OT: Brooklyn Nets suspend Kyrie Irving for at least 5 games
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34942326/nets-suspend-kyrie-irving-least-five-games-pay
"We were dismayed today, when given an opportunity in a media session, that Kyrie refused to unequivocally say he has no antisemitic beliefs, nor acknowledge specific hateful material in the film. This was not the first time he had the opportunity -- but failed -- to clarify," the Nets said in a statement.
"Such failure to disavow antisemitism when given a clear opportunity to do so is deeply disturbing, is against the values of our organization, and constitutes conduct detrimental to the team. Accordingly, we are of the view that he is currently unfit to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets."
Better late than never to punish antisemitism
November 3rd, 2022 at 9:16 PM ^
I certainly am not for cancel-culture..... but that was a dumbass move by Irving. WTF? That video and the book it came from is the epitome of antisemitic hate. Fuck Kyrie and any other history deniers.
November 3rd, 2022 at 9:19 PM ^
This isn't "cancel culture" it's called consequences for his actions.
November 3rd, 2022 at 9:43 PM ^
Every action shall have an equal and opposite reaction.
November 4th, 2022 at 6:59 AM ^
Correct. When I think of “cancel culture” I think of situations where people dig up decade old tweets, especially by people like comedians. The best example was Kevin Hart being canceled for a joke he as a comedian made in 2011 as a reason he shouldn’t host the Oscar’s a decade later.
November 3rd, 2022 at 9:20 PM ^
When you say "Cancel Culture", are you referring to facing consequences for saying or doing dumb, racist, and dangerous shit.
This isn't new.
November 3rd, 2022 at 9:32 PM ^
Freedom of speech doesn’t mean freedom from consequences.
November 3rd, 2022 at 10:29 PM ^
Exactly.
And, unfortunately, we live in an era where experts and the educated are no longer valued.
Anyone with a large platform or audience can control information and narratives now, and it's frightening how many morons on social media believe they are "experts" on issues because they watched a documentary.
November 3rd, 2022 at 10:41 PM ^
And the most annoying aspect of Kyrie is his lack of self awareness and presumption that he has the answers simply because he is curious and "researching". If your sources are shit, your information is shit.
Further, he seems to take a bunch of shortcuts in educating himself. He talks about trying to learn about his heritage, the black semites, African American history, etc. These are interesting topics and i could see why they would be important to him in searching for identity.
Yet how many trips has he taken to Africa ( Ethiopia, Egypt) , Israel, Greece, Rome, etc, etc to learn about history first hand? He's a faux intellectual.
November 4th, 2022 at 2:38 AM ^
Kyrie thinks the world is flat too...
November 4th, 2022 at 8:13 AM ^
So many troublesome faux intellectuals out there, Aaron rodgers, Elon musk, Joe Rogan, Kanye
November 4th, 2022 at 9:16 AM ^
Kyrie also said something to the effect that he's thankful for his platform to share knowledge and encourage an "open dialogue" to learn more and grow yada yada yada.
Then, when pushed on him promoting anti-semitism he responded with "why do you think people listen to me? I don't have that much influence."
He's just not self-aware or an idiot or both.
November 4th, 2022 at 10:59 AM ^
He obviously did not go to play school at Duke....
November 4th, 2022 at 9:12 AM ^
It is crazy, and something to teach out kids, no matter what side of the isle you are on.
I made sure to tell my son and daughter, if you want advice on how to play basketball, listen long and hard to Lebron James. If you want advice on how to be an amazing actress, drink deep from the words of Meryl Streep. If you want political information, maybe don't have your main sources be someone who gets paid to put a ball in a cylinder or someone who plays "pretend" for a living.
November 4th, 2022 at 11:38 AM ^
I don't mind an athlete sharing their political views as long as its informed. Doesn't mean we need to listen to it or share that same belief, but free country and all that.
But what I hate, and I mean absolutely HATE, is when media outlets will tell some athletes who clearly align one way to shut up and dribble, but when you have another athlete who may be more in line with what said media outlet's agenda, "Hey, give the guy a break, its a free country, let him talk and stop harassing him."
I get it, its part of today's game in the media, but I still just absolutely hate it.
November 3rd, 2022 at 11:26 PM ^
Sorry to be pedantic, but freedom of speech *does* mean freedom from consequences, but from the government. Everyone else is free to react how they want.
November 4th, 2022 at 10:16 AM ^
Exactly. So many folks don’t understand this. The government can’t suppress your speech but try calling your boss an assh*le to their face and see where the First Amendment gets you.
November 3rd, 2022 at 10:57 PM ^
Bad take. He should know better.
November 4th, 2022 at 2:39 AM ^
99% of the time someone decries cancel culture its just some asshat being held accountable for their shitty actions. Cancel culture ain't a real thing. It's just another 'fake news' battle cry for deplorables.
November 4th, 2022 at 8:18 AM ^
It is very much a real thing. Irving was far out of line here and people are exercising their right to reject his views, but our culture is dealing with a significant “mob mentality” problem right now. It is the wrong assumption that the mob will always or even most often be virtuous. Your use of “deplorables” here is exhibit A.
Frankly I think this thread should be nuked by now. Seeing an awful lot of hate in this thread for a thread ostensibly about rejecting hate.
November 4th, 2022 at 3:50 PM ^
A lot of people speaking out against a very hateful and ignorant voice (that has a lot of undeserved influence) is mob mentality? I think it's people who care about this country not wanting to see it ceded to a bunch of people who are bigoted, hateful, and have never read a history book in their lives.
