Liverpool’s German coach, Jurgen Klopp, says that ‘99%’ of his squad are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, and claims that players who refuse the jab are comparable to people who drive while drunk.
Recent reports have indicated that a wave of anti-vax sentiment is being fostered in some top Premier League clubs, with a minority of senior players having subscribed to debunked misinformation regarding the efficacy of the various Covid-19 vaccines.
A wide-ranging investigation conducted by the Daily Mail found that several conspiracy theories are rife inside a host of Premier League dressing rooms, with some players suggesting that that the vaccine is little more than a government spying tool or that a course of vitamins is a more effective treatment against the virus.
The report added that some younger players are being misinformed by senior players leading to further vaccine hesitancy. That matter is further complicated by an effort from organizers of next year’s World Cup in Qatar to allow only vaccinated players into the country – something which could lead to headaches for the likes of England boss Gareth Southgate after it was reported that five of his Euro 2020 squad remain unvaccinated, with three senior players said to be steadfastly refusing the jab.
It falls to Klopp, not for the first time, to apply some brilliantly and simply explained reason & logic to an issue of the moment.
As far as Klopp is concerned, this might be a problem for other teams but not for Liverpool.
“We have 99% vaccinated. I didn’t have to convince the players – it was more a natural decision from the team,” he said ahead of his side hosting the reigning Premier League champions, Manchester City, on Sunday.
“I cannot remember really talking to a player in a one-on-one situation and explaining to him why he should because I am not a doctor.”
Jurgen Klopp on the Vaccine. Just when you think you can't love someone any more. The Man always, always talks perfect sense. He's not just a football genius yano ❤❤
Klopp's response on vaccines is excellent but he does say “99%, pretty much all” Liverpool players are vaccinated and I just desperately need to know who the one anti-vaxxer is.
Klopp’s declaration of Liverpool’s vaccine rate comes after it was also reported that just seven Premier League sides have vaccination rates of more than 50%, and the Liverpool boss said that he can’t understand some players’ reluctance.
“I explained it for myself as like drink-driving,” Klopp said, drawing an analogy.
“We all probably were in a situation where we had a beer or two and thought we still could drive but, [because of] the law, we are not allowed to drive anywhere, so we don’t drive.
“But this law is not there for protecting me when I drink two beers and want to drive: it’s for protecting all the other people because I’m drunk or p*ssed and we accept that as a law.
“It is, for me, exactly the same; I don’t take the vaccination only to protect me, I take the vaccination to protect all the people around me.
“I don’t understand why that is a limitation of freedom because, if it is, then not being allowed to drink and drive is a limitation of freedom as well.
“I got the vaccination because I was concerned about myself but even more so about everybody around me. If I get [Covid] and I suffer off it, my fault; if I get it and spread it to someone else, my fault and not their fault.”
UFC newcomer Casey O’Neill won her third fight of 2021 by hammering Antonina Shevchenko, hinting afterwards that the fight referee had favored her better-known opponent.
Fearsomely aggressive O’Neill took out Shevchenko – the sister of flyweight champion Valentina – with a ground-and-pound mauling in the closing stages of the second round of their scrap at UFC Vegas 38 on Saturday, concluding with at least two gruesome unanswered shots that compelled Chris Tognoni to step in.
That earned O’Neill a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus and a third early night since February, when she knocked out Shana Dobson before submitting Lara Procopio in June.
“I was just angry at him because I got hit like five times, and he was like, ‘show me something’,” the 23-year-old said of Tognoni’s apparent reluctance to rescue Shevchenko.
“I hit her maybe 20 times and he didn’t say anything. I asked, ‘where’s her warning?’”
Some viewers agreed, with Tognoni being accused of putting Shevchenko’s safety at risk. “He tells O’Neill to fight back after she eats three punches in side control, but then when O’Neill is in mount and raining down elbows he is just sitting there chilling,” said one, claiming that the official had shown a lack of consistency.
Casey O'Neill officially landed 102 strikes in the second round against Antonina Shevchenko alone. That ground and pound was just brutal. #UFCVegas38
O’Neill’s victory rarely looked in doubt. “I wanted to get the TKO because it doesn’t look like they give away bonuses for submissions,” the Scotland-born Australian said. “I wanted that 50k bonus.
