I think it is our national sin.
October 19, 2017 12:28 PM   Subscribe

Gregg Popovich is head coach of the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs. At a time when black athletes and even black sports reporters are being targeted by Trump, Popovich has spent much of the past year stepping outside of his normally reserved role to use his white privilege in ways perhaps no white man in sports ever has.
posted by Bob Regular (36 comments total) 36 users marked this as a favorite
 
Mod note: Looks like there was a copy/paste error at posting time; I've replicated what looks like the intended pullquote paragraph, but mefimail me if that's not what you'd intended.
posted by cortex (staff) at 12:36 PM on October 19, 2017 [2 favorites]


DON'T READ THE COMMENTS!!!!
posted by Pendragon at 12:43 PM on October 19, 2017 [10 favorites]


The coach then said “bye” to Zirin and hung up.

That's some hero level mic-drop.
posted by joyceanmachine at 12:46 PM on October 19, 2017 [15 favorites]


I am quite surprised that Trump hasn't said anything about Pop. I mean I get the fact that Pop is white, not in danger of losing his job any time soon and could easily take Trump in a fight, but at the same time Trump seems to go off on any perceived slight. Is Trump actually holding his tongue or has he not seen any of the interviews?
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 12:48 PM on October 19, 2017 [2 favorites]


"Popovich did not get here overnight ... Popovich has made a personal investment to understand what he’s talking about — he has suggested in his remarks that he spends some of his spare time reading about race theory.

However Popovich got here, his arrival is welcome."


I love this last sentence. It's complimenting him for something that is worthy of praise somewhat -- given that compared to his peers he's a wild anomaly -- but also acknowledging that his "arrival" means that he's a bit late to join a large cadre of POC and others who know all of this already; who have been "here" for some time.
posted by knownassociate at 12:49 PM on October 19, 2017 [4 favorites]


DON'T READ THE COMMENTS!!!!

Jeeezus. No kidding.
posted by Big Al 8000 at 12:59 PM on October 19, 2017


I hate that we live in a world where certain politicians are well aware of the failings of the person that is currently the President of the United States and yet they choose not to do the right thing because of self-interest and money. The hypocrisy is what hurts the most and it just makes me lose my shit and it's one reason why I try to avoid these threads as much as possible.

I'm glad Pop is saying this so openly and honestly, but we shouldn't be this excited or happy with someone stating the obvious. That the person who occupies that White House is a fucking child and not smart enough or capable enough to manage a country, let alone a Pokemon Go battle.
posted by Fizz at 12:59 PM on October 19, 2017 [5 favorites]


(So I read a lot of the comments and, you know, some of the really rabid 'conservative' view points were pretty incoherently expressed. Like, I recognized sentences but sometimes it seemed just like a lot of jingo smushed together. It was interesting but also leaves one a little speechless. Like being faced with 'magnets, how do they work?' You either answer it 'cause you know or you look it up. The concept of just being mystified by them , that's the part I don't get. Am I saying stupidity is cultural? Maybe I am... )

This is an interesting article, I have no idea who this guy is but his criticism of Trump is cogent and passionate. Appropriate.
posted by From Bklyn at 1:01 PM on October 19, 2017 [4 favorites]


Anyone who speaks the truth about Trump should be appreciated, especially public figures, since the backlash (as seen in the comments in this article) is unending and nauseating. The fact that celebrities speak
out is one of the few things standing in the way of this president and his lies becoming accepted and normal. Keep speaking out everyone. Keep resisting!
posted by WalkerWestridge at 1:08 PM on October 19, 2017 [6 favorites]


My wife used to work at Popvitch's favorite restaurant in Memphis, and every time the Spurs played the Grizzlies, he would come in and ask for her to wait on him. She said he is a perfect gentleman, loves and is quite knowledgeable about good wine, and tips like money is going out of style. He's OK in our book.
posted by vibrotronica at 1:15 PM on October 19, 2017 [46 favorites]


(So I read a lot of the comments and, you know, some of the really rabid 'conservative' view points were pretty incoherently expressed. Like, I recognized sentences but sometimes it seemed just like a lot of jingo smushed together.

[...]

Am I saying stupidity is cultural? Maybe I am... )


Considering what we know now about the intentional fostering of online comment-troll culture by foreign powers, it's also possible that a lot of conservative American stupidity is actually Russian malice imitating conservative American stupidity. One can even imagine a feedback loop in which actual American right-wing trolls begin borrowing the arguments and language of the Russian variety.
posted by Strange Interlude at 1:18 PM on October 19, 2017 [47 favorites]


Scanned the comments. Good fuck are these people tiresome. "Actually, this tendentious and illogical 'argument' I'm making renders all others impotent, if for no other reason than it's coming from my mouth, which no I don't also use to breathe I don't know why you would even think that."

