Mayor Adams Will Roll Back Vaccine Mandates, Unvaxed Kyrie Irving, Yankees & Mets Can Play

 Today is a big day for the Brooklyn Nets, New York Mets and Yankees. 

After stating earlier this week that he would not budge on the private sector vaccine mandate that has locked Nets superstar Kyrie Irving from playing in games in New York this season, and would have prevented a number of un-vaccinated Mets and Yankees from playing on Opening Day in New York, Mayor Eric Adams has changed his tune. 

The mandate is expected to be lifted on Thursday.

About damn time too. 

This is not to say that the vaccine isn't important. It is. Without it, we wouldn't have come out of the pandemic they way we have two years removed from when it took over our lives. 

 The private sector mandate, which was instituted by Bill deBlasio, would require that employees must be vaccinated in order to work in New York City. That also includes professional athletes. The problem is players like Iriving, and reportedly, a number of Yankees and Mets were not vaccinated against COVID-19. 

Irving, who has played in only road games this year, will be eligible to play in Brooklyn's final seven games in New York this season, which includes a date at MSG against the Knicks in April. Brooklyn's next home game is March 27. It will also mean he will be able to participate in the playoffs. The Nets desperately could use Irving on the court; he has been great this season, averaging 27 points a game in 19 road contests. 

Irving's return to New York would also take a lot of heat off Kevin Durant, who has had to carry this team, even on a bum knee. 

Perhaps the pressure from the Mets and Yankees got to Adams. Perhaps the Players Union also got involved, for had the mandate remained, it would have affected service time, which in turn affects free agency. That's a loss of money nobody wants. 

On Tuesday, Adams said that those who aren't vaccinated would have to "wait" and that he was following the "science." Yet other states and cities, including those run by Democrats were starting to loosen mandates, from vaccines to face masks. Even New Jersey, loosened its mandates earlier this month. 

It's about time. Let the player play. It's their choice. The only good news on the virus front is that the rate of transmission is down. It's long overdue to be open and re-open.