Bob Costas Says Pro Athletes Should Be Able to Play with Covid if Leagues Reach 100 Percent Vaccination Rate

As Covid outbreaks spiral through professional sports, Bob Costas believes leagues need to get to a point where it’s OK for athletes to play even after testing positive for the virus.

Joining Michael Smerconish Wednesday night on CNN, the legendary sportscaster lashed out at anti-vaxxers for their “belligerent idiocy” and implored professional sports leagues to reach a 100 percent vaccination rate.

“The evidence about vaccines is overwhelming,” Costas said. “The hospitalization rate, the serious illnesses, and the deaths all lean heavily in the direction of those who are unvaccinated. Now, what to do about those who are vaccinated? Especially healthy young fit athletes.”

“If you were able to say that everyone, all the players, and all the people around them, staff, have been protected to the fullest extent that’s humanly possible,” Costas continued to Smerconish. “I think you could then reasonably say – and even the most pro-vax people would agree, I would hope – you could reasonably say that if a player who’s fully vaxxed and boosted, a young, healthy, fit player tests positive but is asymptomatic or has mild symptoms, that guy would be allowed to continue to play.”

Currently, leagues are handling their recent Covid spikes very differently. The NBA claims they won’t stop their season despite a rash of postponements, the NFL is reducing its testing of vaccinated players and the NHL hit the leaguewide pause button even though all but four of its players have received the jab.

“I think ultimately, that’s the way forward,” Costas added of his suggestion to let Covid-positive athletes play. “Otherwise, you’re gonna have this hodgepodge situation every season with every league, until the virus is completely gone. And the virus may wind up, to one extent or the other, endemic.”

Costas added that he believes league players’ unions are open to collectively bargaining vaccine mandates that would make the jab a condition of employment.

Watch above via CNN