“She had the most name value and was the most recognized person I’ve ever fought. She was known for being tough and hard to put away, especially standing, so I wanted to go in there and prove how tough I was and that I can put away anyone they put in front of me.
“People look at her as Valentina’s sister, so they think that makes her better than maybe what she is. I do like that. I take away all of her fans off a dominant victory.
“There were still a lot of questions about me, only two fights in – everybody still looks at you as a rookie in your rookie year. I hope that now, after finishing my first year with the UFC, people look at me as a contender.”
The former Eternal MMA strawweight champion said her aim against her more experienced rival had been to “take her down and beat her up, drown her.”
“That’s my game plan with everyone,” O’Neill explained. “My pace and pressure is way too hard for anybody, especially on the ground. As soon as I got her down, I knew I could overwhelm her and finish her.”
Casey O'Neill is a problem, ya'll.
She's one of the best prospects the flyweight division has seen in quite some time. #UFCVegas38
Dedicating her win to late MMA fighter Kyle Reyes, who died at the age of 30 last month, O’Neill revealed that she could now temporarily relent on her three training sessions a day.
“My coaches will have a heart attack if I say I’m going to get in there anytime before March,” she joked. “I’m going to take the new year off and work on my skills.”
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer may have a little explaining to do after a video clip went viral that appeared to show the former Ohio State icon flirting with a host of college students.
Meyer, who is one of the most successful college coaches in history, has endured a rough start to his NFL career after going winless through his first four games in charge of the Jaguars – equaling the number of losses he suffered during his entire six-year stint at Ohio State.
Last week’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals was a particularly tough one to take after his side surrendered an early advantage to capitulate late on against the Ohio-based team to cap what was a miserable start to the NFL season.
Meyer – known by his nickname ‘The Dublin Dad’ – has gained a reputation throughout his college career as being a sore loser on the rare occasions when it has happened.
And after the dispiriting loss to the Bengals, reports indicate that the 57-year-old headed to one of the two bars he owns in the state to drown his sorrows – and, as video evidence suggests, get to know the clientele a bit better.
Meyer, who is married, appears to be seen wearing an Ohio State-branded jumper in the video, suggesting that it was recorded on Saturday of last week after Meyer was thought to have attended the Ohio State vs Rutgers game.
It remains to be seen what type of fallout – if any – this will have for Meyer and the Jaguars organization, but judging by the reactions on Twitter, NFL fans are going for the jugular.
Urban Meyer tomorow:
I have decided to step away from the game of football for the next 8 months to seek treatment for a addiction to allmost having sex
“Urban Meyer tomorrow: ‘I have decided to step away from the game of football for the next eight months to seek treatment for a addiction to almost having sex,’” read one response to the footage on social media.
“The Dublin Dad has still got it!” said another.
“Urban Meyer is about to take a leave of absence,” predicted another.
Meyer will have some time away from the cameras this weekend as his Jaguars team aren’t due back on the gridiron until next Sunday’s clash with the Tennessee Titans – but one suspects that NFL fans, nor perhaps his family, will let him off without throwing a little heat his way first.
Khabib Nurmagomedov has revealed how legendary Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson accepted his decision not to have a drink when they met after the teetotal devout Muslim joked that he could “smash all of you guys”.
Retired lightweight champion Nurmagomedov was at Old Trafford to watch United draw 1-1 with Everton on Saturday, meeting revered coach Ferguson, world’s fastest man Usain Bolt and former Red Devils star Patrice Evra after the match.
Abstinent Muslim Nurmagomedov later confessed that he turned down the offer of a glass of wine from the 13-time Premier League-winning boss because of his religious beliefs, teasing Ferguson that it could have led to violence.
“I had to explain to him,” the popular Dagestani recounted at a talk later that evening as part of a mini-tour of England.
“There are two things: you can be straight and say ‘no, no, no – I am Muslim, I never drink.’ But I also told him, ‘this is not good because if I drink, I can smash all of you guys. It’s not a good idea.’
“Patrice Evra and Usain Bolt understand. Alex Ferguson asked me about wine. For him, it’s good – I don’t judge him.
“He [Ferguson] understands because he doesn’t think I should smash everybody, so he said, ‘OK, don’t drink.’”
