July 13, 2020

"It’s no disrespect to the list that was handed out to all the players. I commend anyone that decides to put something on the back of their jersey. It’s just something that didn’t really seriously resonate with my mission, with my goal."

Said LeBron James, quoted in "LeBron James explains why he won’t wear social justice message on jersey when NBA restarts" (WaPo).
The NBA is set to have “Black Lives Matter” painted on the sidelines of its courts at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex outside Orlando, and it will reportedly give players the option to add one of 29 social justice messages to replace their surname on the back of their jerseys.
Here's the list:
Black Lives Matter; Say Their Names; Vote; I Can't Breathe; Justice; Peace; Equality; Freedom; Enough; Power to the People; Justice Now; Say Her Name; Sí Se Puede (Yes We Can); Liberation; See Us; Hear Us; Respect Us; Love Us; Listen; Listen to Us; Stand Up; Ally; Anti-Racist; I Am A Man; Speak Up; How Many More; Group Economics; Education Reform; and Mentor.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said: "The league and the players are uniquely positioned to have a direct impact on combating systemic racism in our country, and we are committed to collective action to build a more equal and just society."

So it's a collectivity, and LeBron James is in it, but it didn't resonate with his mission.

The idea is to replace your name with a group slogan.

Speaking of collective action, what is "Group Economics"?

ADDED: I presume Silver is focused on the success of the basketball business, and that this slogans-replacing-names tactic is a defensive move, managing various demands. But he must know a great deal about the psychological rewards the audience wants from spectator sports. People have gone without watching sports for months now, and maybe they're so hungry for something in this category that they'll accept whatever is presented, but maybe they long to return to what they used to have, something that's more of an escape from politics and problems. I would think watching sports is about getting excited and mesmerized by the excellence of human individuals, grouped by teams, and representing particular cities. But I'm no expert on the psychology of spectator sports. I do think that watching sports is a completely unnecessary human activity. It would be much better to participate in sports — interact with people in real life and stay in shape. I know there's some benefit in sitting around relaxing and watching TV, but why choose sports?

153 comments:

PB said...

I won't be watching.

rhhardin said...

Hands up don't shout.

tim in vermont said...

Sneakers made in Chinese factories with barbed wire fences and watchtowers, which makes it pretty clear why they get their panties in a bunch when somebody says “All Lives Matter,” it threatens their cushy living and threatens the wealth creation opportunities for their “owners” who are now pretending that that is not what they are by calling themselves something different.

RMc said...

It's good to be king. If nearly any other NBA player had tried this, he'd be drummed out of the league forthwith.

jaydub said...

Group economics is a more palatable name for communism. Can't wait to start redistributing that nba player money and team income.

Laslo Spatula said...

If you use a different (approved) slogan than Black Lives matter, are you proclaiming that you are a racist?

Like, can a white player choose "Mentor" and not be on someone's Tsk Tsk List?

Choose wisely, comrade.

I am Laslo.

John Borell said...

China has Group Economics.

It enslaves groups of people to make products for Nike and other company.

But the NBA doesn’t care about that. Neither does LeBron.

Not as long as the checks keep coming.

The lives of ordinary Chinese who are enslaved don’t matter to LeBron. Or the NBA. The people of Hong Kong don’t matter to them either.

China is an asshole.

#FreeHongKong

Kevin said...

So it's a collectivity, and LeBron James is in it, but it didn't resonate with his mission.

We didn’t need for them to say it.

They are literally asking you to use their slogan in place of your name.

Kevin said...

Those who don’t develop a sense of individuality are doomed to the collective.

You must value your own brand to avoid covering yourself in theirs.

stevew said...

"Group Economics", no idea.

A good friend of mine is from Akron OH. His father is a long time business leader and active in the community. He knows Lebron and his family. Lebron has a long history of giving back to the community and especially to those who, like him, are growing up in less fortunate circumstances. It's not just some confusing and self-serving words on the back of a shirt. Real action, real contribution, real results.

Good for him that he has the power and position to do this. He's calling them out, subtly. Will he be spoken to? Reprimanded? Shamed?

Expat(ish) said...

Jerseys made in sweat shops. Some lives matter more than others.

#ChinaLivesMatter

#AlinskyRulesMatter

#PassThePopcorn

-XC

Ignorance is Bliss said...

"Enough" is a message I could get behind, but I'm pretty sure it would not be interpreted the way I intended

Danno said...

The mostly black NBA players should donate all of their wealth to blacks in impoverished cities, and then I may have some sympathy for the cause.

tim in vermont said...

what is "Group Economics"?

They need a symbol, something like a bundle of sticks would work. You can’t break a stick when it’s in a bundle.

Amadeus 48 said...

