Athletes were quick to rip FOX News show host Laura Ingraham for a double standard that favored New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees after telling his black counterparts in the NBA to “shut up and dribble.”
Ingraham supported Brees, saying he had a right to an opinion after the veteran quarterback said he would “never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag.” Two years ago, Ingraham told LeBron James and Kevin Durant to “shut up and dribble” after the NBA superstars offered their opinion on Donald Trump:
“He's allowed to have his views as to kneeling and what the flag means to him,” said Ingraham. “I mean, he's a person. He has some worth, I would imagine. This is beyond football, though. This is totalitarian conduct, this is Stalinist. And by the way in the streets of New Orleans — we're looking at live pictures — they're shouting ‘F Drew Brees.' That's what this moment has done to the beautiful team spirit of the New Orleans Saints.”
Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell was one of many NBA stars to hurl stones, pelting Ingraham for her double standard — as Complex Sports fused the audio from her show years ago:
Funny how the narrative changes…. https://t.co/8Nch5KTUmc
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) June 4, 2020
Milwaukee Bucks center Robin Lopez wasn't far behind on the sentiment, noting Ingraham should “shut up and listen”:
Somebody needs to tell @IngrahamAngle to Shut Up and Listen tho https://t.co/HwUMsPEveG
— Robin Lopez (@rolopez42) June 4, 2020
Golden State Warriors swingman Juan Toscano Anderson cited Ingraham's nonsensical rant as the white privilege so many African Americans have pointed to:
THIS is the privilege we speak about https://t.co/SGBS8zSOY5
— Juan Toscano Anderson (@juanonjuan10) June 4, 2020
Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma couldn't wait to rip Ingraham a new one for defending Brees while she condemned James two years ago:
Or maybe you shouldn’t listen to a racist fox news reporter who sways the world by what she says on air. The man has his own school that preaches togetherness 🤡🤡🤡🤡 https://t.co/ou5hPGZ63r
— kuz (@kylekuzma) June 4, 2020
Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox also spoke out:
Is anybody surprised??? Black basketball players “shut up and dribble”
White football player who agrees with her “he’s allowed to have is view” & “this is beyond football” and it’s so natural to them https://t.co/s7jCBjTreQ— De'Aaron Fox (@swipathefox) June 4, 2020
Ingraham's sordid diatribe is the type of clear-cut racist drumming that has been long spewed in the confines of her show.
This side-by-side video shows how a white athlete's opinion should be respected as an American, but a black athlete's opinion is better left unheard.
This same line of thinking is the one Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers has long tried to dissuade — noting that when players are “wearing the uniform, they’re seen as an athlete. When they take it off, it’s a problem.”
In Ingraham's “angle,” an athlete's opinions are welcome so long as they align with hers. Otherwise, they can “shut up and dribble.”
This isn't news to NBA players, who have long been fighting the fight against racism and pushed for equality. While the league has taken good steps in its inclusivity, Fox News and Ingraham are well behind in that race.
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