Go Pop, and go Steve Kerr, who's also good along these lines.
posted by Lyme Drop at 1:29 PM on October 19, 2017 [6 favorites]


Has Popovich ever been interviewed on Hannity or Foxandfriends? If not, that could explain Trump's non-response - he just haven't shown up on his limited-range radar.
posted by oneswellfoop at 1:32 PM on October 19, 2017 [5 favorites]


I read about this this morning and was really stunned that a pro coach would come out and speak like that. Good on him, of course. I guess I'm just used to the (apparently mistaken) idea that pro coaches (of any sport) are hard-core right-wingers.
posted by Thorzdad at 1:33 PM on October 19, 2017 [4 favorites]


Popovich has spent much of the past year stepping outside of his normally reserved role to use his white privilege in ways perhaps no white man in sports ever has.

Pop is awesome and it is great to see him be so forthright and open about these issues, but that comment is a huge disservice to Branch Rickey.
posted by ZaphodB at 1:52 PM on October 19, 2017 [3 favorites]


I don't care much about professional sports. I don't care much about basketball in any venue. But as long as Pop is there, I'm a Spurs fan...
posted by jim in austin at 1:53 PM on October 19, 2017 [4 favorites]


Has Popovich ever been interviewed on Hannity or Foxandfriends? If not, that could explain Trump's non-response - he just haven't shown up on his limited-range radar.

Pop is historically pretty reserved and quiet. He does not do a ton of interviews, and when he does he has something interesting to say. I am a huge Spurs fan and have followed them for years. I always think it's funny when the sports reporters try to get him to talk about the game at half time. He will say one incredibly obvious sentence ("We need to score more points.") and walk away. I have always respected his non-fame seeking nature, and he's a hell of a good coach.
posted by Benway at 1:58 PM on October 19, 2017 [4 favorites]


He is a shoo in to play Count Dooku if they ever make that biopic.
posted by biffa at 2:05 PM on October 19, 2017 [3 favorites]


Has Popovich ever been interviewed on Hannity or Foxandfriends? If not, that could explain Trump's non-response - he just haven't shown up on his limited-range radar.

The Spurs have been a really solid team for years now. Once they get a title then maybe Pop would be on Trump's radar the way the Warriors got under his skin.
posted by a snickering nuthatch at 2:07 PM on October 19, 2017


One of the things I like about Pop is how cordial he is to Doris Burke.

For a guy who gets way too into the game to have time for the cookie cutter sports douchebag interview, he really goes out of his way to be good to Doris.

biffa, I was thinking Robt. E. Lee
posted by Sphinx at 2:09 PM on October 19, 2017 [2 favorites]


One of my favorite Pop stories:

Pop is required by his contract to give two interviews per game, during the game between quarters. Each interview contains two questions. Pop hates this, and is somewhat famous for making the reporters lives difficult by giving one word answers.

One of the TNT sideline reporters, Craig Sager (who is famous for being awesome, and wearing wild suits) had gotten sick with leukemia and was unable to interview Pop. Instead, to start the season his son filled in for him. His son asked the same normal sports cliche questions the reporters always ask, but instead of giving his trademark one word answers Pop gave long, sports cliche answers like normal coaches, then wished the elder Sager well. You can watch the interview here.

It was one of those little things that unless you were familiar with the NBA, and the history there, doesn't make any sense and you look crazy trying to explain why it was so nice. What I'm trying to say here is that I am totally unsurprised that Pop is being a good dude here.
posted by yeahwhatever at 2:10 PM on October 19, 2017 [44 favorites]


Once they get a title then maybe Pop would be on Trump's radar the way the Warriors got under his skin.

Uh, not sure if this is a typo, but the Spurs have 5 titles. That's as many as the Warriors have. Come to think of it, this is kind of a hilarious comment on how under-the-radar the Spurs have been all these years.
posted by maddieD at 2:33 PM on October 19, 2017 [2 favorites]


Pop is a Good Egg. More like this in sports, please.

On the larger topic of the anthem protests: I moderate a fantasy sports forum site that gets a fair amount of traffic throughout the year, but spikes way, way up during football season, which has provided a rather disturbing window into what "Joe Sixpack" thinks about Kaepernick, the protests in general, and the power dynamics between the leagues, the owners, and the players. The forums strictly forbid anyone engaging in any non-fantasy-related topics, but people still try to sneak their digs in at Kaepernick or any other player who dares to make their sportsball viewing experience uncomfortable.

Anyway, just yesterday, a guy reported (flagged) a post by another user, complaining that her avatar was not only in violation of the policy against political content (which is at least arguable) but that it was somehow comparable to someone having a KKK hood. I briefly tried to explain how wrong this logic was, but gave up banging my head against the wall and just told him we couldn't do anything for him. It's funny how these people become the snowflakes they claim to despise when they encounter a symbol with a tiny fraction of the power of ones they don't seem to have a problem with.
posted by tonycpsu at 2:42 PM on October 19, 2017 [5 favorites]


I'm not saying they haven't had a title, but it would help get Trump's attention if they got one while Trump is in office.
posted by a snickering nuthatch at 2:46 PM on October 19, 2017


Like being faced with 'magnets, how do they work?' You either answer it 'cause you know or you look it up. The concept of just being mystified by them , that's the part I don't get.

Considering that Nobel laureate Richard Feynman couldn't explain how they work it's kind of crappy to keep bashing ICP.
posted by Lexica at 2:52 PM on October 19, 2017 [11 favorites]


A guess that I have is that the more you work with people of color, the more you understand issues of race, such as the current kneeling protests. I say this, because there are two elements of American life that are very integrated, which are sports and the army. Many of the old white men that I've seen espousing positions on this that aren't terrible have come from both fields (as well as obviously lefty areas like journalists and academics).

I would imagine that it involves working closely and intimately with other people, in a field that is necessarily diverse, as part of a team.
posted by codacorolla at 2:58 PM on October 19, 2017 [7 favorites]


Sorry, I phrased that poorly. I mean that there are many ways to not be racist, but working in highly diverse fields (of which, sports and military service are one that affords people a pulpit) is a good way to develop anti-racist attitudes.
posted by codacorolla at 3:21 PM on October 19, 2017 [4 favorites]


Christopher Lee & Robt. E. Lee: Brothers Lost in Time. Does anyone have a number for Netflix?

One is an inhuman monster fed on the blood of human beings, hiding behind a mask of genteel respectability; the other is a British actor.
posted by GenjiandProust at 4:26 PM on October 19, 2017 [5 favorites]


Aw I love Pop and the Spurs. It's great to see him be so forthright and strong about this.
posted by aka burlap at 4:33 PM on October 19, 2017


One of the TNT sideline reporters, Craig Sager (who is famous for being awesome, and wearing wild suits) had gotten sick with leukemia and was unable to interview Pop.
Craig's first interview with Pop when he came back was also awesome as well as his remarks when Craig passed away, which still make me teary. Pop is the epitome of a class act.
posted by Lame_username at 7:32 PM on October 19, 2017


One of the things I like about Pop is how cordial he is to Doris Burke.

I had to google who she is, and found this, which suggests that she might not agree with that characterization.

Don't think that takes away from what he's doing here, just thought it was interesting, since the topic came up
posted by matildatakesovertheworld at 11:41 PM on October 19, 2017


I’ve been joking for months that I was going to start a “Draft POP 2020” campaign, and he’s got the celebrity & the clout to make a decent go at it, but he’s obviously too smart for that nonsense. He’s a great leader & I aspire to be iike him.
posted by Devils Rancher at 5:11 AM on October 20, 2017


DON'T READ THE COMMENTS!!!!
Jeeezus. No kidding.


Sorry if this is a derail from the topic of the excellent article by Shaun King, but the same publication that published the article (The Intercept) has also chosen to publish a comments section that is used as a platform for racists.

There's certainly no legal requirement to have a comments section on your website, and if you do have one there's no law that says it has to be open to every shitty abusive comment that someone feels like typing out. Racist comments sections aren't a force of nature or an accident of technology, they're a business decision - to cheaply increase page-view and "engagement" statistics - however counterproductive the results might happen to be.

I wonder if more people were to call out The Intercept and websites with similar practices, rather than just shaking their heads in dismay, things might change.

Excellent article, by the way.
posted by Umami Dearest at 5:34 AM on October 20, 2017 [6 favorites]


Is Trump actually holding his tongue or has he not seen any of the interviews?

He didn't care about the NBA until the players passed on the opportunity of a WH visit, and his beef with the NFL has nothing to do with Kaep and protests. It has to do with his decades-long ambition of being a NFL owner, that started with his offer for the Baltimore Colts being rejected because the owners thought he was a NY con artist, then buying USFL's NY/NJ Generals and immediately pressuring the league to move to a fall schedule and compete directly with the NFL to force a merger, but after their pyrrhic anti-trust lawsuit victory left the league with a $3 cheque (+ interest), the league lost all leverage and folded (and considering the money he threw around, he surely lost millions there). It's rumoured he then approached the NFL to become a owner, but was shut down by then-commish Rozelle who didn't want him anywhere near the league, and after spending most of the 90s and 00s without capital to become an owner, he was part of an attempt to buy the Bills in 2014 or so, and it's rumoured a lot of the "old guard" that dealt with him in the monopoly lawsuit days pressured the Bills owners to not consider his bid.

He doesn't give a shit if the players take a knee and "disrespect the flag" or whatever crap Fox claims. He gives a shit the NFL never left him join their club, and being the jealous, entitled rich old fuck he is, he takes it personally. He doesn't care what Popovich has to say because there's no angle for him there.
posted by lmfsilva at 9:43 AM on October 20, 2017




Omg QFMFT. Couldn’t have said it better.
posted by ZakDaddy at 12:57 PM on October 20, 2017


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