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lakersken80
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 06, 2022 12:37 pm    Post subject:

C M B wrote:
Djokovic: I'm an anti-vaxer and the ITF said it's ok for me to play in the AO!

Australia: no, go home ya bogan


I see his countrymen and countrywomen think he should get special exemption to play tennis and ignore the laws of a sovereign foreign nation. His fault for thinking he is above their laws because he is an accomplished tennis player.
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 06, 2022 12:49 pm    Post subject:

From what I can gather, it seems to me that Tennis Australia has much to do with this entire flap. Clearly, I think Novak is a dope for not getting vaxxed. However, of course, that's his right, and, of course, actions/inactions have consequences. It appears that Djokovic told Tennis Australia (Craig Tiley is the tournament director) that he has had COVID within the past 6 months, so he has natural immunity and should be allowed the exemption on those grounds. (We know that Djokovic tested positive way back in June 2020, so this alleged recent infection would be his second.) Tiley communicated this with ATAGI (Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation), and that body told him that this is not a valid reason for an exemption, that they still require those individuals to be vaccinated for entry into the country. Well, Djokovic got on a plane anyway. So, that begs the question, why did Djokovic think his visa would be approved? Seems to me that he either knew it wouldn't be approved and his goal was to cause chaos upon landing to create a scene, or that Tiley screwed up in some way with what he communicated to Djokovic. Perhaps Tiley thought the matter was cleared with the Victorian state government, and then perhaps when news of his exemption spread in the country which caused anger, the state government changed its position. Of course, the federal government has jurisdiction when a foreigner lands at the airport, though.

Just a messy situation, obviously.
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lakersken80
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 06, 2022 1:04 pm    Post subject:

He might not even be able to play in the French Open either.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2022/01/06/novak-djokovic-faces-french-open-exile-new-rules-requiring-sportspeople/
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 06, 2022 1:24 pm    Post subject:

lakersken80 wrote:
C M B wrote:
Djokovic: I'm an anti-vaxer and the ITF said it's ok for me to play in the AO!

Australia: no, go home ya bogan


I see his countrymen and countrywomen think he should get special exemption to play tennis and ignore the laws of a sovereign foreign nation. His fault for thinking he is above their laws because he is an accomplished tennis player.


Typical for that douche. I just wish the Ozzies had made him quarantine in a hotel for two weeks before kicking him out.
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 06, 2022 1:33 pm    Post subject:

I'm vexed by anti-vaxers. Science says it's the way to defeat the pandemic. How many of them think the world is flat.
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 06, 2022 2:38 pm    Post subject:

DaMuleRules wrote:
lakersken80 wrote:
C M B wrote:
Djokovic: I'm an anti-vaxer and the ITF said it's ok for me to play in the AO!

Australia: no, go home ya bogan


I see his countrymen and countrywomen think he should get special exemption to play tennis and ignore the laws of a sovereign foreign nation. His fault for thinking he is above their laws because he is an accomplished tennis player.


Typical for that douche. I just wish the Ozzies had made him quarantine in a hotel for two weeks before kicking him out.


Infuriating that so many of his countrymen think he deserves special priveleges. Eat a f'en dick.
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 06, 2022 3:41 pm    Post subject:

ChickenStu wrote:
From what I can gather, it seems to me that Tennis Australia has much to do with this entire flap. Clearly, I think Novak is a dope for not getting vaxxed. However, of course, that's his right, and, of course, actions/inactions have consequences. It appears that Djokovic told Tennis Australia (Craig Tiley is the tournament director) that he has had COVID within the past 6 months, so he has natural immunity and should be allowed the exemption on those grounds. (We know that Djokovic tested positive way back in June 2020, so this alleged recent infection would be his second.) Tiley communicated this with ATAGI (Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation), and that body told him that this is not a valid reason for an exemption, that they still require those individuals to be vaccinated for entry into the country. Well, Djokovic got on a plane anyway. So, that begs the question, why did Djokovic think his visa would be approved? Seems to me that he either knew it wouldn't be approved and his goal was to cause chaos upon landing to create a scene, or that Tiley screwed up in some way with what he communicated to Djokovic. Perhaps Tiley thought the matter was cleared with the Victorian state government, and then perhaps when news of his exemption spread in the country which caused anger, the state government changed its position. Of course, the federal government has jurisdiction when a foreigner lands at the airport, though.

Just a messy situation, obviously.

