In 2016, Indianapolis Star journalist Gregg Doyel wrote a column lavishing praise on Tony Dungy titled “Tony Dungy was a one-man crusade against NFL’s Latent Racism.” The NFL’s fifth black head coach and the first black coach ever elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Doyel couldn’t stop praising how Dungy advocated for tons of black coaches to get opportunities at both the collegiate and pro level. This week, Doyel wrote a story entitled, no lie “Litter boxes? Seriously, Tony Dungy? Stick to Sports.”
Tony Dungy is ignorant. Millions are just like him, because they simply don't want to know how the world really is. As a father of two, as a man who knows my way around the LGBTQ community and a suicide ward, I have zero tolerance for this bigotry:https://t.co/76ThNR3jTw
— Gregg Doyel (@GreggDoyelStar) January 19, 2023
“Stick to sports?” Seriously, Gregg Doyel?
Because a 67-year-old man was duped by a viral story about trans kids and litter boxes that he tweeted about after reading that Minnesota was looking to put menstrual products in boy’s bathrooms, Doyel felt free to use a phrase long considered a racist dogwhistle against the first black head coach to make the Hall of Fame. But rather than chalk it up to old people on the internet syndrome, Doyel went on to insinuate that by using rhetoric like that, Dungy (who lost a child to suicide) could be contributing to the increased percentage of trans kid’s suicides.
Surprised? You shouldn’t be. Because while you might have bought the propaganda coming from sports media that they’d really like athletes to speak out on social causes, the truth is far different. In nearly everything they do, mainstream sports media reiterates the idea that if you speak up for left wing causes, you’re a brave, heroic leader of men who needs to be heard. If you speak up for right wing causes, you’re an uneducated bigot who needs to be silenced.
Need another example? How about Ivan Provorov, the Russian NHL player who opted not to wear a gay pride jersey for the Philadelphia Flyer’s warmup before they played the Anaheim Ducks this week. Why? Religious reasons (he’s Russian orthodox), but that doesn’t matter. Soon enough, NHL Network Senior reporter E.J. Hradek went pure “America, love it or leave it” on the defenseman, and suggested that because he didn’t wear the jersey, Provorov should move back to Russia and fight in the Ukraine war.
NHL analyst says on the NHL Network! that if Philly Flyers Provorov doesn’t want to wear a pro-LBGTQ uniform he should leave America, go back to Russia, and fight in the war against Ukraine. The tolerant left! Holy shit: pic.twitter.com/wWLFBy2stC
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) January 19, 2023
Back in the 90’s, Muslim NBA player Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf first refused to stand for, then closed his eyes and silently said prayers during, the National Anthem, citing his religious faith. Look for Showtime’s glowing documentary about him, “Stand”, which will stream later this year, and undoubtedly paint anyone who spoke out against him as anti-black and anti-Muslim (why do I get the feeling he won’t be asked about Muslim terrorism or Islam’s stance on gays). But it makes sense. After all, subtly opting out of a team activity due to your religion is fine, after all, as long as you’re protesting something left wingers agree with.
A pro-Trump boxer named Rod Salka wearing “America 1st” trunks encouraging America to build a border wall? Terrible. Bigoted. Colin Kaepernick wearing a tee shirt with noted homophobic mass murderer Fidel Castro on it? No big deal. Kap’s a hero. Speaking up in favor of BLM as their members and advocates burn buildings to the ground all over the USA? Brave. Vital, even.
Tepid support for keeping January sixth rioters out of Federal prisons? A totally valid reason to keep Kurt Schilling out of Cooperstown. Black athletes need to get involved in politics! But no, not Herschel Walker! Let’s attack him with CTE jokes and thinly veiled racism. I could go on and on, but by now I think the point is clear.
Bill Belichick, another (future) Hall of Fame head coach who himself was attacked for getting involved in politics after writing a letter in support of President Trump famously berated his athlete’s to “do your job.” This week, Ivan Provorov and Tony Dungy forgot that when it comes to political activism, sports journalists think an athlete’s job is to shill for left wing causes.
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