I’d choose “Free Markets”. Is that on the list? How about “Liberty”? No?

I guess it is “Freedom”, then.

I want “ God bless the USA” on my socks.

BillieBob Thorton said...

I won't be watching basketball or football or any other sport or program that feels the need to demonstrate how woke they are.
Stop supporting the Marxists, just stop.

rehajm said...

Group Economics is not a thing amongst economists. Maybe it's like Costco- everyone pitches in to guy in bulk?

tim in vermont said...

Turns out that the Black Lives Matter [TM-DNC] mural they have painted in front of Trump Tower is not a free speech zone.

As the group unveiled several flags, including “thin blue line” ones showing support for law enforcement, an opposing protester raced over and swiped a flagpole

It seems like wherever this BLM slogan pops up, free speech is shown the door. Probably just a coincidence.

rehajm said...

Vote. There's one we can agree on. I shall...

Jersey Fled said...

LeBron is smart enough to realize that he and group economics don't exactly go together.

rehajm said...

I thought we were an autonomous collective...

Amadeus 48 said...

Do they offer “Collectivism”? How about “Ignorance is Strength”? I like “Who, whom?” I guess “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others” is too many words. Given that it is the NBA, have they considered “Where are the white guys?”

Worker Bee said...

Group Economics - What is mine is mine. Gimme yours!

tim in vermont said...

Maybe the NBA should do something about the winner take all economics of basketball. There are lots of men who are *almost* as good as they are who can hardly make bupkis playing the game, while a tiny few, blessed by God, take all of the money that the owners can’t manage to keep.

Maybe they should donate half their salaries to pay players in the WNBA. I bet if they made more money, the sport would be less unwatchable. And what does watchability have to do with it? Its sexism, pure and simple that men would rather watch hot Canadian chicks slide stone kettles on ice than watch tall women play a sport they weren’t really built for badly.

Fritz said...

If I watched the NBA, I'd have to stop.

Enlighten-NewJersey said...

New Slogan -“Act Like It”.

TrespassersW said...

Prediction: NBA ticket sales and ratings will drop, drop, drop, as they get more and more woke, woke, woke.

I know, I'm really going out on a limb here.

Amadeus 48 said...

There is always “The East is Red”, but with the ignorance in the US media about the historical symbolism of the Red Flag and so forth, someone might take that one as support for the GOP.

Make mine “I’m true blue Tory”.

MountainMan said...

I don’t see “Free Hong Kong.”

tim maguire said...

Vetted and approved political activism. How courageous.

Darrell said...

"I took a fatal dose of fentanyl."

I didn't see that on the list.

Amadeus 48 said...

If there is one group that understands “Collective Economics”, it is sports team owners. Their only regret is that they can’t get the same deal the major NCAA football and basketball programs have: you get your labor for free.

Lebron, like Moses “Mumbles” Malone, never suffered the indignity and injustice of unrequited toil at a major university.

Kai Akker said...

The bear market in professional sports is well underway.

Mr. D said...

Uighur Lives Matter
I Can Xi Clearly Now
Hong Kong? Phooey

Nancy said...

@Amadeus48
Suggest "Four legs good, two legs bad."

Amadeus 48 said...

How about “Tell me your pronouns”? You can see why Lebron is backing away from this. It does NOT resonate with his mission, unless his mission is to get stuck in the metaphoric LaBrea Tar Pits of contemporary Wokedom.

Can’t LeBron just eat his waffle?

Marcus Bressler said...

I haven't watched the NBA since Larry Bird retired. No interest in a game that is uninteresting until the final few minutes. Their woke asses, along with the Chinese Virus impact, makes me hope they (as well as the NFL and US Women's Soccer Team) go under.
Sports with these spoiled millionaires (and racists like James) are not appealing as they once were. I frequent the Ale House chain here in Florida and it seems with the 24 TVs going at once, who can concentrate on one game (no sound on, of course). There are those fans who enjoy the camaraderie of watching a favorite team; more power to them. I watch one NFL game a year: the Super Bowl at a sober SB party. But even the woke commercials make me want to quit that activity. With the lockdown and Phase one restrictions combined with the absence of sports on TV, the sports bars in South Florida have minimal clients.

THEOLDMAN

My daughter came over to clean my condo once a little too soon and discovered a THOT in my bed. She told me that she thought I had better taste: "Dad, she looks like she could be Larry Bird's daughter". Ouch

wendybar said...

It's stupid, and it is turning off any fan that is left.... Grow the hell up, and earn those millions instead of acting like little children. They are the MOST privileged people in America.

AllenS said...

"I be black" has a nice ring to it.

vermonter said...

Generally haven't watched, don't intend to start.

Amadeus 48 said...