This is a clarifying article with several questions and answers. Multiple entities/parties involved.
https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/32999494/why-novak-djokovic-visa-was-canceled-means-australian-open

I think Djokovic is a good hearted guy but believes in pseudoscience (beyond vax stuff) and does stupid personal/professional things. I also thinks he is ignorant or willfully ignorant of the genocidal evils his countrymen in Serbia leadership/military and others perpetrated in 90s. He's done a lot of charity work and seems pretty generous personally. He's also the GOAT of tennis. I am not sure how he got the exemption from the medical people, it is suspicious, but he did get it before flying. He chose not to be vaccinated and the requirements were announced clearly long ago. So it's on him, the consequences like Rafa said yesterday. But from that foundation, I have no idea how he got this exemption. Not sure if he tried on the sly, but to me right now it looks bad for Australian officials and politicians screwed up bigtime too. Biggest dbag to me is Djoker's father, what a clown he has always been. Morrison the PM the second biggest, but I had that view of him unrelated to tennis or Covid for a while anyway. Anyway, the article is helpful I think. Djoker knew months ago what a crapstorm would be. Most tennis fans thought he wasn't playing, and shouldn't be playing if he wasn't vaccinated, and ultimately that's the way it looks like it will be. The screwup seems to be how the heck he got an exemption, but the Aussie orgs said it was done fairly. Who knows?
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 06, 2022 3:46 pm    Post subject:

The thing is I think even if he was vaccinated and even with Federer and Nadal maybe not being there or as good, I still thought Djokovic would have a much harder time getting a Slam this year than in the past, even having just gotten three last year. Medvedev and Zverev know how to play him on hard courts. Tsitsipas might do something there and on clay. Nadal still the favorite on clay, though Djoker is definitely closer than before to a co-favorite. Wimbledon seems best chance for him. And on all these surfaces, in particular on hard courts, there are other guys in earlier rounds who are going to wear him out somewhat or a lot for the future rounds. So this unvax thing is just more burden, and as the US Open final showed, he needs to have less external burdens to win Slams.
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 06, 2022 4:40 pm    Post subject:

jonnybravo wrote:
DaMuleRules wrote:
lakersken80 wrote:
C M B wrote:
Djokovic: I'm an anti-vaxer and the ITF said it's ok for me to play in the AO!

Australia: no, go home ya bogan


I see his countrymen and countrywomen think he should get special exemption to play tennis and ignore the laws of a sovereign foreign nation. His fault for thinking he is above their laws because he is an accomplished tennis player.


Typical for that douche. I just wish the Ozzies had made him quarantine in a hotel for two weeks before kicking him out.


Infuriating that so many of his countrymen think he deserves special priveleges. Eat a f'en dick.

Damn jb! Tell us how you really feel.
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 06, 2022 6:48 pm    Post subject:

jodeke wrote:
jonnybravo wrote:
DaMuleRules wrote:
lakersken80 wrote:
C M B wrote:
Djokovic: I'm an anti-vaxer and the ITF said it's ok for me to play in the AO!

Australia: no, go home ya bogan


I see his countrymen and countrywomen think he should get special exemption to play tennis and ignore the laws of a sovereign foreign nation. His fault for thinking he is above their laws because he is an accomplished tennis player.


Typical for that douche. I just wish the Ozzies had made him quarantine in a hotel for two weeks before kicking him out.


Infuriating that so many of his countrymen think he deserves special priveleges. Eat a f'en dick.

Damn jb! Tell us how you really feel.


There's an outcry trying to pin it on racism from his fanatics. Yeah, because if he was any other nationality he'd get an exemption. Cute.
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 06, 2022 6:52 pm    Post subject:

jonnybravo wrote:
jodeke wrote:
jonnybravo wrote:
DaMuleRules wrote:
lakersken80 wrote:
C M B wrote:
Djokovic: I'm an anti-vaxer and the ITF said it's ok for me to play in the AO!

Australia: no, go home ya bogan


I see his countrymen and countrywomen think he should get special exemption to play tennis and ignore the laws of a sovereign foreign nation. His fault for thinking he is above their laws because he is an accomplished tennis player.


Typical for that douche. I just wish the Ozzies had made him quarantine in a hotel for two weeks before kicking him out.


Infuriating that so many of his countrymen think he deserves special priveleges. Eat a f'en dick.

Damn jb! Tell us how you really feel.


There's an outcry trying to pin it on racism from his fanatics. Yeah, because if he was any other nationality he'd get an exemption. Cute.