United supporter Bolt has had trials with professional clubs, and Evra and Ferguson, his former manager, were pictured dining with the Frenchman’s Danish model partner, Margaux Alexandra, after the club heroes were thought to have played instrumental roles in the return of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Nurmagomedov’s blunt threat to “smash” opponents has become an iconic term among UFC fans, and the 29-fight unbeaten powerhouse is also arguably the world’s most high-profile Muslim athlete.
“Being a Muslim is not easy, but at the same time, you don’t have to make it tough,” he said. “Just be a good person and show them that you are a Muslim.”
The 33-year-old is rarely shy to voice his opinions, courting controversy when he fiercely rebuked France president Emmanuel Macron for what he perceived to be remarks that were disrespectful to his religion.
“All my friends know I eat halal, I don’t drink,” he reflected of his willingness to be open about his religious beliefs. “If I feel something, I say it.”
Nurmagomedov arrived in Manchester by helicopter and was inundated with requests for pictures, with more than 1,000 fans said to have bought tickets for a photo session with the MMA megastar.
The huge football fan was presented with a shirt bearing the number seven that is synonymous with Ronaldo and another of Nurmagomedov’s friends, former United winger and England captain David Beckham.
Nurmagomedov’s tour, ‘The Legacy Continues’, is being held in support of orphans around the world and will visit Yorkshire on Sunday.
Former UFC champion Miesha Tate didn’t hold back in her scolding of Aspen Ladd after she failed to make weight ahead of an ultimately canned fight against Macy Chiasson, accusing the bantamweight of ‘cheating’ at the weigh-in.
Ladd, who is ranked third in the UFC’s female 135lbs fold, initially failed to make weight for the fight while still fully-clothed, which prompted her to try again without clothing behind the UFC’s so-called ‘privacy box’ – with Ladd stepping on and off the scales several times before ultimately weighing in a full pound over the allowed limit for a non-title fight.
What was more concerning, though, was the manner in which Ladd appeared to struggle, with the 26-year-old appearing very unsteady on her feet and coming close to losing her balance.
Video footage of Ladd’s struggles quickly circulated on social media, receiving concern from fans and media alike, and eventually leading to the UFC cancelling the fight entirely.
Ladd later blamed her failed weigh-in on her period, and wrote on Instagram afterwards that she was uneasy because she didn’t want to “bleed in front of the media“.
Former UFC champ Tate, though, isn’t buying it and wrote in a social media post of her own that she suspected Ladd was cheating on the scales by attempting to disguise her true weight.
“It’s one thing to miss weight; it’s another thing to try and cheat the scale and use every excuse in the book to not weigh in properly,” Tate alleged on Twitter.
It’s one thing to miss weight, it’s another thing to try and cheat the scale and use every excuse in the book to not weigh in properly. Everyone saw you cheat and still came in a lb over. I bet you were every bit of 139. https://t.co/VyOWcfTMCv
“Everyone saw you cheat and still came in a lb over. I bet you were every bit of 139.”
Tate’s allegations appear to reference some of the darker arts of fight weigh-ins, where some cases have been noted where fighters removed certain parts of their body from the weighing scales, or grabbed on to a towel for leverage – further disguising their true weight.
“Guaranteed she didn’t want to put both hands up because she wanted to grab the curtain structure placed around her. Nice try,” added Tate.
However, one member of Ladd’s entourage wasn’t accepting ‘Cupcake’s’ analysis of events.
Please try and stand still, with hands in the air while dehydrated, dizzy, and nauseous all while trying to hold yourself because you are bleeding. You better hope you never have to fight Aspen. Oh wait you probably won’t you coward
“Please try and stand still, with hands in the air while dehydrated, dizzy, and nauseous all while trying to hold yourself because you are bleeding,” wrote Ladd’s coach, Jim West, in response. “You better hope you never have to fight Aspen. Oh wait, you probably won’t – you coward.”
Tate, who has been linked to a fight with Ladd, made her return to MMA in July with a win against Marion Reneau, some five years after announcing her retirement from the sport following defeat to Raquel Pennington in New York.
She was scheduled to fight Ketlyn Vieira this month but the fight was pushed into November after Tate tested positive for Covid-19.
