social - Bad Sporters https://www.badsporters.com News Blogging About Athletes Being Caught Up Sat, 20 Jun 2020 20:43:21 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell’s Juneteenth post elicits vitriolic backlash from some fans, social media followers https://www.badsporters.com/2020/06/20/utah-jazz-star-donovan-mitchells-juneteenth-post-elicits-vitriolic-backlash-from-some-fans-social-media-followers-2/ https://www.badsporters.com/2020/06/20/utah-jazz-star-donovan-mitchells-juneteenth-post-elicits-vitriolic-backlash-from-some-fans-social-media-followers-2/#respond Sat, 20 Jun 2020 20:43:21 +0000 https://badsporters.com/?p=7560 Mitchell posted an image with the words “free•ish since 1865,” along with the caption, “HAPPY JUNETEENTH.” His post is reference to the fact that even after the Emancipation Proclamation purportedly freed slaves, Black people have since been subject to “convict leasing,” Jim Crow laws, and disproportionate and systematic mass incarceration which subsequently limits access to […]

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Mitchell posted an image with the words “free•ish since 1865,” along with the caption, “HAPPY JUNETEENTH.” His post is reference to the fact that even after the Emancipation Proclamation purportedly freed slaves, Black people have since been subject to “convict leasing,” Jim Crow laws, and disproportionate and systematic mass incarceration which subsequently limits access to government assistance, jobs, and voting rights. The Netflix documentary “13th” cited Bureau of Justice statistics that as of 2016, about 1 in 17 white men would be imprisoned in their lifetime, compared to 1 in 3 Black men, as well as how Black men account for 6.5% of the United States’ population, but make up 40.2% of those incarcerated in the U.S.

For what it’s worth, Mitchell’s IG post also attracted plenty of supporters — of him generally and his post specifically, as many encouraged him to keep speaking out and using his platform to effect change.

However, though there is no way to tie specific posters to their location, so as to determine if those commenting are actually Jazz fans or simply followers of Mitchell’s social media accounts, plenty of commenters worried that the negativity and obliviousness directed Mitchell’s way would be assumed to come from Utahns, and might prompt him to want to leave the team.

Among the more than 2,000 replies to Mitchell’s were those who slammed him for being “delusional” for suggesting not everyone in the United States is treated equally; there were also those angry at him for being “ungrateful,” as the wealth and celebrity he has earned from playing basketball professionally should, in their estimation, give him even more freedom. Many simply responded that they intend to “unfollow” his social media accounts now as a result.

Among the responses on his post:

• 2jcoles7: You are free. There is not ish

• mintkatkit: Free-ish says the [expletive] millionaire who will never have to worry about getting by for the rest of his life, or his children’s lives. Lmao privileged rich mfer

• cosskameron: You got the same rights and privileges as me now chill out

• sims_904: You’re rich as [expletive] more than 95% of people in America shut your [expletive] trap

• james_falls_byu: We had an African American president, Spida… 8 years and he won both elections soundly

• trailcanyonstone: You might be the most free person I know, everybody in the state loves you, looks up to you, and wants to talk to you. quit being a victim it’s ridiculous. Have a conversation with Candace Owens Who I would vote for for president someday. She’s figured it out.

• warren__g4: Your [sic] free man 100% you have as much freedom as any white person in America

• heber_murph: You’re more free than 99% of us.

• brenten_garrett_ut: What do you mean freeish You literally make millions playing basketball I just lost all respect for you SPIDA

• ev_cole: What can’t black people do that white people can I’m confused

• dusty1089: Such bull, favorite player but this is delusion

• drew.crossen: You can’t say you’re not free when you are literally making millions every year to do something you [love]

• i_am_noscut: You’re part of the 1%. Don’t kid yourself…lol

• eltornillo1232: Imagine making millions for playing ball and posting this “ish”

• matt.halversen: You deserve all the bad things coming your way

• pressed_penny_collector_79: I love watching you play and I am such a big fan, but you make more money in a single game than my parents make in a single year. I don’t think it is right to compare yourself to [slaves] and not being free, because you are free and African Americans are doing great in the country.”

Though Mitchell did not reply to any of the individual Instagram commenters, he noted in a couple of subsequent posts on Twitter that such replies had certainly gotten his attention.

Back on May 29, just four days after Floyd died in police custody in Minneapolis when a white officer kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes, and after protests broke out throughout the country, prompting many white people to universally condemn the protesters as “looters” and “thugs” when some violence broke out, Mitchell tweeted, “Seeing a lot of people’s true colors….” He quote-tweeted that message Friday with the addendum, “Said it once and I’ll keep saying it!! Y’all can’t hide no more.”

A short time later, he tweeted again, expressing bewilderment at how fans can so openly support Black basketball players on the court, only to be so obtuse about the challenges they face off it.

“Can’t see how yall can openly cheer for us then when it comes to this be against us so openly!!” Mitchell wrote.

Still, the vast majority of commenters were either supportive of Mitchell and his message, or took aim at the negative posters, pointing out that their words only seemed to reinforce the issues that Westbrook and other NBA players have with Utah fans yet again.

Wrote user jed_banta: “Lots of disappointing comments on this post. We Jazz fans have a [long way] to go before the reputation of our fanbase is changed and I’m ashamed.”

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]]> https://www.badsporters.com/2020/06/20/utah-jazz-star-donovan-mitchells-juneteenth-post-elicits-vitriolic-backlash-from-some-fans-social-media-followers-2/feed/ 0 7560 Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell’s Juneteenth post elicits vitriolic backlash from some fans, social media followers https://www.badsporters.com/2020/06/20/utah-jazz-star-donovan-mitchells-juneteenth-post-elicits-vitriolic-backlash-from-some-fans-social-media-followers/ https://www.badsporters.com/2020/06/20/utah-jazz-star-donovan-mitchells-juneteenth-post-elicits-vitriolic-backlash-from-some-fans-social-media-followers/#respond Sat, 20 Jun 2020 20:29:28 +0000 https://badsporters.com/?p=7557 Mitchell posted an image with the words “free•ish since 1865,” along with the caption, “HAPPY JUNETEENTH.” His post is reference to the fact that even after the Emancipation Proclamation purportedly freed slaves, Black people have since been subject to “convict leasing,” Jim Crow laws, and disproportionate and systematic mass incarceration which subsequently limits access to […]

The post Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell’s Juneteenth post elicits vitriolic backlash from some fans, social media followers first appeared on Bad Sporters.

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Mitchell posted an image with the words “free•ish since 1865,” along with the caption, “HAPPY JUNETEENTH.” His post is reference to the fact that even after the Emancipation Proclamation purportedly freed slaves, Black people have since been subject to “convict leasing,” Jim Crow laws, and disproportionate and systematic mass incarceration which subsequently limits access to government assistance, jobs, and voting rights. The Netflix documentary “13th” cited Bureau of Justice statistics that as of 2016, about 1 in 17 white men would be imprisoned in their lifetime, compared to 1 in 3 Black men, as well as how Black men account for 6.5% of the United States’ population, but make up 40.2% of those incarcerated in the U.S.

For what it’s worth, Mitchell’s IG post also attracted plenty of supporters — of him generally and his post specifically, as many encouraged him to keep speaking out and using his platform to effect change.

However, though there is no way to tie specific posters to their location, so as to determine if those commenting are actually Jazz fans or simply followers of Mitchell’s social media accounts, plenty of commenters worried that the negativity and obliviousness directed Mitchell’s way would be assumed to come from Utahns, and might prompt him to want to leave the team.

Among the more than 2,000 replies to Mitchell’s were those who slammed him for being “delusional” for suggesting not everyone in the United States is treated equally; there were also those angry at him for being “ungrateful,” as the wealth and celebrity he has earned from playing basketball professionally should, in their estimation, give him even more freedom. Many simply responded that they intend to “unfollow” his social media accounts now as a result.

Among the responses on his post:

• 2jcoles7: You are free. There is not ish

• mintkatkit: Free-ish says the [expletive] millionaire who will never have to worry about getting by for the rest of his life, or his children’s lives. Lmao privileged rich mfer

• cosskameron: You got the same rights and privileges as me now chill out

• sims_904: You’re rich as [expletive] more than 95% of people in America shut your [expletive] trap

• james_falls_byu: We had an African American president, Spida… 8 years and he won both elections soundly

• trailcanyonstone: You might be the most free person I know, everybody in the state loves you, looks up to you, and wants to talk to you. quit being a victim it’s ridiculous. Have a conversation with Candace Owens Who I would vote for for president someday. She’s figured it out.

