Leave it to a running back from Oakland and a doctor from Brooklyn to stage the year's most ambitious crossover event.
Marshawn Lynch hosted the nation's top infectious disease specialist, Dr. Anthony Fauci, for a conversation on COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy. The results? Thirty-two minutes that perfectly straddled the line between education and entertainment.
You can watch the entire interview on Beast Mode’s YouTube channel. Here's a sneak peek:
Fauci and Beast Mode's conversation ranges from fun nicknames (Dr. Faucheezi!) to deep, enlightened talk. The former Seahawk and Raider revealed he hasn't been vaccinated and pointed out vaccine mistrust in the minority community remains high.
"When it comes to the government giving back to communities that look like me, we don't seem to be on the well-received end of those situations," Lynch said. "It gets to the point where it's almost like a gamble."
Fauci understands that reluctance is grounded in a dark history. He told Lynch his job is to educate traditionally-marginalized groups so they can benefit from a vaccine that "really works."
"That's why we're talking to you, Marshawn!" Fauci added.
Give both men their just due for staging a lighthearted but informational video. Lynch hopes conversations like theirs help communities like his make a better-informed decision on COVID-19 protection.
Lynch added: "It's all educational for me. Hopefully, this gets across to the individuals that need the information, that need the education. Hopefully, it makes an impact."
