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Originally Posted by Animal Thug1539
Dude had so much game, probably one of the best players under 6'2 in the 90's...
..a damn shame what some people may hold against you because of your beliefs.
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Indeed.Originally Posted by airmaxpenny1
I wish we still had athletes with conscience who stood up for they believed in and their ideals rather than the dollar. Guys like him are the true hero's
Dikembe too
Originally Posted by red mpls
Unlike LeBron James who proclaims one of his career goals is to become the next Muhammad Ali, yet he refuses to sign a petition circulated by his teammates for Chinese divestment in Darfur due to the ongoing genocide there due to his relationship with Nike... the fact that it could hurt him financially. He wants to be like Muhammad Ali not because he was once hated by the American media and populace for his courage and integrity in speaking out against Vietnam and fearlessly standing by his religious and political convictions at a time when they were extremely unpopular. He wants to be like him because he is the most revered and respected athlete of all time NOW because of the very actions he was hated for in the 1960s and '70s. Ali never cared that his beliefs could "get him in trouble"; he embraced his power and role as a social and political critic and the power that he had due to his role as a professional athlete.Originally Posted by airmaxpenny1
I wish we still had athletes with conscience who stood up for they believed in and their ideals rather than the dollar. Guys like him are the true hero's
Dikembe too
I was watching the ESPN 30 For 30 on the Ali vs. Holmes fight and Ali's former doctor said that he asked a black man who he bet on for the fight and the cat said "Ali." When the doctor asked him why, the man replied, "Because he gave me my dignity."
There is absolutely no reason or excuse as to why athletes today are less socially aware and active than they were in the 1990s... and I'm not even sure that that's true. Jordan didn't do !+!$ for anyone, either. That may be the reason that Hodges was blackballed from the League for calling Money out for not giving back to the community or speaking on the social issues that were (and continue to) plague the black community, especially in a city like Chicago where he played for over a decade.Originally Posted by romedadude
Originally Posted by red mpls
Unlike LeBron James who proclaims one of his career goals is to become the next Muhammad Ali, yet he refuses to sign a petition circulated by his teammates for Chinese divestment in Darfur due to the ongoing genocide there due to his relationship with Nike... the fact that it could hurt him financially. He wants to be like Muhammad Ali not because he was once hated by the American media and populace for his courage and integrity in speaking out against Vietnam and fearlessly standing by his religious and political convictions at a time when they were extremely unpopular. He wants to be like him because he is the most revered and respected athlete of all time NOW because of the very actions he was hated for in the 1960s and '70s. Ali never cared that his beliefs could "get him in trouble"; he embraced his power and role as a social and political critic and the power that he had due to his role as a professional athlete.Originally Posted by airmaxpenny1
I wish we still had athletes with conscience who stood up for they believed in and their ideals rather than the dollar. Guys like him are the true hero's
Dikembe too
I was watching the ESPN 30 For 30 on the Ali vs. Holmes fight and Ali's former doctor said that he asked a black man who he bet on for the fight and the cat said "Ali." When the doctor asked him why, the man replied, "Because he gave me my dignity."
I'm not taking up for Lebron or anything, but you've got to realize we're dealing with the athletes of today. As you can see the 2010 athlete (Lebron) is different from the 1996 athlete (Abdul-Rauf). The 2010 athlete isn't as socially active or aware as the athletes of a decade ago. There are a few guys out there who are abreast when it comes to current issues, but for the most part these guys aren't trying to stand up for %!##. i
I agree 100%Originally Posted by red mpls
There is absolutely no reason or excuse as to why athletes today are less socially aware and active than they were in the 1990s... and I'm not even sure that that's true. Jordan didn't do !+!$ for anyone, either. That may be the reason that Hodges was blackballed from the League for calling Money out for not giving back to the community or speaking on the social issues that were (and continue to) plague the black community, especially in a city like Chicago where he played for over a decade.Originally Posted by romedadude
Originally Posted by red mpls
Unlike LeBron James who proclaims one of his career goals is to become the next Muhammad Ali, yet he refuses to sign a petition circulated by his teammates for Chinese divestment in Darfur due to the ongoing genocide there due to his relationship with Nike... the fact that it could hurt him financially. He wants to be like Muhammad Ali not because he was once hated by the American media and populace for his courage and integrity in speaking out against Vietnam and fearlessly standing by his religious and political convictions at a time when they were extremely unpopular. He wants to be like him because he is the most revered and respected athlete of all time NOW because of the very actions he was hated for in the 1960s and '70s. Ali never cared that his beliefs could "get him in trouble"; he embraced his power and role as a social and political critic and the power that he had due to his role as a professional athlete.Originally Posted by airmaxpenny1
I wish we still had athletes with conscience who stood up for they believed in and their ideals rather than the dollar. Guys like him are the true hero's
Dikembe too
I was watching the ESPN 30 For 30 on the Ali vs. Holmes fight and Ali's former doctor said that he asked a black man who he bet on for the fight and the cat said "Ali." When the doctor asked him why, the man replied, "Because he gave me my dignity."
I'm not taking up for Lebron or anything, but you've got to realize we're dealing with the athletes of today. As you can see the 2010 athlete (Lebron) is different from the 1996 athlete (Abdul-Rauf). The 2010 athlete isn't as socially active or aware as the athletes of a decade ago. There are a few guys out there who are abreast when it comes to current issues, but for the most part these guys aren't trying to stand up for %!##. i
Almost all of these cats are self-serving and don't give a damn about standing for anything other than a paycheck but Bron set himself up with the Ali comments so he has absolutely no one to blame but himself for any criticism he receives for basically opposing everything Ali stood for.