Racism against slavic hicks?
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 06, 2022 7:10 pm    Post subject:

C M B wrote:
jonnybravo wrote:
jodeke wrote:
jonnybravo wrote:
DaMuleRules wrote:
lakersken80 wrote:
C M B wrote:
Djokovic: I'm an anti-vaxer and the ITF said it's ok for me to play in the AO!

Australia: no, go home ya bogan


I see his countrymen and countrywomen think he should get special exemption to play tennis and ignore the laws of a sovereign foreign nation. His fault for thinking he is above their laws because he is an accomplished tennis player.


Typical for that douche. I just wish the Ozzies had made him quarantine in a hotel for two weeks before kicking him out.


Infuriating that so many of his countrymen think he deserves special priveleges. Eat a f'en dick.

Damn jb! Tell us how you really feel.


There's an outcry trying to pin it on racism from his fanatics. Yeah, because if he was any other nationality he'd get an exemption. Cute.


Racism against slavic hicks?


I don't follow tennis much and I only know Djokic is one of the 3 guys and is a huge, HUGE Kobe fan. What's his reputation? Is he a bit of a dick?
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 07, 2022 8:39 am    Post subject:

jonnybravo wrote:
C M B wrote:
jonnybravo wrote:
jodeke wrote:
jonnybravo wrote:
DaMuleRules wrote:
lakersken80 wrote:
C M B wrote:
Djokovic: I'm an anti-vaxer and the ITF said it's ok for me to play in the AO!

Australia: no, go home ya bogan


I see his countrymen and countrywomen think he should get special exemption to play tennis and ignore the laws of a sovereign foreign nation. His fault for thinking he is above their laws because he is an accomplished tennis player.


Typical for that douche. I just wish the Ozzies had made him quarantine in a hotel for two weeks before kicking him out.


Infuriating that so many of his countrymen think he deserves special priveleges. Eat a f'en dick.

Damn jb! Tell us how you really feel.


There's an outcry trying to pin it on racism from his fanatics. Yeah, because if he was any other nationality he'd get an exemption. Cute.


Racism against slavic hicks?


I don't follow tennis much and I only know Djokic is one of the 3 guys and is a huge, HUGE Kobe fan. What's his reputation? Is he a bit of a dick?


YEP He's ranked #1 in the world. When he keeps his temper under control he's very hard to beat. He argues like John McEnroe used to. Very tempermental.
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 08, 2022 11:12 am    Post subject:

It does appear that Tennis Australia is to blame here, at least as it relates to why Djokovic thought he could enter the country...


https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10378491/amp/Novak-Djokovic-Letter-proves-Tennis-Australia-wrongly-told-unvaccinated-players-enter.html?fbclid=IwAR0fCrGIHo4RVMXj2V9ggDKKz6sMwNeSXUncj3zNZhyn06qBToHxXcR9Xjs
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 08, 2022 4:45 pm    Post subject:

Joker's dad is a total douchebag too:

“My son is hostage in Australia tonight but he has never been more free.
From this moment, Novak has become a symbol and leader of the free world, the world of countries and of poor and oppressed people.

My son Novak Djokovic showed that even a small and heroic country like Serbia can have the best athlete and tennis player of all time and the truth can no longer be hidden.

Tonight you can incarcerate it, tomorrow you can chain it up but the truth is like water and it always finds a way.

Novak is the Spartacus of the new world who does not tolerate injustices, colonialism and hypocrisy but fights for the equality of everyone on this planet, without looking at skin color, religious faith and how much money they have.
Novak has proven that you can achieve any goal if you have a dream and his dream is shared by billions of people including children who look up to him as an example.

Maybe the rich world won’t allow him to continue playing tennis but in doing so he will reveal his true face and start a much more serious match.

On one hand there will be greedy and arrogant members of the global oligarchy and on the other, a proud and free world that still believes in justice, truth, fair play and in the dreams of their children.”

- Srdjan Djokovic

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PostPosted: Sat Jan 08, 2022 5:38 pm    Post subject:

DaMuleRules wrote:
Joker's dad is a total douchebag too:

“My son is hostage in Australia tonight but he has never been more free.
From this moment, Novak has become a symbol and leader of the free world, the world of countries and of poor and oppressed people.

My son Novak Djokovic showed that even a small and heroic country like Serbia can have the best athlete and tennis player of all time and the truth can no longer be hidden.

Tonight you can incarcerate it, tomorrow you can chain it up but the truth is like water and it always finds a way.

Novak is the Spartacus of the new world who does not tolerate injustices, colonialism and hypocrisy but fights for the equality of everyone on this planet, without looking at skin color, religious faith and how much money they have.
Novak has proven that you can achieve any goal if you have a dream and his dream is shared by billions of people including children who look up to him as an example.

