Charles Barkley Thinks NBA and NFL Players Should Jump Vaccine Line Because They Pay More Taxes

Charles Barkley has a plan that is at least as effective as the current federal plan for a vaccine rollout: give it to professional athletes. Barkley unveiled his process, which again, is at least as comprehensive as the current federal plan, on Inside the NBA after the Golden State Warriors -Denver Nuggets game on TNT last night.

Look. Allowing rich people to cut the line is a very bad argument. In fact, no. Absolutely not. Screw that. Strap that idea to an ACME rocket and fire it directly into the sun.

If you want to make an argument for vaccinating athletes, it's not that hard. States are throwing away vaccines on a daily basis. There are stories about people randomly getting them in pharmacies. Los Angeles County to tell providers to stop throwing them out. New York loosened eligibility after vaccines were thrown out. There is no plan and these supposedly important shots are going into the garbage, so why not give them to athletes?

That's an actual flimsy argument, but the idea that athletes get them because they pay more taxes is absurd. People who pay the most taxes are better equipped to deal with this pandemic. We like to think sports are essential, but they are not. There are so many underpaid actually essential people who need the vaccine so regular everyday Joes can survive this crisis that suggesting athletes jump the line is completely wrong. That's why Adam Silver and Roger Goodell quickly said their athletes would not jump the line. They know despite the money involved it would be a public relations nightmare. It would rightfully be a public relations nightmare. So they can wait their turn and if they have a problem with that, they should take it up with the people in charge.