The NBA will not do well as a people’s collective. Some of those players’ contracts are going to have to go. They are not very equal, are they? Where’s my bling?

This seems like a plot by the bosses to get their payrolls down. If the Venezuelan government can take over the country’s oil fields and reduce production by over two-thirds through bad management, the NBA is capable of reducing its money machine to a dribble through Woke-iness.

Anything is possible in this day and age.

MartyH said...

“I can’t breathe” will be popular with teams visiting Denver.

tds said...

Seems quite totalitarian, that people get a list of allowed political causes to choose from.

Owen said...

“Get Woke, Go Broke”

Amadeus 48 said...

AllenS—

Should that be “I be black and I being Black”? I remember there was some Ebonics point about the importance of “be” versus “being”.

Kai Akker said...


"a game that is uninteresting until the final few minutes." [Marcus]

Which themselves are ruined by endless timeouts and fouls. It's amazing that even a few drops of drama survive the tedious strategies designed to eliminate all of the sport from the game.

D.D. Driver said...

"Stop supporting the Marxists, just stop."

Marxists? The NBA? Exploiting civil unrest to sell special edition alternate jerseys. There bad names to call the NBA suits, but "Marxist" doesn't seem to fit.

Darrell said...

bes or bees, is the correct form.

My name goes here. said...

How long until a player rents out the back of their uniform? For $20,000 a game you can have your choice of slogan.

Other ways this can go horribly wrong for the NBA, are the slogans we all want to see:
Free Hong Kong
Your sneakers are made by slaves
Better than LeBron
I believe Juanita Broaderrick
Keep the carried interest rule
Hands up dont shoot was a lie

Kevin said...

The NBA is set to have “Black Lives Matter” painted on the sidelines of its courts at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex outside Orlando, and it will reportedly give players the option to add one of 29 social justice messages to replace their surname on the back of their jerseys.

I do hope Crack is enjoying his reparations.

Sydney said...

Le Bron James has a lot invested in the Akron community, both in money and reputation. He has done a lot to give a leg up to kids from the inner city, including a school that is like a charter school but working closely with the city. He doesn’t want to destroy all that for some empty virtue signaling.

Expat(ish) said...

Kunta Kinte!

-XC

Howard said...

rhhardin: the bball cliche is "hand down, man down" credited to Mark Jackson, Reseda Theatre evangelical preacherman, #1 ESPN color commenter and former Golden State Warriors coach.

Howard said...

You peoples White Fragility is showing.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Silver is a weird dude. Seeing Roger Goodell mismanage the NFL into near-oblivion with kaeperninsanity he apparently yelled “hold my Tsingtao!” Well here’s a heads up. No one joined your god damned collective to support and defend China and Marxist social movements, they came to the NBA to play a fucking game. You’re in the ENTERTAINMENT business Mr. Silver, not the social justice business. So when you’re not kneeling to China and your slavemasters at Nike you’ll be shilling for racists at home and passing away the audience that built your league. Helluva business plan. Hope you don’t expect to go on making millions doing it.

tds said...

I think it's a nonsense to read writers of world-caliber. One should just write oneself, improving skills, or at most read writings of people who show up at one's birthday parties.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Nothing says “down for the struggle” like doorstop-stupid millionaires, miseducated in marxist colleges, pretending to be in a people’s collective while wearing gear produced by actual slaves in a real collective, all while bouncing a ball in an empty arena practicing ritualized combat between two ad-hoc armies with pretend affiliation to a city-state that outbid other entities to purchase their services, often heavily subsidized by the poor working people unfortunate enough to live within an hour of their empty stadium.

Who is the audience for that?

Browndog said...

Toronto Raptors show up in Black Lives Matter buses: Silence is not an option

communist fist on practice jerseys

I think the communist fist is the new NBA logo

Johnathan Birks said...

"Free Hong Kong" is not on the approved list. I wonder why.

I do disagree that sports is not important to society, but I'm fucking done with the NBA.

MartyH said...

I’d hate to be doing the play by play when Freedom dunks on Black Lives Matter. Tweeting “All Lives Matter“ already got one long time NBA announcer fired.

Big Mike said...

The Trailblazers could wear “Free Dawit Kelete.”

Kristen said...

How did the slogan "I am a man" make it on the list? I'd think that would glorify toxic masculinity, or heteronormativity, or binary genders, or be transphobic, or something. All I know is, according to their rules, biological men aren't to be celebrated under any circumstances. That message has been part of the SJW manifesto for a decade.

Tom T. said...

I'm guessing that a big part of LeBron's mission is selling jerseys with his own name on them.

Gahrie said...

1)By including the phrase "I can't breath" the NBA is supporting a racist lie designed to inflame the passion of, and emotionally manipulate Black people.

