The worst thing you could say about Derrick Rose right now is the old, shopworn cliche “just shut up and play” (or something along those lines). The backlash against him right now is to mainstream sports what the backlash against Natalie Maines and the Dixie Chicks was to mainstream music in 2006. See the documentary “Shut up and sing.”
It’s the same basic, abhorrent concept. Those ripping Rose right now for speaking his mind are just re-hashing the old platitude of “hey, just perform for us, don’t think.”
“Go up on stage on do your thing, but don’t have any personality at all or dare be a free-thinker.”
This reprehensible idea is anything but new, and it’s just as offensive now as it has been the millions of other occasions that it’s been espoused.
LeBron James on Derrick Rose’s ‘I Can’t Breathe’ shirt: ‘I’m looking for one.’ https://t.co/uUF1EOfYLH pic.twitter.com/ZIUGA9wdgb
— theScore (@theScore) December 7, 2014
Before we get to de-constructing this inhumane belief, let’s recall how we got here. The news of no indictment for the police officer who killed Eric Garner shook the nation this week; and “I can’t breathe,” Garner’s dying words, have become a civil rights anthem.
Chicago Bulls superstar Derrick Rose donned the words on his warm up clothes Saturday night before the Bulls took on the Golden State Warriors while tens-of-thousands of protesters across America have taken to the streets chanting it to highlight police brutality, racism, and unequal application of justice under law.
Derrick Rose isn’t the first in professional sports to show their support for activism fighting police brutality against black men.
Last Sunday, five players from the St. Louis Rams came onto the field with the ‘hands up, don’t shoot’ gesture. They were honoring Michael Brown and protesting the decision of the Ferguson grand jury not to indict the officer who killed him. The St. Louis County Police Officers Association demanded that the NFL and the Rams apologize, but both refused to do so. Derrick Rose was not made available for comments following the game, and some took issue with that. Rose has been ripped in some circles for taking a stand.
We should applaud athletes for speaking their mind and articulating their views on social issues with the de facto giant megaphone that they possess. Given the usual standardized boring boiler plate we receive in interviews 90% of the time, why are people verbally lacerating an athlete who expresses himself?
Rose made this statement just one night after Magic Johnson challenged more of today’s athletes to take a stand. When asked about the “I can’t breathe” t-shirt, Lebron James said “where can I get one?”
As you can see from the picture above, Lebron made a statement regarding Treyvon Martin in 2013. So let’s commend the next guy who raises a sociopolitical voice; instead of ripping him. We have enough vanilla corporatespeak, bromides and platitudes from coaches and players these days. The world needs less of Michael Jordan’s “hey, Republicans buy shoes too,” and more of Derrick Rose’s “I can’t breathe.”
Let the man emote.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net ,which is partners with Fox Sports. Read his feature stories in the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. Listen to him on KOZN 1620 The Zone. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks). His work has been featured in hundreds of media outlets including The Washington Post and ESPN 2