“There was a time when America’s pastimes showed a weariness with Florida’s hostile approach to inclusion, which is being restored in some ways by its current governor, Ron DeSantis.”
That was the argument of Washington Post sports columnist Kevin Blackistone, who this week offered his solution to a problem that doesn’t exist.
“If baseball still cares, its 15 franchises that started spring training in Florida last month should consider making the annual practice a Cactus League-only affair [Gov. Ron] DeSantis is ordering an assault on diversity.”
That’s right: a sports columnist suggests a professional sports league uproot 15 teams because he disagrees with a Republican governor’s stance on education.
Forget what such moves would do to economically educate cities and towns. Because Blackistone, also a regular ESPN pundit, really wants to teach the governor a lesson about his state’s decision to change certain elements of a high school’s advanced-level course on African-American studies.
For their part, DeSantis and the state’s nonprofit College Board have determined that portions of the course constitute “indoctrination.”
This is beyond misleading. Because the course Blackistone quotes isn’t your standard African American studies class.
“This is a black history course – what is one of the lessons about? Strange theory. Now, who would say that an important part of black history is queer theory? This is someone who is putting an agenda on our kids,” DeSantis recently explained.
Another part of the course that DeSantis and the College Board questioned was its inclusion of Black Lives Matter — a toxic political organization that has little to do with Black history.
Because, as you may have heard, the BLM has, thanks to internal scandals surrounding allegations that some of its leaders spent millions in donations on million-dollar mansions while facing a lawsuit alleging that one of their Had executives done so, more than $10 million was “pulled” from donors, witnessing a serious drop in public approval.
Note: The ` course still includes current black history, including lessons on the transatlantic slave trade, the 13th Amendment, and Frederick Douglass.
“We proudly call for African American history education,” tweeted Manny Diaz, Jr., Florida Commissioner of Education. “We don’t accept bright indoctrination masquerading as education.”
Blackistone’s proposal is reminiscent of the sportswriters who called for the Major League Baseball All-Star game to be moved out of Atlanta because new voting laws would allegedly suppress minority voters in future elections. MLB complied and moved the game to Denver.
“Through this step [MLB Commissioner Rob] Manfred has notified other leagues as long as Georgia insists on sticking to that bill,” USA Today sports columnist Bob Nightengale wrote at the time.
“The NFL certainly can’t give Atlanta another Super Bowl,” he said. “The same goes for the NBA and their All-Star game. And the NCAA and the Final Four.”
MLB’s move resulted in local Atlanta businesses, many of which were minority-owned, losing up to $100 million in revenue, according to Job Creators Network. Oh, and despite claims that voters would be repressed under the new law, Georgia has easily broken voting records in two major elections held since.
Another example of sports media being deeply political is transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, the once-natural male who transitioned to dominate women’s swimming at the University of Pennsylvania. As a man, Thomas ranked 462nd in the country at Penn. Thomas jumped to number 1 in the women’s and won a national championship.
“She should be included in the history of progress that the sport represents and be recognized for the trailblazer that she is,” NBC’s Cheryl Cooky gushed after Thomas’ win. Cooky went on to compare Thomas to Jackie Robinson, who broke baseball’s color barrier in 1947.
What’s hard to find in the archives surrounding Thomas’ rise are the biological advantages she possesses over other female swimmers. Here’s an exception, according to Swimming World magazine’s John Lohn.
“What we’re saying is this: the implications of being born a biological male, as it relates to swimming, gives Thomas a clear advantage over the biological females she competes against. she is stronger It’s as simple as that. And that power benefits her punch, turns, and endurance. Doping has the same effect.”
The benefits Thomas enjoys are similar to those offered to athletes who take steroids or human growth hormone. But with so many sports columnists waking up or afraid of being attacked by the waking mob, nearly all have avoided getting involved.
Finally, there’s ESPN, which has taken a major left turn in recent years, resulting in a loss of viewership. In recent months, viewers have been confronted with presenters fighting back tears as they discuss the Supreme Court’s decision to rule Roe v. to overthrow Wade, and pundits called players who refuse to carry Pride flags bigoted.
“ESPN is a journalistic organization – not a political organization. We shouldn’t do anything to undermine that position,” ESPN senior vice president Kevin Merida once told employees at an internal meeting. “ESPN’s focus is on esports. By and large we are not experts on politics, public health, terrorism or trade – we are not.”
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Go woke, go broke.
American companies are fast learning that lesson. Activist journalists should take note.
Joe Concha is a media and politics columnist.
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