2) I wish the NBA was 1/10th as critical as the Communists in China as there are of the United States.

3) Looks like the NBA and NFL are dead to me. What say you baseball?

Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...

“Hands up, block shot” makes more sense.

stevew said...

Too bad World B. Free isn't still playing.

Nichevo said...

AA: but why choose sports?


tds said...
I think it's a nonsense to read writers of world-caliber. One should just write oneself, improving skills, or at most read writings of people who show up at one's birthday parties.


Ann, can we all just recognize and understand that you have nothing for anything outside yourself? I mean, I don't have that much respect for your intelligence, but are you really not able to articulate a hypothetical reason why other people might have this interest?




"They are literally asking you to use their slogan in place of your name."

Wokie...Orange Man Bad!
Wokie, Orange Man Bad!
They've given you a slogan
And taken 'way your name!




wild chicken said...

1)By including the phrase "I can't breath" the NBA

Hey hey hey they ARE spelling "breathe" right this time around.

Respect.

Michael said...

All because a drug addled criminal is accidentally killed by a cop. Oh and tear down statues. And loot.

wildswan said...

Empty stadiums, sloganeering. I can see that top sports execs don't know what fun is. I am impatient to see what fans make of covid-wokie sports 2020. I think the camel is down to three straws but what do I know.

Leland said...

I didn't watch the NBA previously. I'm not feeling a desire to watch the summer league now.

Static Ping said...

I see "UYGHURS" and "FREE HONG KONG" did not make the list.

Sebastian said...

"Say Their Names"

Why not just: Beth Potter and Robin Carre.

Even Althouse might watch in that case.

henge2243 said...

I was hoping to see "Freedom" and "Liberty" on that list.

Go die in a fire NBA.

MadisonMan said...

Kudos for bringing back "I am a Man" from the 1950s. I wonder how many SJWs can link it to Memphis?

Tim said...

"Free Hong Kong"

Big Mike said...

The thought crosses my mind that if you need to have a sign on your shirt proclaiming “I Am A Man,” then you really aren’t one.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

I do think that watching sports is a completely unnecessary human activity. It would be much better to participate in sports ...

If should consider that sports teams competing against each other and historically consisting of men....is really a substitute for actual war and combat. A less bloody and safer way to assert dominance over the "other".

Sports and mock combat was a tribal and ancient way to show just 'who is who', without everyone getting killed.

Watching sports is a much better activity than actual war.

Francisco D said...

I hate to be the cynic here, but Lebron's motives here are financial. He does not want to alienate White fans whose support he needs to become a billionaire after he retires.

He is always trying to match Michael and failing.

campy said...

Nice of Power to provide a list of the Truths brave resistors are permitted to Speak to it.

Fernandinande said...

I already boycott the nba out of disinterest, so I can't boycott them for their anti-white racism. Oh well.

Here, finally and apparently, is a case of an innocent black guy killed by the police, or by the police-associated "medic" who gave him an overdose of ketamine.

There were about 6 police cars on site to deal with a 5'6", 140 pound nerd.

Funny how all the police body-cameras "fell off" and recorded a lawn or the night sky.

gilbar said...

Is it interesting, that ALL LIVES MATTER is NOT an optional phrase?
You know, the phrase that, if you say it: You'll be SHOT?

Think about it.
I'm not saying that you can't replace BLACK LIVES MATTER of your jersey with it
I'm saying that you Can't have it along side

If you say: BLACK LIVES MATTER... ALL LIVES MATTER; you'll be SHOT
Indiana woman shot dead after saying ‘all lives matter'

James L. Salmon said...

When will Lebron James - and other despicable CCP but kissers - be asked about the young mother cancelled forever (aka shot dead) by a BLM nutter for saying, "all lives matter"? Or maybe ask about the ACTUAL use of ACTUAL slaves by the CCP to prop up their failing economy. Today's media is worse / more useless than our politicians and THAT is a low bar.

gilbar said...

VIOLENT GROUND ACQUISITION GAMES SUCH AS FOOTBALL ARE A CRYPTO-FASCIST METAPHOR FOR NUCLEAR WAR

rcocean said...

Fuck the NBA. They are in bed with the Chi-coms. And what can be more absurd than billionaire owners combining with millionaire players to "fight the power"?

I did a quick analysis of the NBA draft last 4 years, Top 30 per year, or 120 players in total. Found - on average - 3 American white players, 1 American Hispanic/Asian out of 30 top draft picks per year. And about 6 foreigners out of 30, per year. The NBA does NOT look like America. Not in its players - and not in its owners.

The should call themselves the "International-Chicom Basketball Association". Or perhaps "The SJW Black Man's League"

mikee said...

