Adam Amin hasn’t been in the Fox NFL broadcast booth since Week 8 and some viewers noticed.
https://twitter.com/loudtrio/status/1324415549653217287
But Amin will be back at the mic for Week 10, scheduled to call the 49ers-Saints game (at 4:25 p.m. ET) alongside Mark Schlereth with Lindsay Czarniak reporting.
So where has he been the past couple of weeks? Viewers probably could have guessed with what’s going on in the world these days, but Amin revealed on Twitter Friday that he’s been recovering from COVID-19.
https://twitter.com/adamamin/status/1327308602340732930
In a subsequent tweet thread, Amin went on to explain the breathing difficulties he experienced after being infected.
“It sucked going from my bed to my kitchen for water and feeling like I was going to pass out,” said Amin. “It sucked feeling like I couldn’t breathe beyond 50% capacity for three days.”
Amin then proactively addressed the certain response from followers who diminish the seriousness of COVID-19 and the need to wear masks in public to prevent the virus’s spread.
https://twitter.com/adamamin/status/1327311144139296769
Many of Amin’s media colleagues responded with sympathy and support. Unfortunately, as could be expected in our current cultural climate, several others expressed skepticism and derision toward Amin and what they viewed as preaching. But the broadcaster anticipated that blowback.
“I usually say things nicely, so I apologize if this wasn’t nice,” Amin said. “But I don’t want to feel the way my body felt like that again. And I don’t want you to have to feel that way either. So I say these things in hopes that maybe you’ll minimize the chance you or someone else gets it.”
Amin’s revelation comes amid growing numbers of positive COVID-19 results throughout the country, setting new record-highs each day. Several states are considering lockdowns again, faced with accelerating cases and hospitalizations. This week, the Ivy League announced the cancellation of its winter sports season. Eight college football games scheduled for Saturday have been postponed or canceled.
About Ian Casselberry
Ian is a writer, editor, and podcaster. You can find his work at Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He's written for Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, MLive, Bleacher Report, and SB Nation.