November 4th, 2022 at 5:06 PM ^
Yes, when “speaking out” against something becomes hate of its own, it’s every bit as toxic. Some of the “deplorables” talk on here and “hateful conservatives” talk. What? Somehow Kyrie Irving speaks for them? Huh? And there is a fair share of “shut up and dribble” in this thread, though not in so many words. That’s patently bigoted stuff. None of it is “better” than the other.
November 4th, 2022 at 8:14 PM ^
I think you're conflating two things -- actual anti-semitism and political rhetoric, the sniping at each other that Democrats and Republicans are doing right now. If you're distracted by the few who use dumb words to denigrate your political views, I think you're missing the point here.
November 5th, 2022 at 8:32 AM ^
If it was typical “political sniping” I would concur. But people using other peoples political beliefs to categorize them as “deplorable” is not banter, it is hate, plain and simple. A lot of people, not just Jewish people, are being demonized right now and if a person really opposes “hate,” it would all be condemned. Otherwise it is just hypocrisy and being part of the problem.
November 9th, 2022 at 8:45 PM ^
A lot of people deserve the hate, and thats why its not cancel culture, its called repercussions for being an asshole. Anti-semitic? You are deplorable and deserve it. Racist? Same. Sex criminal? Same. Etc. etc. It's not my fault that all those people are glorified by republicans.
November 4th, 2022 at 9:15 AM ^
Bill Maher and Dave Chappelle, aren't "Deplorables" and they 100% tell you Cancel Culture is real. They are both very much Democrats and Left leaning too.
November 4th, 2022 at 11:08 AM ^
So you think a guy having a show on HBO has been cancelled?
I'd love for you to say that out loud to yourself and stop when you realize how inane what you're claiming is.
And Bill Maher is a cut and dry centrist liberal, which is in no way left-leaning.
November 4th, 2022 at 3:51 PM ^
I think he has a libertarian bent that's colored by his own myopic lens. He thinks that what happens in his life is what happens in everyone's life.
November 4th, 2022 at 4:38 PM ^
Cancel culture is just another churned up moral panic to divert the attention of the 99.9999% of people who it will never affect from the real grievances they should have
November 4th, 2022 at 8:17 PM ^
Of course. It's a great set of words: alliterative, sounds horrendous and threatening, easy to remember. It's perfect for political messaging.
December 1st, 2022 at 12:20 AM ^
Chappelle is a 💯 gay and Trans bashing fool. And has been forever.
He thinks that he was "canceled " when he quit his own show as the best paid and most popular man on TV 20 years ago.
That is the worst example that you could have.
November 3rd, 2022 at 9:18 PM ^
Respect him for his basketball skill but he tends to speak first and ask questions later on many sensitive topics. It would do him well to do some research before he makes broad claims about well...anything. Especially prejudice in any form. I'm sort of shocked and impressed that the Nets organization lead with their morals instead of their potential season as it does them no favors on the court in an already struggling Nets team.
East is actually progressively getting tougher to keep up with the West finally.
November 3rd, 2022 at 9:48 PM ^
He's not interested in the questions or the answers. The Nets tried to educate him. It didn't take.
November 4th, 2022 at 7:53 AM ^
He's literally putting a large section of the fan base in danger with these statements. He should never play in the league again. This isn't a one time mistake.
November 3rd, 2022 at 10:38 PM ^
Keep in mind, this is the scholar that concludes the Earth is flat.
Good at putting a round ball through a cylinder, dumber than a box of rocks.
November 3rd, 2022 at 9:19 PM ^
Amen.
November 3rd, 2022 at 9:23 PM ^
[COMMENT REMOVED - being an insipid twat is no way to go through life either - LSA]
November 3rd, 2022 at 9:26 PM ^
Holy shit what a bad take
November 3rd, 2022 at 9:41 PM ^
If you look at his posting history it makes perfect sense.
Remember: There are more TuffBammBamms in the world than there are people who can think straight. You haven't seen anything yet.
November 3rd, 2022 at 10:02 PM ^
And they vote
November 4th, 2022 at 4:55 AM ^
And they breed.
November 3rd, 2022 at 9:43 PM ^
You do realize Joe Tsai, the owner of the Nets, is of Hong Kong-Canadian nationality right?
November 3rd, 2022 at 9:50 PM ^
They don’t know or care.
November 3rd, 2022 at 9:45 PM ^
To be clear, is "hating Jews" the right-vs-left issue in your mind, or is "private employer making a decision about employee who hates Jews and can't stop talking about it" the right-vs-left issue in your mind?
I'm really curious about what part of hating Jews doesn't cross the line to you.
Pretty sure I know the answer.
November 3rd, 2022 at 10:22 PM ^
Speaking of antisemites.
November 3rd, 2022 at 10:10 PM ^
LSA, that is one of the funniest and most appropriate MOM responses ever!
November 4th, 2022 at 12:24 AM ^
Tell me you’re antiemetic without telling me you’re antisemitic.
November 4th, 2022 at 5:01 AM ^
This sounds like a line from a really bad game show.
November 3rd, 2022 at 9:25 PM ^
Denouncing hate really shouldn't be that hard.
November 3rd, 2022 at 9:32 PM ^
Honestly, I think the only reason Kyrie wouldn't apologize is bc the Nets asked him to apologize. It's the vaccine stuff all over again. He wasn't anti-vaccine, he was against being forced to do something. I don't think he's racist or prejudice, he just doesn't want to be forced to say he's sorry. He's like an activist who isn't fighting for anything in particular.