Maybe the rich world won’t allow him to continue playing tennis but in doing so he will reveal his true face and start a much more serious match.

On one hand there will be greedy and arrogant members of the global oligarchy and on the other, a proud and free world that still believes in justice, truth, fair play and in the dreams of their children.”

- Srdjan Djokovic


He's allegedly worth over 200M which usually means he's worth substantially more than that. Oppressed indeed.
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 08, 2022 5:47 pm    Post subject:

jonnybravo wrote:
DaMuleRules wrote:
Joker's dad is a total douchebag too:

“My son is hostage in Australia tonight but he has never been more free.
From this moment, Novak has become a symbol and leader of the free world, the world of countries and of poor and oppressed people.

My son Novak Djokovic showed that even a small and heroic country like Serbia can have the best athlete and tennis player of all time and the truth can no longer be hidden.

Tonight you can incarcerate it, tomorrow you can chain it up but the truth is like water and it always finds a way.

Novak is the Spartacus of the new world who does not tolerate injustices, colonialism and hypocrisy but fights for the equality of everyone on this planet, without looking at skin color, religious faith and how much money they have.
Novak has proven that you can achieve any goal if you have a dream and his dream is shared by billions of people including children who look up to him as an example.

Maybe the rich world won’t allow him to continue playing tennis but in doing so he will reveal his true face and start a much more serious match.

On one hand there will be greedy and arrogant members of the global oligarchy and on the other, a proud and free world that still believes in justice, truth, fair play and in the dreams of their children.”

- Srdjan Djokovic


He's allegedly worth over 200M which usually means he's worth substantially more than that. Oppressed indeed.


He's oppressed because he's not being allowed to do whatever the hell he wants during a pandemic.
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 09, 2022 11:10 pm    Post subject:

Judge reinstates his visa but the immigration minister still has the power to cancel it....what a debacle.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2022/jan/10/novak-djokovic-appeal-federal-circuit-court-cancellation-australian-visa-covid-vaccination-live-updates
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 09, 2022 11:44 pm    Post subject:

Mr. Djokovic is challenging the call, ball was called out.
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 10, 2022 6:00 am    Post subject:

There is rumors that they would still bar him from playing. It would be interesting to watch him play each round with all the noise surrounding the vaccines and visa. The crowd, some of it, certainly will have a go at him.

A visa can still be cancelled at any time, apparently. So there may be another cancellation, and another deport attempt.
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 10, 2022 7:51 am    Post subject:

wolfpaclaker wrote:
There is rumors that they would still bar him from playing. It would be interesting to watch him play each round with all the noise surrounding the vaccines and visa. The crowd, some of it, certainly will have a go at him.

A visa can still be cancelled at any time, apparently. So there may be another cancellation, and another deport attempt.


Ban him already. Let him play in a tournament in some "oppressed" country.
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 10, 2022 8:09 am    Post subject:

Poor Djokobitch.


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PostPosted: Mon Jan 10, 2022 8:54 am    Post subject:

From a couple of days ago:

Novak Djokovic, Great at Tennis and Bad at Science, Awaits His Fate

What’s worse than an anti-vaxxer in a pandemic? An anti-vaccine star athlete. That paragon of physical health, cloaked in a cape of defiance, declares to the world by example that you don’t have to follow public health policy after all — as long as you win.

Which brings us to the top-ranked male tennis player in the world, Novak Djokovic. The sport’s most visible vaccine skeptic, at the start of the pandemic Djokovic said he “wouldn’t want to be forced by someone to take a vaccine,” and expressed curiosity about “how we can empower our metabolism to be in the best shape to defend against impostors like Covid-19.” This week Djokovic obtained a medical exemption from tournament organizers for a visa to compete in the Australian Open without being vaccinated. He flew to Melbourne via Dubai.

Meanwhile, Australia is dealing with a serious Omicron surge. Victoria state, where the Open is held, recorded almost 22,000 new cases on Wednesday, when Djokovic arrived. It was the largest daily jump in cases of the pandemic.

After a 10-hour standoff at the airport, Australian border authorities denied Djokovic’s visa. (His lawyers said he tested positive for the coronavirus in mid-December, meeting Australia’s conditions for exemption.)

What’s unfolding in Australia is a dramatic example of disputes we’re seeing play out around the world, in sports and beyond, as institutions weigh public health guidelines against their own needs. Even as the coronavirus surges again, and so does public exhaustion with lockdowns and school closings, sports bodies are compelled to accommodate problematic athlete behavior. They need their biggest talents — and the ticket sales, broadcast viewership, advertising deals and attention that celebrities bring.

