Shut up and dribble

[BestSportsEntertainer]

A video of Lebron James claiming Trump doesn't "give a f*** about the people" recently surfaced. That prompted Laura Ingraham to say this:

Must they run their mouths like that? Unfortunately a lot of kids and some adults take these ignorant comments seriously,” said Ingraham on Thursday evening. “This is what happens when you attempt to leave high school a year early to join the NBA, and it’s always unwise to seek political advice from someone who get paid $100 million a year to bounce a ball.

You’re great players; no one voted for you,” Ingraham continued. “Millions elected Trump to be their coach. So keep the political commentary to yourself, or as someone once said, ‘shut up and dribble.”

Dear Lord this might be the dumbest thing I've ever read.

So only college attendees are allowed to discuss politics? Because I know several people in college who know nothing about politics. Also I don't think Lebron going to college would have changed his political opinion too much. If anything it would have made him more liberal.

Lebron is educated and clearly intelligent, as evidence by the fact that he's a successful entrepreneur and actor.

And Lebron doesn't get paid $100M a year to dribble a basketball. He's paid $33M a year because he has increased the value of the Cavaliers franchise so much. They're worth a lot more today than they were before Lebron returned in 2014. Frankly, Lebron deserves a lot more than $33M.

Also you have to be voted in to give your political opinion? Then why can Laura Ingraham give hers? I don't remember anyone voting for her.

And a former athlete in Curt Schilling is a regular contributor on Fox News. Why is he qualified and Lebron isn't?

Also there's this whole thing with Russia probably interfering in our election, but that's another story.

Who do you agree with? Should athletes give their political opinions?

 

[HBK-aholic]

America voted for a reality tv 'star' with no political knowledge or background to be president, so yes, athletes are absolutely allowed to give their political opinions, there is literally no argument anyone who voted for Trump can use here that wouldn't make them a damn hypocrite.

It's great that these people, who are idols to so many young people, are talking about politics. We need more young people to be interested in the issues, we need more young people to be researching political ideologies, we need more young people to run for political office. Anything that encourages that is a good thing.

That's without getting into the bullshit of trying to silence critics of the president. She wouldn't have said this if he'd agreed with her and Trump.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

It's a good move by her. It's a shitty thing to say but it will get her press and more loyalty from the fraction of society who wants to see a rich black athlete get "put in his place".

You don't need the world to love you to be successful in media. You just need to carve out a decent number of people to be loyal. O'Reilly was great as this. Ingraham is trying to follow in his footsteps. I'm just not sure if the Fox crowd wants to hear that from an unattractive blond woman. The line probably would work better for that drop dead gorgeous woman whose name I can't remember but she used to work for The Blaze.

More on topic, athletes generally should not give their opinions. They tend to be young and therefore lack wisdom that can work against them financially and their sport. They also tend not to accomplish much but create more division.
I'm not saying that they shouldn't. Just that they are easy targets for the conservative elites who prey on this kind of stuff.

 

[Richard Blonoff]

GSB is correct in saying that this is a good move for Ingrham. It will get people talking about her and tuning in to see her. Do I think she believes 100% of what she said? No, but she likely believes it to an extent. In our society you have to say outlandish and controversial stuff to get views. It's like people like Stephan A Smith and Skip Bayless exist in the sports world.

You do hear this type of argument from conservatives a lot, that athletes and entertainers need to just shut up and do their jobs. Funny how they only say this when those speaking out have the exact opposite world view of them.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

When I read the little snippet, I was about to say pretty much what GSB said, only he said it first.

First and foremost, I very much believe that her comment was strategically designed to do exactly what it's done. Her statement was designed to piss off people who're not Trump supporters or who're generally liberal in their political beliefs or leanings. It's something that Trump himself would like to say, and I'm a little surprised he's demonstrated such restraint, and just the sort of thing Trump's base absolutely loves to hear. To be completely honest, I'm surprised social media hasn't blown up accusing her of racist behavior because she's a rich, 54 year old white conservative who basically told a black man to shut up and keep his political opinions to himself.

In my opinion, neither LeBron James or Laura Ingraham is right or wrong in that they're simply doing what those with the platform to reach countless millions of people do: they state their political opinions in as inflammatory of a way as they possibly can. All they succeed in doing is get pats on the back from people who agree with them and told to eat a dick by those who don't. They're just making more noise for the sake of making noise. They don't even remotely attempt to unite people or bridge the gap between Trump supporters and detractors but, to be fair, I'm not sure that there's anyone capable of doing that. The one best suited to at least try is Trump himself but that won't happen because he gets off too much on his supporters idolizing him and he's as much of a partisan hack as any other politician in Washington.

 

[Navi]

Anyone from the guy on the street to famous athletics, actors, TV commentators, even posters on this forum are allowed to give their opinions on Trump. I mean hell the guy has made it easy enough for us to do so. Even those of us that aren't from the US.

The problem with Trump is that he isn't your normal politician, he reminds me of a carny barker that you see at a fair or circus. Trump is definitely not presidential material and just goes to prove than anyone can get elected. So he has to take the good with the bad, it's been proven that he can't take the bad and that's what makes this so sad.

I feel sorry for my friends who live in the US that they have 3 more years of this crap.

 

[Kodo Sawaki]

Dunno who she is, but yes, she is wrong. Its a free speech society, today everyone can get on social media, youtube etc and give his or her voice within some limits. Sure not everyone deserves to get that voice heard in a meaning that it has something smart and good to say, but its a free world you cant forbid them unless they are out of limits of that free speech. Telling someone to "shut up and play" isnt really constructive criticism of his opinion but rather "low blow" that doesnt really contribute in political dialog.

Now there is a big question of consequences and if you should. Its LeBron, nobody can hurt him. What if you are someone lesser? What if you are that Colin Kaepernick guy? I bet he sure wishes some other way to express his political opinion now. Plus now there is bound somebody to get butthurt either way. If he said he supported Trump someone other from far left would call him out and said the same as this women. Its tricky with political opinions these days, or even opinions in general.

 

[OYDK]

Athletes are people. Shocking I know. Just because they dribble a basketball doesn't mean they don't have political opinions and leanings. Just because they have a platform doesn't mean they should be banned from using it to push their political agenda. Especially when a President basically stands for everything they're against. If morons around the country, most of whom sound a hell of a lot more ignorant of the situation than athletes typically have, can say whatever the fuck they want, than athletes can too. I have absolutely no problem with freedom of speech. Everybody has the right to say whatever the hell they want, and society has the right to shit on those people for their garbage opinions.

If we're going to limit topics of discussion to professions, I feel sorry for garbagemen and people who shovel elephant shit for a living. I'm not surprised this random woman said what she said though. Trump supporters are generally wrong about literally everything.