What? I didn't see Free Tibet; Free Hong Kong; China is Asshole; Taiwan Stay Free. Nor did I see "Make America Great Again" or "It's Morning in America" or "Tear Down That Wall." And the last one would have been wonderfully ambiguous.

Heck, I'd have settled for "Gallifrey Falls No More" as a simple non-leftist item.

rcocean said...

Synder has decided to ditch "Redskins". I hope he still honors the native Americans by calling them the Indians or perhaps he can use the name of a tribe near DC. At worst he can rename the "Washington Warriors". The Cleveland Indians and KC Chiefs are considering name changes which has to be the most absurd thing ever. One can argue about the label "Redskins" - but how Indians, Chiefs, or Braves is somehow insulting is insane.

Ray - SoCal said...

Interesting this is not getting more coverage...

Young mother, 24, is shot dead in front of her fiancé after saying "all lives matter" during an argument with Black Lives Matter supporters - Daily Mail. This happened a week ago.

Fiancee was Hispanic. Lady was White. Shooter my guess was Black. So perhaps, this NBA idea of woke statements won't play well with Hispanics?

madAsHell said...

I think NBA commissioner Silver has just revealed a profound lack of leadership. What a putz!!

How's he going to keep "Kill Whitey" off the backs of the jerseys? It's not an approved message? Why not queer boy?

rcocean said...

Someone said Silver is a weird dude. Well, its certainly looks weird, like someone dug up a corpse and brought it back to life. Anyway, people need to understand that the NBA is getting a lot of its audience from Overseas. Like Hollywood, it no longer considers itself an American operation, but a Global business. IRC, almost 20 million Chinese watched the NBA finals. Not only that, but look for West Africans to start having a much bigger impact on the league. We're already getting Sudanese like Minute Bol and his son, but we're seeing more and more Africans going to France/wherever or directly to the USA and then ending up in the NBA.

ITs not only going to be an African American league its going to also be a West African league.

rcocean said...

I will excise my freedom of speech by using a management approved slogan.

Jersey Fled said...

I used to watch NBA basketball quite a bit, but have been tapering off for a year or two now. I just don't need a 100 decibel rap music soundtrack with my basketball game. Which is pretty much what you get with every game now.

I'm actually looking forward to the upcoming games with no fans in the stands and no over produced soundtracks.

Wince said...

The NBA and its players association have reportedly agreed on social justice messages that can be displayed on the back of jerseys.

Although state action is not directly implicated:

Disallowing taking a knee is a time, manner restriction.

This is actual viewpoint discrimination.

Tommy Duncan said...

If you like to watch tall, athletic black men in short pants take bad shots at the end of the 24 second clock, the NBA is for you. If you enjoy watching a for-profit sports league pander to the woke by putting social justice labels on the backs of selfish millionaire minorities, the NBA is for you. If your wardrobe features very expensive and impractical basketball shoes made with slave labor in China, the NBA is definitely for you.

Todd said...

I am sure that all this "wokeness" will do wonders for their bottom line!

So, when the revenues start to tank, will we all be subject to PSAs about how we MUST support the new woke NBA or we are all (again) racists?

Not sure about the "rest of the world" but I prefer my entertainment (and that is all this is, is entertainment) without the side dish of "woke".

Richard said...

What I want to know is when are they going to address the systemic racism in professional basketball?

Birches said...

When even Lebron recognizes your virtue signaling is lame...

TrespassersW said...

Howard said...
You peoples White Fragility is showing.

"White fragility" is a fashionable ad hominem.

Kay said...

How can we americans ever expect to fix america when there’s so much wrong with china that needs to be fixed as well?

n.n said...

Rape... or is rape-rape culture?

Some, select, Black Lives Matter. Throw another baby on the barbie, it's over.

Michael K said...

Fiancee was Hispanic. Lady was White. Shooter my guess was Black. So perhaps, this NBA idea of woke statements won't play well with Hispanics?

I wonder how long before the DNC realizes this is not going over with Hispanics? The Democrats spent a decade importing these new voters and now they are boycotting Hispanic food and killing young Hispanic women.

Hispanics and blacks have been rivals for a long time. Burning down the San Gabriel Mission, for example. Not many Hispanic Muslims.

I have never been interested in watching basketball, at least since college.

n.n said...

when somebody says “All Lives Matter,” it threatens their cushy living and threatens the wealth

Yes, the diversity racket. Also, some, select, Black Lives Matter is a movement of Progressive sects, and for them "All Lives Matter", and its corollary "Baby Lives Matter", are, in fact, offensive, a "burden" h/t Obama, and trigger cognitive dissonance. Choices matter.

Black hole... whore. h/t NAACP

Joe Smith said...

