Criticism is not easily dispensed at people whose hearts are in the right place. And this much was true Tuesday: The hearts of state leaders, including Gov. Lamont, were in the right place during a news conference at New Britain Stadium urging high school athletes to get vaccinated before the fall season begins.

Their intestinal fortitude, however, was swirling the bowl.

Governance is about making tough, hard, unpopular decisions. It is about having the stomach to withstand the inevitable aspersions. This is where Lamont, his team and Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference officials fell short. And I fear it's about lacking the temerity to withstand the backlash from the lunatic fringe.

Straight up: Lamont needs to mandate vaccinations to participate in sports this year. Period. It is for the safety of all parties. It is for the preservation of a full season for all teams. COVID-19 and all its machinations aren't going anywhere.

To quote Dr. Carl Nissen, the medical adviser to CIAC and member of the Connecticut State Medical Society: "The COVID virus will be around maybe forever, certainly for several years. The most important thing to do is not eradicate, but to mitigate the side effects, reduce the risk for all of us. We need to make sure all of the athletes get a chance to get back on the field ... (and) the best way we know right now from a medical point of view is to get the vaccine. We can't more strongly recommend that you do that."

Dr. Nissen's opinion on COVID — lest we forget he's a real doctor and not some schmo whose degree in epidemiology came from Facebook — is powerful. His words necessitate a stronger stance from state leaders: no vaccine, no play. Lamont cannot mandate vaccination for entrance into school buildings until the FDA approves the vaccine, moving it from emergency use status. But there is a notable difference between the fundamental right to an education and the privilege of playing sports.

I'm wondering if all these licentious loons, whose lust for liberty trumps any hint of a greater good discussion, aren't starting to win. It used to be we could easily identify and then ignore those who perfected that unfortunate combination of being loud and wrong at the same time. Grandstanding has its privileges, apparently.

I don't understand the eggshell walk here from Lamont and CIAC officials. This is sports. Fun? You bet. Fundamental? Not close. Plus, what better than the perils of a pandemic to justify hard decisions?

Here are all the options for the Constitution-quoters who oppose "no vaccine; no play:"

Let them write a letter to the editor.

Let them post in the HCS (Human Comments Section).

Let them hang out in their echo chambers.

Let them stage a protest, arriving on scene in one of their SUVs bigger than a yacht with all their flags flying.

Let them eat cake.

Governance, to reiterate, is doing what's right, not convenient. Former New London Superintendent of Schools Nick Fischer addressed the topic in Education Week:

"Unfortunately, when it comes to our children's education, this notion of 'what's possible' is often synonymous with what is politically safe. This is a big mistake.

"Now, after serving more than decade as a superintendent, I have learned firsthand that our education system is often shaped more by the politically safe and less by the fearless experimentation it takes to truly improve schools for all students. A leader who avoids controversy or policy proposals that question long-established practices hasn't taken the right kind of chances in my book."

Fischer shoots, Fischer scores.

Here is what Lamont said at Tuesday's news conference, after issuing a statewide mask mandate for all students kindergarten through 12th grade through the end of September:

"It was a hard decision. We were doing so well for so long," Lamont said. "I know the masks can be a pain to some people, but given where we are, given what the spread is right now, given the success the masks had last year ... It starts in the classroom. We want you safe in that classroom and want you in that classroom. If you're in that classroom, you're learning. And if you're safe in that classroom, you're playing volleyball or football or track and field afterwards."

Why was it a hard decision? Why do his words have an almost apologetic undertone? It's a mask, not a catheter. It's for public safety. Our kids' safety. There is nothing about which to be apologetic. He needed to deliver the words with more conviction.

"We're not mandating (getting vaccinated) but strongly encouraging it," CIAC Executive Director Glenn Lungarini said. "We understand it is a personal decision, but we do believe it's the best strategy to keep our kids in the classroom and on the field."

Strongly encouraging it?

I'd strongly encourage our leaders to stop worrying about backlash and start doing the jobs for which they are (in some cases) handsomely paid.

There is no fundamental right to play sports. This is well within the purview of the governor and CIAC to make harder, tougher rules for the greater good.

No vaccine, no play.

Don't like it?

Cue Marie Antoinette.

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro