Thursday open thread: What happened to "shut up and dribble"?
I'm old enough to remember when the likes of Ted Cruz morosely told NBA stars who were engaged in political activism to "shut up and dribble". No one wanted to hear what they had to say on the state of any number of issues of political import in the US. Just be quiet and entertain me, "boys".
Now, though, the right is all in on supporting the Horsemen of the Plague in the NBA, players who refuse to get vaccinated and are facing stiff penalties for their choice. Suddenly "shut up and dribble" turns to "I stand with them".
The hypocrisy is, of course, predictable. Of course a right wing devoid of any star power would latch onto basketball players with cultural heft once their agendas aligned. The right has no principle save owning the libs. And if they have to side with Kyrie Irving—who only a year ago they were deriding for his reactions to white supremacy—well, you dance with who's available.
Of course, I'm not now going to say "shut up and dribble". I don't have to, because many of these plague enthusiasts will not be able to dribble, depending on where they play and what local COVID ordinances are. Andrew Wiggins of the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco will not only not be allowed to play any home games due to him refusing to vaccinate, but will have his pay docked for those games. Choices have consequences, and if these players are willing to throw away money, well, have at it. But the spectacle of the likes of Ted Cruz now lauding these men when last year he was excoriating them is laughable. If Irving thinks he's found a new ally, he should really pause and take a good look around him. He's nothing but a convenient, temporary symbol for the right.
These new heroes of the right will find they have a short shelf-life. Like Herman Cain, they will be and always have been expendable to it.
This is your open thread.