How about "Thank You White People..."

...for inventing basketball in the first place and for owning the teams and the league that monetized a kids sport so that adult, black men could become gazillionaires without even going to college (looking at you, Lebron).

Just remember, Lebron never so much as took a sociology 101 class in college. That doesn't necessarily make him stupid, but it does make him uninformed. I wouldn't be taking advice on race, history, economics, foreign relations, etc. from the man.

Richard Dolan said...

The slogans are mostly associated with the Dems, basically a slightly coded list of their talking points. So the algorithms must be telling them (owners + players + advertisers) that they will gain more than they will lose by doing this. It's also what they want to be true. So in a 50/50 country, is it science or just bias confirmation?

Stay tuned.

rcocean said...

"I do think that watching sports is a completely unnecessary human activity."

Of course. You're a woman AND love the arts. So, of course you would think that. Almost every society has "Sports" and watches them. The Greeks were holding the Olympics 2500 years ago. I have nothing against watching sports, there's no reason a healthy, vigorous man can't do that instead of watching some TV show or going to a concert/film.

But Pro Sports, American Pro Sports, have become completely corrupt and nasty and they don't get one cent from me. True sports consist of someone representing your community playing someone else, or an individual competing by himself. Pro Team sports are fake, they create an illusion that they are representing the community on their jersey, but its just a rich man trying to get more rich. Its a business.

rcocean said...

The NBA is a very weird league. The fans at the games are almost 80% white, yet the TV ratings are very low, and are split racially. The NBA get massive ratings the 13% of USA labeled black Americans, but does poorly with the rest of America. About as well as Hockey in the regular season.

hawkeyedjb said...

These slogans have been approved by the Communist Party of China, which is the ultimate arbiter of what NBA-affiliated persons are allowed to say.

William said...

Apropos of nothing: I don't much follow sports anymore, but back in the fifties I was a big Yankees' fan. Giants walked the earth in those days. I had a lot of hero worship for Mickey Mantle. He looked and played the part. The mantle of greatness was visible in his home run swing. But there were others on the same team who were heroes in other dimensions than ball games. Yogi Berra ran the landing craft on D-Day. Hank Bauer was a platoon sergeant in the Pacific with the Marines. The platoon he was with had 64 men. Six survived on Okinawa. Bauer won three bronze stars and lots of Purple Hearts. Growing up, Bauer wore clothes made of old flour sacks. He played before the big bucks. When he was asked if he had any regrets about any of this, he said that he knew too many men who never came back to consider himself anything but fortunate....Both Berra and Bauer were the children of immigrants whose parents' country was on the other side. They never admitted to any divided loyalties about fighting for their country.....But Mickey Mantle was the big hero. Mantle got as drunk as possible as often as possible. He used his fame to score women but wasn't above hiring hookers....Mickey Mantle is in the Hall of Fame. I wonder if any here have ever heard of Hank Bauer.....That's the way it goes. I suppose there's a moral to this somewhere.

effinayright said...

They could quote from MLK's famous speech:

"Dayum!! I be DREAMIN'!!"

Sam L. said...

Never cared for Basketball. Don't care now; don't expect to ever do so.

Yancey Ward said...

I would interpret this as James very subtly telling everyone that the NBA and its players are hurting their brand.

I will make a prediction- viewership for the NBA playoffs will crater, as will the NFL, and maybe even baseball.

I had already stopped watching most sporting events years ago. I had continued to watch college basketball up until my father developed dementia around 2016 and no longer enjoyed it himself. I don't miss it, and I suspect a good part of the viewership has learned that they don't need professional sports either during the 4 months forced hiatus. Regaining that viewership may turn out to be problematic even if nothing else had changed, but having politics thrown in your face in this manner is probably going to alienate a majority of the actual viewers.

PM said...

If the horses won't run with a saddle, the track owner allows bareback.
Ees fondamental.

Gahrie said...

How can we americans ever expect to fix america when there’s so much wrong with china that needs to be fixed as well?

Bet you weren't saying that shit about apartheid in South Africa.

Joe Smith said...

"I do hope Crack is enjoying his reparations."

So you're saying the practice of having black people in every single TV commercial and show isn't working out?

Big Mike said...

The thought crosses my mind that if you need to have a sign on your shirt proclaiming “I Am A Man,” then you really aren’t one.

Big Mike said...

The thought crosses my mind that if you need to have a sign on your shirt proclaiming “I Am A Man,” then you really aren’t one.

Big Mike said...

Maybe some of the white players could go with “I Identify as Black.”

Earnest Prole said...

LeBron James’ mission, his goal, is to own an NBA expansion team in China and eventually be the first billionaire former NBA player.

Jupiter said...

"bes or bees, is the correct form".

