Unless you’ve been living under a rock this past week you’ve likely seen the coverage of the new Nike Air Jordan shopping lines and the ensuing chaos across the country. Color me unimpressed. There’s nothing to gather from the violence other than depression as the Republic devolves into a me-first selfish mixture of reprobates and depravity. Nothing like this would have happened 100 years ago. Who is to blame for the violence? Certainly not the people clashing over a $180 pair of shoes. Nope. According to ESPN’s Jemele Hill Michael Jordan and Nike need to do something. Asking people to behave with civility is just too much to ask.
Jordan and Nike didn’t directly encourage this recklessness. They didn’t tell people to trample others who waited in line, and it’s not their fault that a segment of people have such skewed priorities.
But that doesn’t absolve Jordan or Nike for willingly feeding an out-of-control monster. Let’s put aside the fact that these Air Jordans cost an absurd $180. The marketing campaign for these shoes is essentially akin to yelling “fire” in a crowded movie theater.
Essentially? The marketing was so pervasive I didn’t even see one commercial on TV. If the shoes are absurd at $180 what can be said of Apple’s iPads? There is an almost non-stop stream of advertising and shortages every time Apple release a new model. There are long lines, long wait times, but no embarrassing mischief. Why is it that Nike is irresponsible, but Apple is one of the most respected companies in the country? Oh wait, it’s gets better…
It’s hard not to notice that a lot of the senseless violence associated with Air Jordans involves African-Americans, specifically young black men. Jordan is one of the most universally beloved athletes of all time, and he has profited considerably from the black community’s unconditional support. By not addressing this lingering violence, he seems to be making clear that he’s only interested in the black community if it can enhance his financial empire.
Hmm… Michael Jordan is one of the best basketball players of all time. He had no equal during his prime. I’m not sure what the “black community” has to do with Jordan’s popularity. Jordan received unconditional support from everyone. What’s he supposed to do? Give the shoes away for free? That would only make things worse.
This isn’t just an African-American problem. There are examples of moral depravity all over the place. Talking heads like Jemele Hill only see things through the prism of race. How about writing an article asking our citizens to grow up? There should be a zero tolerance policy for this kind of behavior. It’s not going to stop if we keep justifying idiots.
Jemele Hill ponders using the race card in her back pocket.
To be perfectly honest I have no clue who Joe Barton is or what he said about the oil spill. My guess is that he’s a Republican and he said something stupid about the oil spill. The press and the Left is all over him because President Obama is receiving too much bad PR and they can’t beat up Bush anymore. Personally, I don’t even care. The only reason I bring this up is because of the World Cup.
The United States got jobbed yesterday against Slovenia. The referee had a really bad day. He yellow carded one of our players for a hand ball when he was hit in the face. The last Slovenia defender brought down Jozy Altidore when he had a clear goal scoring chance. That’s supposed to be a red card, but it only earned a yellow. Plus, there was a terrible offside call at the end that cost the United States a goal and the win. An ESPN blog about the game is a little puzzling. Jemele Hill may cover sports for ESPN, but there’s no doubt she’s wants to be a political pundit.
The horrific call that forced Team USA to settle for a 2-2 tie with Slovenia was so bad that I’m surprised Texas Rep. Joe Barton hasn’t already called Malian referee Koman Coulibaly to apologize for the harsh criticism the official undoubtedly deserves.
The real question I have for ESPN is: Why is Jemele Hill still allowed to write for them? By Hill’s standards this is the least offensive thing she’s ever written. In the past she said that the Green Bay Packers should give Brett Farvre the “Duracell treatment” when he returns to play. Another favorite Hill quote is, “Rooting for the Celtics is like saying Hitler was a victim. It’s like hoping Gorbachev would get to the blinking red button before Reagan. Deserving or not, I still hate the Celtics.” For both of those idiotic remarks Hill has had to make an apology.
Which brings me to this point: she has the wrong person apologizing in her World Cup article. Instead of picking on Rep. Joe Barton, perhaps Jemele Hill should call Malian referee Koman Coulibaly and apologize. It’s been a great week to be a progressive sportswriter. First Dave Zirin, and now Jemele Hill.
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