Athletes have more independent agency than ever, and via social media they have their own huge platforms to express their views directly to fans. This has enabled some athletes to become powerful advocates for social justice, and others to use their fame to advance more questionable positions. Lately, several have used their platforms to amplify anti-science beliefs to an already mistrustful public.

The Djokovic saga is exposing an uncomfortable truth for sports institutions: They are only as good as their stars. And the stars are calling the shots.

It’s an issue that has arisen in sports many times lately. Notably, Naomi Osaka defied the organizers of the French Open, declining to do post-match news conferences to protect her mental health. She paid for her choice, first in the requisite fines and ultimately by withdrawing altogether from the tournament, but many praised her for her stance. For Osaka, the power of her personal brand allowed her to safeguard her health. For anti-vaccine athletes, however, stardom can give them leeway to flout sensible public health precautions, and act as a champion for others who do the same.

“Confronted with this latest virus surge, both the N.B.A. and the N.F.L. have essentially waved the white flag,” wrote Jemele Hill in The Atlantic last week, before the latest unvaccinated player controversy, explaining how leagues are giving in to fans’ desires and letting unvaccinated players compete. She continued: “Now the leagues are choosing instead to cede to the forces of capitalism.”

She’s right. In the N.B.A., the Brooklyn Nets have capitulated and allowed Kyrie Irving, a seven-time All-Star, to play part time in away games, the only ones he is legally permitted to play because of his decision to remain unvaccinated. (Players in indoor arenas in New York City must be vaccinated.)

In the N.F.L., the Green Bay Packers starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who is also the league’s current Most Valuable Player, is vocally anti-vaccine and allowed to play regardless. After he tested positive for the virus in November, Rodgers went on the Pat McAfee Show to explain his views to its audience of 1.6 million.

“I believe strongly in bodily autonomy and the ability to make choices for your body,” Rodgers said, “not to have to acquiesce to some sort of woke culture or crazed individuals who say you have to do something.”

Athletes have been scorned by some for these views. Meanwhile they got more attention, won more games. That expanded their platform for promoting widely discredited science. Many of these athletes’ fans have rallied to express their support for the stars they identify with.

The conversation is as much about fairness as it is about public health. Why should a player get a free pass when other players, and the fans keeping them in business, have to be vaccinated and abide by travel restrictions? Workplaces around the world are filled with Djokovics, difficult but valued or essential employees who expect special accommodations in order to come to work — even when the accommodations they seek are grounded in anti-science views that might put their colleagues at risk.

When it comes to athletes, what they do in public health situations matters even more. Beyond the social influence that comes with their platforms, star athletes are symbols of good health, success and leadership — that’s why they’re sought after as the public face of performance apparel and shoe companies, breakfast cereals and countless other brands.

And that’s why it’s disappointing to see sports bodies fail to exert the one lever of control that they retain: whether or not athletes are allowed to compete.

The Australian Open has had reason to want to salvage this year’s tournament, amid the grimness of another Covid surge. It has already lost Roger Federer, who is recovering from knee surgery. Naomi Osaka is planning to play, but neither Serena nor Venus Williams will attend, for the first time since 1997.

The Australian Border Force did what sports bodies are failing to do: say no. If athletes don’t like restrictions imposed on the unvaccinated, they could just get a shot like millions of other people — a privilege that millions more are still waiting for.

Now Djokovic has appealed, and is being held in a hotel over the weekend in Australia. In this way he’s no different than the rest of us: stuck in place, awaiting his fate.

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waterman40
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 10, 2022 10:49 am    Post subject:

Djokovic is free for the moment anyway. I got fully vaxed, etc. etc., but I support those who don't want to get vaxed. But you have to deal with the consequences; aside from the risk of infection or severity of symptoms, that means you have to wear a mask to go many places. If Australia requires you to have it, especially if you a traveler, then you should be required to get vaxed or get sent back home. an un-vaxed DJ should not be allowed to play in the Australian Open or remain in the Country.

jmo
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jodeke
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 10, 2022 11:11 am    Post subject:

I understand and support freedom. In some cases, those freedoms are detrimental to a degree. In the case of COVID, IMO, some freedoms should be suspended, not eliminated, suspended. They're prolonging a pandemic.

I didn't read anything saying he's been vaccinated.

Djokovic back in training after winning appeal to stay in Australia

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