I believe the correct form is now "B's".

hombre said...

Yes, the corruption of sporting events in the furtherance of political causes by black millionaire athletes is certain to enhance race relations.

D.D. Driver said...

"Young mother, 24, is shot dead in front of her fiancé after saying "all lives matter" during an argument with Black Lives Matter supporters - Daily Mail. This happened a week ago."

This is one where the headline and the actual facts tell two different stories. To be more accurate and precise, she was shot because she was caught between two groups of people that were shooting guns at each other. It doesn't seem like she was even the target of the shooting or that the shooting was in response to her all live matter comment.

Gk1 said...

All of the NBA, NFL & NHL (with few exceptions)rely on stadiums and Arenas paid for through public bond issues. They better plan on paying for those themselves going forward as they have pissed off half of the country.

They have also have painted a nice juicy target on their back for all of the tax breaks they currently enjoy for corporate suites and club seating. Lets see what happens once you take away those write offs. Once you enter into the political arena and lose bi-partisan cover you are kinda fucked.

I see Senator Hawley is already calling on the NBA to have a hearing on Chinese CCP influence in the NBA. Bet they never dreamed of that happening!

hombre said...

D.D. Driver: “This is one where the headline and the actual facts tell two different stories. To be more accurate and precise, she was shot because she was caught between two groups of people that were shooting guns at each other. It doesn't seem like she was even the target of the shooting or that the shooting was in response to her all live matter comment.”

A DuckDuckGo search produces more than a dozen hits confirming the original headline and none that support your version. Please document.

Michael K said...

Regaining that viewership may turn out to be problematic even if nothing else had changed, but having politics thrown in your face in this manner is probably going to alienate a majority of the actual viewers.

Both professional basketball and football are majority black teams. I have a feeling that blacks don't buy most of the season tickets. They will probably be most of the remaining TV audience. I wonder how that will pencil out in advertiser negotiations ?
Will China make up for the loss of white audience here ? I dunno.

donald said...

I have lost any and all interest in major league sports. 6 months ago it was impossible to even consider that happening to me. We’ll know if it took when the Braves start back. I haven’t heard to much insanely crazy shot coming out of mlb. So just maybe. Otherwise, I gotta get back behind the plate. Being ON a baseball field is still the best thing I ever do for myself.

Achilles said...

List of things not listed:

Free Hong Kong
Freedom
Nike uses slaves to make shoes

RobinGoodfellow said...

“Blogger rehajm said...
I thought we were an autonomous collective... “

You're fooling yourself! We're living in a dictatorship! A self-perpetuating autocracy in which the working classes--

Birkel said...

Another professional sport to ignore?
Where will I find the time?

Big Mike said...

I do think that watching sports is a completely unnecessary human activity.

Others might say that about taking pictures of sunrises and flowers. And frogs. As we do not live in a collective, people are free to choose whether to watch sports or take pictures of flowers or read romance novels or paint water lilies or use their liesure time doing whatever pleases them.

Ken B said...

Disallowed: Nike uses slaves, Uighurs are in camps, Hong Kong crushed, Free Tibet

Jim at said...

Ming James would be a nice touch.

Francisco D said...

Earnest Prole said...LeBron James’ mission, his goal, is to own an NBA expansion team in China and eventually be the first billionaire former NBA player.

Too late.

Lebron wants to outdo Michael Jordan, but Mike is already a billionaire. Mike will always be the better basketball player as well.

At least Lebron listens to his advisors who told him to "Be like Mike". Remember when MJ took crap for refusing to endorse Harvey Gant against Jesse Helms in the NC Senate race? Mike famously said, "Republicans buy sneakers too".

DarkHelmet said...

Two coinciding force:

1) no sports on TV for months makes me realize I can live quite happily without it. I have better things to do.
2) the leagues and their players actively annoy me with their woke nonsense

Result: cancelled my TV package, saving a lot of money, have more time to do fun and productive things.

It's like a miracle.

Bruce Hayden said...

“ I wonder how long before the DNC realizes this is not going over with Hispanics? The Democrats spent a decade importing these new voters and now they are boycotting Hispanic food and killing young Hispanic women.

“Hispanics and blacks have been rivals for a long time. Burning down the San Gabriel Mission, for example. Not many Hispanic Muslims.”

This could be very big. That mission is apparently 249 years old, which puts it a couple years older than our Declaration of Independence. It was started by the Spanish almost a century before gringos stole California from Mexico.

I was raised a Calvinist, so believe that religious statuary is idolatry. But most Hispanics are Roman Catholic, and they don’t. If you live around Hispanics a bit (and esp if you were raised Calvinist) you see religious statuary all over the place. On the dashboard in their cars, in small shrines in their houses, etc. Religious candles showing either Jesus or Madonna and Child filling up half an isle at Dollar Tree, etc. And BLM protesters apparently just burned a statue of the Madonna.

