Current Events > attention to the people don't think athletes should be political.

(+) Yeah! (+)

What is your profession? If it's not politics, maybe you should stop talking politics.
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It's only when their politics clash with yours that they shouldn't be political. If they side with you then they can shout it from the mountaintops if they want.

obv
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I STAND for the ANTHEM because I LOVE the TROOPS!!!!!
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Imagine thinking athletes shouldnt be political when some of the greatest political moments in history occurred within sports
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Kazi1212 posted...

Imagine thinking athletes shouldnt be political when some of the greatest political moments in history occurred within sports

These same people would be saying "Jackie Robinson stop being so political".
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Paper_Okami posted...

What is your profession? If it's not politics, maybe you should stop talking politics.

Theres a difference between talking about politics while youre on the clock and when you're off the clock
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You might want to rethink that analogy.

A lot, if not all, private businesses will fire your ass pretty quick or reprimand you if you are their employee and you decide to argue politics, take a controversial political stance or similar while you are working at their job site. Hell, a lot of CEmen take it a step further and advocate punishing employees even if they did it on their personal time away from work, such as at home or just posting on Facebook, Twitter, etc. Putting aside the business angle, try pushing a vocal political agenda at work while you are a government employee outside of actual political office. It's not going to go well.
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For the record while some people criticize athletes for doing political things "on the clock" there are also plenty of people criticize athletes for doing political things even when they aren't "on the clock."

"Stick to sports." Is something I have heard quite often, and it is usually in response to something somebody said while not playing.
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billcom6 posted...

For the record while some people criticize athletes for doing political things "on the clock" there are also plenty of people criticize athletes for doing political things even when they aren't "on the clock."

"Stick to sports." Is something I have heard quite often, and it is usually in response to something somebody said while not playing.

exactly this
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Athletes have the right to be political.

and I have a right to stop going to games and to change the channel or cut the cord.
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If you work for wages paid by an employer, good luck talking openly about your political stances on the job. Even at minimum wage gigs like Micky Ds, thats not gonna fly. As for entrepreneurs, theyll usually avoid political talk too - why bother needlessly alienating potential clients?
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zH0mPfR posted...

Athletes have the right to be political.

and I have a right to stop going to games and to change the channel or cut the cord.

look at this snowflake
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masticatingman posted...

If you work for wages paid by an employer, good luck talking openly about your political stances on the job. Even at minimum wage gigs like Micky Ds, thats not gonna fly. As for entrepreneurs, theyll usually avoid political talk too - why bother needlessly alienating potential clients?

except if you have leverage. people don't go to sports games to see the front office, they go to fucking see the players.
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billcom6 posted...

zH0mPfR posted...

Athletes have the right to be political.

and I have a right to stop going to games and to change the channel or cut the cord.

look at this snowflake

He doesn't have the right to do what he wants with is own eyes and money?
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Behaviorism posted...

billcom6 posted...

zH0mPfR posted...

Athletes have the right to be political.

and I have a right to stop going to games and to change the channel or cut the cord.

look at this snowflake

He doesn't have the right to do what he wants with is own eyes and money?

No one said anything like that. Learn to read.
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Paper_Okami posted...

masticatingman posted...

If you work for wages paid by an employer, good luck talking openly about your political stances on the job. Even at minimum wage gigs like Micky Ds, thats not gonna fly. As for entrepreneurs, theyll usually avoid political talk too - why bother needlessly alienating potential clients?

except if you have leverage. people don't go to sports games to see the front office, they go to fucking see the players.

That doesnt invalidate anything I said. Athletes are generally highly paid but they still get checks from their employer at the end of the day.
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It's a matter of knowing ones place. Athletes are like actors, they're paid to entertain the masses. It's no different in terms of relevance than a porn actresses views on politics. No one cares. Shut up and dance you glorified toys.
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CruorComa posted...

It's a matter of knowing ones place. Athletes are like actors, they're paid to entertain the masses. It's no different in terms of relevance than a porn actresses views on politics. No one cares. Shut up and dance you glorified toys.

something tells me you have a problem with black people
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This would make more sense if the people you were talking about had millions of people listening to what they say.
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Athletes typically have below average intelligence, high school degree at best, and are completely detached from the real world due to making millions and having an entourage of people shielding them from reality. They're often not smart enough to have informed opinions on complex issues (e.g. Kaepernick), and thus are rightfully criticized when they speak out and say dumb things.

They're geniuses of a sort in their athletic realm, and anything they have to say on that topic will have my attention. For everything else, no thanks.
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KainWind posted...

This would make more sense if the people you were talking about had millions of people listening to what they say.

So Alex Jones and Fox News should STFU?
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Paper_Okami posted...

CruorComa posted...

