You can make the same argument for top level ministers. eg. "well it's fine for the PM and the cabinet to ignore lockdown directives because they're only 0.001% of the uk population"

It's still inconsistent, bad for PR, and puts the whole government into question.

I dislike sports, but I do see that making pro sports broadcasts continue could provide the entertainment needed for folks to be happier to stay inside their homes like they should.

“Why not let everyone else sports to stay healthy and strengthen their immune systems, as well as get outside (where it's warm enough) and get the vitamin D they need?”

I’m all for letting people be outside freely by themselves and in isolated social groups. I’ve spent huge amounts of time exercising in parks in the sun outside during this thing for the reasons you mention.

Team sports where you get a bunch of unrelated people together in one place breathing hard and folks probably socializing after the game afterward seems more problematic.

I love the fact that they're open and televising the fact that no fans are there. That really stops people from trying to pressure venues from "sneaking in".

Why not let everyone else sports to stay healthy and strengthen their immune systems, as well as get outside (where it's warm enough) and get the vitamin D they need?

Why should people who get paid a million get special treatment over those who are barely making it an unemployed? Being able to shoot some hoops seems more valuable for the 20 year old's mental health than watching some rich top-of-their class play in am empty stadium with cardboard cutouts.

Because everyone doing sports kind of defeats the purpose of social distancing.

it's literally the same logic for why any individual or group can rationalise not following the rules.

/which is precisely why there shouldn't be these kinds of arbitrary exceptions.

It has little or nothing to do with risk. Professional athletes make extraordinary sums of money, and some percentage of that is given to the government via taxes. Amateur sports generates little to no money; therefore, the government doesn't allow it.

See also: here in California, churches/synagogues/temples are closed, while liquor stores and marijuana shops are considered "essential businesses". Film crews are allowed to operate in mass numbers outdoors, but not distanced patio dining.

It seems pretty clear it's all about the $$$.