Kay said...

Gahrie said...
How can we americans ever expect to fix america when there’s so much wrong with china that needs to be fixed as well?

Bet you weren't saying that shit about apartheid in South Africa.
7/13/20, 10:45 AM


Lol, if only you knew how old I was when apartheid was happening and ended you’d think twice about taking that bet.

Bruce Hayden said...

“I wonder how long before the DNC realizes this is not going over with Hispanics? The Democrats spent a decade importing these new voters and now they are boycotting Hispanic food and killing young Hispanic women.”

The boycott isn’t going that well. The Goya food boycott has turned into a buycott, where conservatives are stripping the shelves of Goya products, and then contributing it to food banks.

svlc said...

I stopped watching NBA games after the HK nonsense. I guess I will miss all their wokeness. TBSS.

Michael K said...

That mission is apparently 249 years old, which puts it a couple years older than our Declaration of Independence. It was started by the Spanish almost a century before gringos stole California from Mexico.

Young well off Mexican women go to that area for education, I don't know if it associated with the mission or another school but it was very common for them to be educated there.

When I was in high school, I had a friend from Yucatan who went to Culver Military Academy. Lots of Mexican upper class educated in the US. When I was in Boston as a medical student my wife met a young woman from Monterrey whose husband was a resident at Boston Childrens' She could not speak English so they got along in French.

rcocean said...

They need to change one of the slogans to:

"I can't breathe or win"

And add a new one:

"I'd rather be kneeling".

rcocean said...

"I would interpret this as James very subtly telling everyone that the NBA and its players are hurting their brand."

THere is zero evidence that Lebron James is subtle or smart. Cf: support for ESPN's WoJO telling Republican Senator "Fuck You".

rcocean said...

"Doesn't the NBA/NFL/MLB understand that.....?"


Yes, they DO understand. If you thought of it, they did too. They're smart people who spend 24/7/365 thinking of how to make $$ for their league. Try another possibility.

Ray - SoCal said...

The LA Times article on the SG Mission was horrible, very hateful.

I just drove past the Mission a week ago with my daughter. There is a really good Boba place up the street.

Ray - SoCal said...

Link please to show the source of the facts...

Both linked stories above, showed she was part of the “all lives group” and they were ambushed. My guess is the All Lives Group, 4 people were mostly Hispanic. Her fiancée, Hispanic, was quoted as firing a gun. No information on the ethnicity of the other group.

Blogger D.D. Driver said...This is one where the headline and the actual facts tell two different stories. To be more accurate and precise, she was shot because she was caught between two groups of people that were shooting guns at each other. It doesn't seem like she was even the target of the shooting or that the shooting was in response to her all live matter comment.

Bunkypotatohead said...

Aybody poda hep

Krumhorn said...

If I'm a center, I would choose, "Hands Up! Don't shoot"

- Krumhorn

Anga2010 said...

But who else, besides you, wouldn't be eager to witness the human drama of athletic competition; the thrill of victory; the agony of defeat?

Michael K said...

I don't know if it associated with the mission or another school but it was very common for them to be educated there.

My wife, who attended Mass at the Mission many times, told me it was "The Ramona Convent."

Oso Negro said...

"from each according to his ability, to each according to his need"

Jason said...

“Free Hong Kong” or GTFO.

D.D. Driver said...

"A DuckDuckGo search produces more than a dozen hits confirming the original headline and none that support your version. Please document."

So the headline is designed to make you think there is some causal connection between the two events. As if, Lady says "All Lives Matter." And, then in response, Murderer says "that makes me so mad that I will kill you!"

What reportedly happened was that: (1) someone said the n-word; (2) a shouting match ensued and someone said "black lives matter"; (3) in response someone said "all lives matter"; (4) both groups pull guns on each other; (5) they defuse the situation and walk away; (6) the one group ambushes the other from a distance and a gunfight ensues; and (7) they shoot and kill the all lives matter lady during the gunfight.

Now, I've seen enough Forensic Files to always be suspicious of the boyfriend.

But, even if we take everything at face value--and we should not--I think things went sideways when two groups of angry people pulled guns on each other. Maybe, it was set in motion when someone said (or was accused of) saying the n-word. Don't know. But, what I do know is that people are not getting murdered in the street for saying "all lives matter."

Douglas B. Levene said...

How about "Communism Sucks," would that be an OK message for an NBA player to wear?

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Hong Kong Be Free

Marcus Bressler said...

NBA Message: "My Nigga"

All the junior high white bois I know would order one.

THEOLDMAN