Raptors fans roast NBA reporter for awful opinion on Canada's vaccine rule
With the NBA playoffs right around the corner and the Toronto Raptors firmly in the hunt for one of the top six seeds in the Eastern Conference, opposing teams will be forced to play without any unvaccinated players for road games taking place north of the border as part of Canada's vaccine travel policy.
In a story by ESPN's Tim Bontemps, he outlines how teams such as the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers have declined to divulge whether their teams are fully vaccinated. With the Raptors currently in the sixth spot in the East, the Celtics and 76ers are two possible first-round opponents.
While Canada’s vaccine travel policy is not a new or robust law, some pundits took offence to the fact that players on U.S. teams could potentially miss road playoff games in Toronto. Sam Amico of Hoopswire.com pitched a head-scratching solution, which included the Raptors being ineligible for the NBA playoffs unless they decided to play home games in America.
Easy fix: Toronto ineligible for playoffs or has to play home playoff games in US. Don’t punish US teams because of another country’s rules. https://t.co/ErzevLBExx
— Sam Amico (@AmicoHoops) March 30, 2022
Before Amico got the chance to backtrack and do damage control with the millions of Canadians he infuriated, the internet was quick to remind him that the U.S. has the same policies implemented.
Easy fix: do 3.5 seconds of research to find that any non US citizen must be fully vaccinated to enter. This isn’t just a Toronto or Canada rule. It’s the exact same in the US. https://t.co/UozAjg2Kft
— John Wheeler (@John_Wheeler13) March 30, 2022
ah yes punishment for a law the US also has in place https://t.co/7NwqzbM7Ml
— marc JR (@notmarcjr) March 30, 2022
Lol don't Canadians have to be vaxxed to come here? https://t.co/nkkHB7Zrzy
— Jason Maples (@JJMaples55_MST) March 30, 2022
— a (@scarytrentjr) March 30, 2022
If only there was an incredibly easy thing players for American teams could do to make this a non-issue. https://t.co/z6wygSVzMV
— Jake Goldsbie (@JGoldsbie) March 30, 2022
People also highlighted the inherent bias in his statement, noting that there have been similar situations in the past involving various teams and players across the sports world.
Yep...Sam's right . The Aussies should have moved the Australian Open to another country because it wasnt fair to Novak . This might stupidest thing ive ever seen somebody tweet . #WeTheNorth #NBA https://t.co/0ZJpa2CqmX
— Gabriel Morency (@sportsrage) March 30, 2022
Comical and pathetic . Did he have same take when #WeTheNorth played in Tampa ? this the sh*t the Raptors have to put up with . I told u ...Nobody has worse takes then #NBA media . https://t.co/0ZJpa2CqmX
— Gabriel Morency (@sportsrage) March 30, 2022
Ohh wow… now we are looking for a solution but this was not the narrative when Kyrie was the subject #NetsWorld https://t.co/JYWj7oGIR9
— Pedro Martinez (@Pip2332Nets) March 30, 2022
I love when Canadians can come together and dismantle a bad take 😂 https://t.co/EGQKox0FJK
— Jake Kislinsky (@Jake_Kislinsky) March 30, 2022
"Don't punish US teams because of another country's rules" but wants a canadian team punished because of another country's rules. the irony is crazy 😂😂😂 https://t.co/AlrFlJ8V20
— DB (@_DanielBaldino_) March 30, 2022
Ah yes, so the @raptors should be punished for a handful of players personal (selfish) choices. Sounds like this fella is familiar w dumbass selfishness. https://t.co/n9ittNqdAA
— Tara Spencer-Nairn she/her (@TSpencerNairn) March 30, 2022
Upon being inundated with rebuttals and refutes, Amico later seemed to admit that his take was a poor one. Unfortunately for him, the internet is written in pen, not pencil, and his tweet will live on in infamy.
Of course, if Raptors have to be vaccinated to get into US as well, then it is fair. Obviously, being vaccinated is the solution. But that’s a personal choice/another topic. https://t.co/XMg0ZDpaKK
— Sam Amico (@AmicoHoops) March 30, 2022
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