Never shut up

you have seen football star Zlatan Ibrahimovic and basketball star Lebron James exchange—and that is putting it mildly—words about using their platform to voice out political concerns.

I have never been for addressing concerns not in its proper forum. It isn’t that I do not have my concerns or gripes about society. I do. And there’s a lot to sound off.

Imagine if I did a Carlos Celdran and interrupt a Mass with my gripes. or I go to the Philippine Stock Exchange and voice out my concerns in the middle of the trading floor.

yet, history is replete with statements made during sporting events from Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising their clenched fists during the 1968 olympics to boycotts in participation due to wars during the 1956 Melbourne, 1980 and 1984 olympics.

of course, there was terrorism during the 1972 Munich Games that left nine Israeli athletes dead. And there’s the taking a knee not just during the playing of the us National Anthem but ever in football leagues across Europe in support the Black Lives Matter movement.

This brings me back to my premise—should sporting events be used for making statements?

I guess I am changing my tune. If the traditional outlets do not work for you then why not? Furthermore, social media has blurred lines so that ordinary citizens are able to capture news that traditional media people will not be able to do so. It has given a voice to the unheard (which is at the same times infested with trolls).

I agree with athletes speaking out. Just not holding the games hostage such as when players from the Los Angeles Lakers threatened not to play last season.

I also think that Ibrahimovic was wrong considering not too long ago, he too spoke out about his being of not being pure Swiss as his parents were from Bosnia and Croatia and experiencing racism. Now he comes across as being a hypocrite.

James was correct in his reply, “I would never shut up about things that are wrong.”

Times have greatly changed a lot and all sports bodies—even the local—should have dialogues between league officials, team owners, and the coaches and players about how and where best to air issues.

We’ve seen a number of professional basketball and football players air their grievances. Because our society generally does not condone this, it is harder. The funny thing is you try to do the right thing in local sports then you’re the bad guy or the minority. Even some in media are party to this because they are beneficiaries of patronage.

I have butted heads with many a sports figure about a myriad of issues.

So I guess, social media is good—for better or worse. It is good that fans and the common tao weigh in about these questionable trades in the Philippine Basketball Association. And I hope others weigh in on the state of other sports such as football, national teams, volleyball, and athletics because the local mafia, er, media, have gags orders or look to turn the other cheek for the sake of sports, unity, and the rest of that bull crap.

And may Lebron James’s tribe increase.