get Adams to budge, but he never relented on the mandate. When it came to the Mets and Yankees, the pressure became too much, and he gave in. 

At Citi Field, Thursday, Adams stood with Yankees President Randy Levine and Mets President Sandy Alderson to announce that professional athletes and performers would be exempt from the mandate. However no such change is coming for workers like police, fire and stadium workers. 

This has led to an onslaught of anger from New Yorkers.

The New York Post chronicled stories of several workers who had lost their jobs because they didn’t get the jab against the virus, including Elissa Embree, who worked at Citi Field as a waitress for Aramark, and hasn’t been able to get back to work because she is unvaccinated.

The Post also reported that a group of workers who were terminated for not getting the vaccine would sue the City. "Long Island lawyer James Mermigis called Adam' announcement Thursday, "another slap in the face to regular New Yorkers who just want to earn a living." 

Meanwhile, the mayor’s opponents are taking pot shots, including his opponent in the 2021 mayoral election, Curtis Sliwa, who was one of many online to point out that Adams received a $1.5 million campaign donation from Mets owner Steve Cohen.

It's a bad look for a Mayor who comes across as out of touch.  It looks bad for the Mets and Yankees who come across as above the needs of regular folks. In fact many online have thrown around conspiracy theories that bribes were made.

So, yes, it's good from the sports perspective that players can play at home, but it doesn't dilute the political mess that this has created.