It's a matter of knowing ones place. Athletes are like actors, they're paid to entertain the masses. It's no different in terms of relevance than a porn actresses views on politics. No one cares. Shut up and dance you glorified toys.

something tells me you have a problem with black people

What the hell kind of leap is that?
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The Admiral posted...

Athletes typically have below average intelligence,

proof?
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Paper_Okami posted...

The Admiral posted...

Athletes typically have below average intelligence,

proof?

Their Wonderlic scores, for starters.
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I love the troops so much that I'll use them as political pawns for this issue and not give a shit about them any other time.
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The Admiral posted...

Athletes typically have below average intelligence, high school degree at best, and are completely detached from the real world due to making millions and having an entourage of people shielding them from reality. They're often not smart enough to have informed opinions on complex issues (e.g. Kaepernick), and thus are rightfully criticized when they speak out and say dumb things.

They're geniuses of a sort in their athletic realm, and anything they have to say on that topic will have my attention. For everything else, no thanks.

How long until this post gets called racist?
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billcom6 posted...

zH0mPfR posted...

Athletes have the right to be political.

and I have a right to stop going to games and to change the channel or cut the cord.

look at this snowflake

As an Asian, I have better things to do with my time than listen to whiny Black millionaires.
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It's a real shame how we've turned not kneeling for a government-sponsored publicity stunt into a partisan issue.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/jan/09/jaylen-brown-boston-celtics-nba-interview

In his year at college, before pausing his degree to play in the NBA, Brown wrote a thesis about how institutionalised sport impacts on education. I was super emotional reading about it, he says of his chosen subject. Theres this idea of America that some people have to win and some have to lose so certain things are in place to make this happen. Some people have to be the next legislators and political elites and some have to fill the prisons and work in McDonalds. Thats how America works. Its a machine which needs people up top, and people down low.

Even though Ive ended up in a great place, who is to say where I wouldve been without basketball? It makes me feel for my friends. And my little brothers or cousins have no idea how their social mobility is being shaped. I wish more and more that I can explain it to them. Just because Im the outlier in my neighbourhood who managed to avoid the barriers set up to keep the privileged in privilege, and the poor still poor, why should I forget about the people who didnt have the same chance as me?

Thats the reality because sports is a mechanism of control. If people didnt have sports they would be a lot more disappointed with their role in society. There would be a lot more anger or stress about the injustice of poverty and hunger. Sports is a way to channel our energy into something positive. Without sports who knows what half of these kids would be doing?
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of course tc makes racial comments
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I just tend to get annoyed when athletes try to get political at inappropriate times. If I'm trying to watch an NFL game, I neither care nor want to hear about your politics. If it's on his personal time, on twitter or in an interview or something, knock yourself out dude.
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SideshowBob311 posted...

I just tend to get annoyed when athletes try to get political at inappropriate times. If I'm trying to watch an NFL game, I neither care nor want to hear about your politics. If it's on his personal time, on twitter or in an interview or something, knock yourself out dude.

maybe they'll stop be political when this country is a position where they no longer have to be political.
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Paper_Okami posted...

What is your profession?

AWOO! AWOO! AWOO!
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Paper_Okami posted...

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/jan/09/jaylen-brown-boston-celtics-nba-interview

In his year at college, before pausing his degree to play in the NBA, Brown wrote a thesis about how institutionalised sport impacts on education. I was super emotional reading about it, he says of his chosen subject. Theres this idea of America that some people have to win and some have to lose so certain things are in place to make this happen. Some people have to be the next legislators and political elites and some have to fill the prisons and work in McDonalds. Thats how America works. Its a machine which needs people up top, and people down low.

Even though Ive ended up in a great place, who is to say where I wouldve been without basketball? It makes me feel for my friends. And my little brothers or cousins have no idea how their social mobility is being shaped. I wish more and more that I can explain it to them. Just because Im the outlier in my neighbourhood who managed to avoid the barriers set up to keep the privileged in privilege, and the poor still poor, why should I forget about the people who didnt have the same chance as me?

Thats the reality because sports is a mechanism of control. If people didnt have sports they would be a lot more disappointed with their role in society. There would be a lot more anger or stress about the injustice of poverty and hunger. Sports is a way to channel our energy into something positive. Without sports who knows what half of these kids would be doing?

Is this supposed to be an example of an intelligent political opinion? The second paragraph is all regurgitated victim drivel that this guy probably got from Internet boards like this one.

And what's the implication of the last paragraph? What exactly would all these kids being doing if not trying to make it as athletes?
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The Admiral posted...

