META: "The End of "Stick to Sports" (MGoBlog Mentioned in Ringer article)

Unfollowed MGOBLOG on twitter. And if I started seeing politics in here, I'd stop coming here.

This article is garbage. No one goes to the orthodontist to get their 2 cents on foreign policy. No one takes their dog to the vet To hear about the education system. No one should have to come here or espn or a public sports twitter handle or any sports site in general to get told how their beliefs are wrong. Sports should be unifying. A stance that those who's JOBS are to talk sports should also chime in on political topics to their audience is so far off base. I can basically guarantee due to my line of work I know more than anyone about politics and such but sports is not the medium. Sports is entertainment. Keep it separate. If Brian or deadspin writers or espn's finest want to talk politics have a separate, private account for it. It's fine if I'm negged. It's just my 2 cents that everyone would be better off if they can come here to focus on what they have in common (in this case love of Michigan) as opposed to what they don't.

I prefer no politics, plain and simple. There are plenty of other places to discuss politics and in many regards sports is a healthy way to escape other aspects of life, including politics. When you introduce politics, all that is accomplished is the alienation of one group of people. I'd rather sports remain open to all.

I do find it pretty hypocritical to use the mgoblog twitter account to make political statements while enforcing a strict no politics ban on the site. Especially considering they use the twitter account to sometimes make content announcements for the site. That said, if they are going to incorporate politics into the site, that is their perogative. I will read what I want and ignore the rest, just as long as the no politics ban for the rest of us is lifted. I don't like hypocrisy, so if they don't lift the ban I will find somewhere else to get michigan news. On another note, I don't care what people's political leanings are. What really bothers me, and why I think I would strongly dislike Ace, is when people say they aren't open to discussion. Listening to someone else's viewpoint can bring new perspective and empathy.

For the shared comeraderie of Michigan fans. Let's remember what unites us.

member the time obama bombed the shit out of the middle east and there was no protest? i member

Gotta follow-up since I had decided I have a 3rd line of thinking most don't address. Cards on the table I lean right fiscally, left socially. Guess I average out in the middle. But I CANNOT STAND looking at facebook or twiiter or instagram or any other social media right now. I want to dong punch everyone no matter what side they are supporting. I agree with a lot of what is being protested but (akin to Brian saying hed rather watch the USMNT than go to the airport) I have other things in my life going on. So when I do take a break from everything i am doing I come here (or wingingitinmotown) for pure, unadulterated UM bliss. So please... FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DO NOT take MGoBlog (or any other sports site) and turn it into a political platform. I have already unfollowed Deadspin since it doesn't even hide the fact it doesn't cover sports anymore.

I value the opinion of the sportswriters that I pay attention to.  It's why I pay attention to them.  I don't mind hearing their opinions on things other than sports.  I enjoy hearing well thought out sports and politics opinions even if I don't agree with them.  

Now, I don't want to hear Skip Bayless or Jim Rome talk about politics but I also don't want to hear them talk about sports.  But, I would assume that there are people out there (God help their souls) that may want to hear their opinions on sports and possibly politics so I'm not going to tell them what to talk about.  I just won't listen to them.

One of the biggest problems with the current political climate is that people only want to hear their own opinions reaffirmed.  No one wants to be challenged from either side.  So if they end up hearing something they disagree with because it comes from someone they normally get sports from, then I think that is a good thing.  It will either cause you to reaffirm your own beliefs after reassesing them or possibly cause you to think about a certain topic with a different perspective.

So who wants cake?

The current political movement has already strained so many relationships from family to friends to coworkers so I'm not surprised that fellow mgobloggers are now feeling the tension.

Unfortunately I think it will go much deeper still in testing our notions of shared community

To be quite frank I think a lot of sports writers aren't very intelligent in non-sports matters, which plays a large part into me unfollowing them if I see them post dumb stuff, regardless of what side they're on. I don't agree with Brian or Ace on very many things but at least it seems like they put thought into their positions, so while I'll roll my eyes I don't mind that they have an opinion that differs from mine. However, Alex got the good 'ole unfollow from me because his sports related tweeting isn't even close to good enough to put up with his political rambling.

I said it below and I'll say it again. I don't really give a shit. I have unfollowed several people for this. I personally think it's a mistake for them to use their positions to push their ideals on people that follow them only for sports reasons. However, it's their twitter handle or whatever and they can choose to do what they want. I hate it when I have to unfollow someone for it, but it is what it is. I get more annoyed with "stick to sports guy" or the people that listen or read something from someone and complain about it all the time. Or worse, assholes that demand someone be fired or reprimanded because they said something you don't agree with. Just stop listening or reading. Simple as that.

I just don't get enough politics discussion these days. Never shows up on my FB, Twitter, car radio, award shows. So thank goodness someone at MGoBlog wants to fill that huge void in my life.

My fondest memories of Michigan's undefeated 1997 football season include Woodson's punt return TD against OSU, the Paula Jones lawsuit against Bill Clinton, and the controversial US visit by Chinese President Jiang Zemin. So glad all my sports news sources didn't neglect to cover '97 politics.

I don't need fearless leader ranting on twitter about politics. But that's just me, you guys can like whatever you want. 

I'm thoroughly impressed with this thread. Everyone except boliver96 kept their calm and thoughtfully laid out their opinions. 

 

 

I love some political discourse as much as anyone. To me it comes down to this: people have chosen their "team" to cheer for and you're not going to change their minds. Obviously you have the right to say whatever the hell you want on whatever platform you have and that's what's great about our country. The question is are you willing to alienate readers and potentially lose money over a tweet that affects or changes almost nothing?

If it's full of a bunch of "morans, Thanks Obama, rednecks, alternative facts" nonsense, you get enough of that on this blog already.  No one is under any illusion of the political leanings of any contributer to this blog (and side note, it's failing of this site, one of the few: you all think nearly exactly the same).  

You won't persuade anyone with more vitriol.  If your objective is to jump into the invective pool with especially sardonic wit, it'll be as predictcable as everyone else who thinks they're adding illumination when they're not.  It'll be a hot take, and they'll shut you out. 

There's a real opportunity to seize on reason and engage, given the other side (the other side from you) is doubting some of the latest moves.  Reach out to them.  That would be fresh.  That would be new and interesting.  

Really annoyed by this blog's foray into politics. Sure, it's their blog and they can do whatever the fuck they want, but it is nevertheless disappointing that an otherwise awesome site that is center for a common nonpolitical interest has now been dragged into the same tired political bullshit that we are exposed to in literally every other online forum.

but if Brian and staff ever wrote a political or social blog on the side, I'd be all over it. Brian in particular is a superb writer with a distinctive voice, and good writing is subject-matter agnostic.  

My favorite writer growing up was Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and if GGM ever wrote a short story that was literally about grass growing on a lawn (which you should get off of, by the way), it would be amazing.

If Brian, Seth, and Ace wanted to start blogging about politics, movies, cooking, or My Little Pony, I'm 100% sure I'd love reading it. Would it be better on a separate blog? Yeah, probably, but whatever.

All that said, Draftageddon still sucks.

 

A wise jumpman once said "republicans buy shoes too". There's a lesson there.

I just want to say how much I appreciate the MGo members who have political opinions on both sides, but exercise restraint and not share them.  These mature and silent people make this site good because they stay on theme.