And I would say to that: who cares? I don't care if a star athlete doesn't stand for certain issues, or chooses not to lend their voice to an issue. You act like with this great recognition comes some social responsibility to take a stand on world issues. We get enough blowhard opinions from enough celebrities, so I don't think the world needs any more from its athletes. In the end they're all entertainers, and some use their visibility as a vehicle for their opinions. However, it doesn't matter either way whether an athlete takes a stand for anything.Originally Posted by red mpls
There is absolutely no reason or excuse as to why athletes today are less socially aware and active than they were in the 1990s... and I'm not even sure that that's true. Jordan didn't do !+!$ for anyone, either. That may be the reason that Hodges was blackballed from the League for calling Money out for not giving back to the community or speaking on the social issues that were (and continue to) plague the black community, especially in a city like Chicago where he played for over a decade.Originally Posted by romedadude
Originally Posted by red mpls
Unlike LeBron James who proclaims one of his career goals is to become the next Muhammad Ali, yet he refuses to sign a petition circulated by his teammates for Chinese divestment in Darfur due to the ongoing genocide there due to his relationship with Nike... the fact that it could hurt him financially. He wants to be like Muhammad Ali not because he was once hated by the American media and populace for his courage and integrity in speaking out against Vietnam and fearlessly standing by his religious and political convictions at a time when they were extremely unpopular. He wants to be like him because he is the most revered and respected athlete of all time NOW because of the very actions he was hated for in the 1960s and '70s. Ali never cared that his beliefs could "get him in trouble"; he embraced his power and role as a social and political critic and the power that he had due to his role as a professional athlete.Originally Posted by airmaxpenny1
I wish we still had athletes with conscience who stood up for they believed in and their ideals rather than the dollar. Guys like him are the true hero's
Dikembe too
I was watching the ESPN 30 For 30 on the Ali vs. Holmes fight and Ali's former doctor said that he asked a black man who he bet on for the fight and the cat said "Ali." When the doctor asked him why, the man replied, "Because he gave me my dignity."
I'm not taking up for Lebron or anything, but you've got to realize we're dealing with the athletes of today. As you can see the 2010 athlete (Lebron) is different from the 1996 athlete (Abdul-Rauf). The 2010 athlete isn't as socially active or aware as the athletes of a decade ago. There are a few guys out there who are abreast when it comes to current issues, but for the most part these guys aren't trying to stand up for %!##. i
Almost all of these cats are self-serving and don't give a damn about standing for anything other than a paycheck but Bron set himself up with the Ali comments so he has absolutely no one to blame but himself for any criticism he receives for basically opposing everything Ali stood for.
As far as LeBron goes, thisOriginally Posted by dmbrhs
And I would say to that: who cares? I don't care if a star athlete doesn't stand for certain issues, or chooses not to lend their voice to an issue. You act like with this great recognition comes some social responsibility to take a stand on world issues. We get enough blowhard opinions from enough celebrities, so I don't think the world needs any more from its athletes. In the end they're all entertainers, and some use their visibility as a vehicle for their opinions. However, it doesn't matter either way whether an athlete takes a stand for anything.Originally Posted by red mpls
There is absolutely no reason or excuse as to why athletes today are less socially aware and active than they were in the 1990s... and I'm not even sure that that's true. Jordan didn't do !+!$ for anyone, either. That may be the reason that Hodges was blackballed from the League for calling Money out for not giving back to the community or speaking on the social issues that were (and continue to) plague the black community, especially in a city like Chicago where he played for over a decade.
Almost all of these cats are self-serving and don't give a damn about standing for anything other than a paycheck but Bron set himself up with the Ali comments so he has absolutely no one to blame but himself for any criticism he receives for basically opposing everything Ali stood for.
As for athletes in general, I care. To whom much is given, much is expected. These cats could do so much for social justice and the empowerment and development of marginalized communities simply because of their status as athletes, entertainers, etc. gives them the combination of a platform and the influence that few other human beings possess. Due to this power and influence, I wholeheartedly believe that these individuals are obligated to use that power and influence for good.Originally Posted by DubA169
he'ssaying lebron invited the responsibility on himself because he openlysaid he wants to emulate ali. You can't have it both ways. Theres no"being like ali" and not being socially conscious.
red mpls wrote:
Imagine is LeBron James, right now, were to embark on a campaign to end sweatshops and child labor in the third world countries. Imagine LeBron telling Nike that he will refuse to wear Nike apparel until they improve the working conditions in all of the factories that manufacture Nike products. Imagine him actively speaking out against the corporation until they make substantial strides in doing so. Imagine LeBron organizing a coalition of all NBA players to do the same for all major athletic apparel companies. Imagine that movement spreading to the NFL and MLB. Imagine the pressure that Nike, upon altering its manufacturing practices, would put on its competitors to make the same improvements that it was forced into making.
LeBron James could literally change the scope of international corporate labor practices and the quality of life for millions of destitute people across the globe... IF he took a stand.
So I would argue that yes, it DOES matter.
this would be interesting depending on how far he pushed it. To be honest I think they would just drop him.
I don't know if I agree with your point that a wealthy athlete is obligated to help his people out or whatever. If I was personally in the position, I would help people out but.... I mean I just don't think you can force someone to help. They need to willingly take the platform. Who knows what issues lebron cares about? Is he prepared to take the backlash for his views, whatever they may be? I mean times are very different it's not like anyone needs him to stage a sit in. If he spoke against the wars I wonder what the reaction would be.