Is this supposed to be an example of an intelligent political opinion? The second paragraph is all regurgitated victim drivel that this guy probably got from Internet boards like this one.

it is far more intelligent than any political opinion you have ever parroted. And drivel? he is relating his experiences that he was skilled at basketball so he was able to leave his poor neighborhood.

prove what he says wrong.

the implication is obvious, if sports was used as a distraction, people would be more willing to challenge the status quo that 2/3 people live paycheck to paycheck. That countless people are in debt. That many people can't afford healthcare.
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Gee and here I thought kids just liked to play sports
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I'm an EMT, should I be able to go to town on grandma with my thoughts on immigration while I transport her to the hospital?

I have free speech after all right?
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Paper_Okami posted...

SideshowBob311 posted...

I just tend to get annoyed when athletes try to get political at inappropriate times. If I'm trying to watch an NFL game, I neither care nor want to hear about your politics. If it's on his personal time, on twitter or in an interview or something, knock yourself out dude.

maybe they'll stop be political when this country is a position where they no longer have to be political.

Lmao

Yes, I'm sure they are crying themselves to sleep about the injustices of the US (not the world, of course), while they lie on top of a bed of cash next to their InstaThots.
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Lorenzo_2003 posted...

not the world, of course

they live in the U.S just because bad shit is happening elsewhere doesn't mean they should ignore the shit going down in their own backyard.
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Paper_Okami posted...

SideshowBob311 posted...

I just tend to get annoyed when athletes try to get political at inappropriate times. If I'm trying to watch an NFL game, I neither care nor want to hear about your politics. If it's on his personal time, on twitter or in an interview or something, knock yourself out dude.

maybe they'll stop be political when this country is a position where they no longer have to be political.

I don't understand why we're expected to tolerate that nonsense from athletes. If you called the dentist's office to make an appointment, and the receptionist said something like "Before I see if we can get you in next Thursday, let me tell you what I think about the death penalty" you'd tell him/her to shut the fuck up and do their job. Strong political opinions are fine, just do it on your own time.
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Webmaster4531 posted...

Kazi1212 posted...

Imagine thinking athletes shouldnt be political when some of the greatest political moments in history occurred within sports

These same people would be saying "Jackie Robinson stop being so political".

Weird how nobody could tackle this.
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ThePrinceFish posted...

I'm an EMT, should I be able to go to town on grandma with my thoughts on immigration while I transport her to the hospital?

I have free speech after all right?

Lmao some of these analogies you people bring up are so absurd. Sports being a channel for political expression has been done for ages, its a part of the fabric of sports culture. Expressing political opinions is not part of the fabric of EMT culture
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Kazi1212 posted...

ThePrinceFish posted...

I'm an EMT, should I be able to go to town on grandma with my thoughts on immigration while I transport her to the hospital?

I have free speech after all right?

Lmao some of these analogies you people bring up are so absurd. Sports being a channel for political expression has been done for ages, its a part of the fabric of sports culture. Expressing political opinions is not part of the fabric of EMT culture

That's a good point. Clearly their opinions as an athlete are more important than us lowly first responders. If only we had gotten in on politics sooner, it could have been a fabric of our profession and we could get to weigh in on politics as well.

Get real. They are athletes playing for entertainment. Their political opinions hold no more weight than anyone's. Their job has nothing to do with their personal opinions on literally anything.
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ThePrinceFish posted...

Kazi1212 posted...

ThePrinceFish posted...

I'm an EMT, should I be able to go to town on grandma with my thoughts on immigration while I transport her to the hospital?

I have free speech after all right?

Lmao some of these analogies you people bring up are so absurd. Sports being a channel for political expression has been done for ages, its a part of the fabric of sports culture. Expressing political opinions is not part of the fabric of EMT culture

That's a good point. Clearly their opinions as an athlete are more important than us lowly first responders. If only we had gotten in on politics sooner, it could have been a fabric of our profession and we could get to weigh in on politics as well.

Get real. They are athletes playing for entertainment. Their political opinions hold no more weight than anyone's. Their job has nothing to do with their personal opinions on literally anything.

Where did you read me saying their opinions hold more weight? Just because they have a bigger platform within mainstream culture doesnt mean your opinions are somehow less important than theirs, it just means theyve been more fortunate in having power in shaping public discourse. Just like billionaires have power over influencing legislation because of their money and power, so do athletes with influencing public discourse because of the sheer volume of people who will listen to them. But no where in this does it mean your opinion is somehow less important, dont take it personal now, you just dont have the platform they do from a historical and cultural standpoint. If you want to try to change th culture go right ahead, Im not saying youre wrong, but I think political expression through sports is rooted so deeply in our culture that it wont go away
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They can have all the opinions they like, and express them when not performing however they feel is appropriate (obviously, within the limitations of the law).

However, when they're at a match, they're working. Their job is not to push political statements.

Basically, I'm all for telling them to "keep it to themself" when they're playing a match; once they're on their spare time, they can do whatever the hell they like.
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How do the Olympics even exist if politics is meant to stay out of sports?
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