athletes forget that their fans watch games TO GET AWAY from societal problems---it is a big turnoff to see athletes--especially highly paid ones--take focus away from the game. Not saying they dont have a right to do so, just saying that it is not what their customers came/paid to see.
Unless you are a black fan, and support what they are doing. The NBA has long been considered a "black man's game" and its wildly apparent that what the black portion of the fan base finds tolerable and what the white portion of the fan base finds acceptable are often wildly divergent (this is fairly easily seen in the culture around the NBA and the game of basketball/streetball in general).
Its my general theory that even though blacks probably make up the majority of NFL players (certainly star players), the NFL is such an overwhelmingly QB driven league, and QB's are overwhelmingly white, the NFL has somewhat "hidden" the divergence in opinion between its white and black fan base because it has a white face to put on most of its franchises. In this particular case though, trotting Drew Brees up to the podium isn't going to sooth a lot of the white fan base that is pissed CK chose this forum, nor would it help with blacks who support CK.
I don't understand why athletes think their opinions are so GD important. Your job is to throw a ball for a living. No one gives a crap what you think about societies injustices. Do your job and keep your political opinions to yourself, and if these issues are important to you, how about doing something about it in the community? instead of disrespecting the flag and the people that have given their lives so that you can make millions playing a silly game.
In general, I don't think athletes think their opinion is all that more important than yours or mine. Famous people black and white both do realize that what they say matters more than what you or I would say. So while maybe I think Apartheid was bad and I take up a collection in church for the Mandela foundation and maybe go buy as many copies of Lethal Weapon 2 for my friends as I can afford, it becomes really apparent as a person of power that you have the ability to make something *really* visible should your heart lead you there.
Alot of these comments basically wreak of jealousy to me, that we don't have the same platform to air our views, and that basically no one cares what our view is, accordingly. And perhaps some disappointment that very few other rich people are making the opposite view known, when we can't at that level.
Edit: And its equally annoying to me when folks say something like "I'd never get away with this at work". Let's take our own advice, outcomes are not all equal. If you are unimportant enough to *NOT* get away with airing your feelings at work without much repercussion, work harder and get a job as a bigger fish somewhere else where you can. (Alternatively, find a company that values the thoughts of its Everyday Joe employees). Kind of upsets me too that a 20 year old kid with an arm can make more money than I'll make in my life and be treated like a god after sleepwalking through college, but I'm not going to begrudge them taking advantage of their circumstance because the rest of us are working stiffs with jackass bosses and companies.
