David Kahn, Columnist

How Zika Can Save the Olympics

Golfers and basketball stars are pulling out. Good. They never belonged.

July 4, 2016 at 1:00 PM UTC

David Kahn has been general manager of the Indiana Pacers, president of the Minnesota Timberwolves, head of the Oregon Stadium Campaign for Major League Baseball and is currently teaching two courses on sports economics at New York University.

Where'd everybody go?
Photographer: Matthew Stockman

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The Zika virus may be deadly serious, but is it really a potent enough reason to explain the withdrawal of Jason Day, Rory McIlroy and many other star golfers from the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro?

There's a more likely explanation: The Olympics simply are not a priority for them. Which is why golfers, along with stars from other already enriched sports, have no place in the Olympics.