• warren__g4: Your [sic] free man 100% you have as much freedom as any white person in America

• heber_murph: You’re more free than 99% of us.

• brenten_garrett_ut: What do you mean freeish You literally make millions playing basketball I just lost all respect for you SPIDA

• ev_cole: What can’t black people do that white people can I’m confused

• dusty1089: Such bull, favorite player but this is delusion

• drew.crossen: You can’t say you’re not free when you are literally making millions every year to do something you [love]

• i_am_noscut: You’re part of the 1%. Don’t kid yourself…lol

• eltornillo1232: Imagine making millions for playing ball and posting this “ish”

• matt.halversen: You deserve all the bad things coming your way

• pressed_penny_collector_79: I love watching you play and I am such a big fan, but you make more money in a single game than my parents make in a single year. I don’t think it is right to compare yourself to [slaves] and not being free, because you are free and African Americans are doing great in the country.”

Though Mitchell did not reply to any of the individual Instagram commenters, he noted in a couple of subsequent posts on Twitter that such replies had certainly gotten his attention.

Back on May 29, just four days after Floyd died in police custody in Minneapolis when a white officer kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes, and after protests broke out throughout the country, prompting many white people to universally condemn the protesters as “looters” and “thugs” when some violence broke out, Mitchell tweeted, “Seeing a lot of people’s true colors….” He quote-tweeted that message Friday with the addendum, “Said it once and I’ll keep saying it!! Y’all can’t hide no more.”

A short time later, he tweeted again, expressing bewilderment at how fans can so openly support Black basketball players on the court, only to be so obtuse about the challenges they face off it.

“Can’t see how yall can openly cheer for us then when it comes to this be against us so openly!!” Mitchell wrote.

Still, the vast majority of commenters were either supportive of Mitchell and his message, or took aim at the negative posters, pointing out that their words only seemed to reinforce the issues that Westbrook and other NBA players have with Utah fans yet again.

Wrote user jed_banta: “Lots of disappointing comments on this post. We Jazz fans have a [long way] to go before the reputation of our fanbase is changed and I’m ashamed.”

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]]> https://www.badsporters.com/2020/06/20/utah-jazz-star-donovan-mitchells-juneteenth-post-elicits-vitriolic-backlash-from-some-fans-social-media-followers/feed/ 0 7557 Kyle Whittingham’s efforts to shepherd Utah football through current social unrest put to test by Morgan Scalley’s racial slur https://www.badsporters.com/2020/06/06/kyle-whittinghams-efforts-to-shepherd-utah-football-through-current-social-unrest-put-to-test-by-morgan-scalleys-racial-slur/ https://www.badsporters.com/2020/06/06/kyle-whittinghams-efforts-to-shepherd-utah-football-through-current-social-unrest-put-to-test-by-morgan-scalleys-racial-slur/#respond Sat, 06 Jun 2020 19:27:24 +0000 https://badsporters.com/?p=7003 In the days since former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was caught on camera pressing his knee against George Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes until he died, Utah football head coach Kyle Whittingham and his staff have addressed the incident in team meetings. There has been discussion and support, both as a team and […]

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In the days since former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was caught on camera pressing his knee against George Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes until he died, Utah football head coach Kyle Whittingham and his staff have addressed the incident in team meetings.

There has been discussion and support, both as a team and individual units, as the fallout from Floyd’s death plays out across the nation in the form of rallies and protests of police brutality. In an interview with The Salt Lake Tribune on Tuesday, Whittingham reaffirmed his love for the togetherness and diversity inside his locker room, which is generally split three ways between African-American, white/LDS and Polynesian student-athletes.

Friday afternoon’s scathing revelation involving Morgan Scalley, in the middle of what is shaping up to be a pivotal moment of civil unrest in the United States, may put all of that to the test.

In a school-issued statement, Utah athletic director Mark Harlan said he has spoken to Scalley, who was contrite, while acknowledging he sent the text message with a derogatory term. In the same statement, Scalley apologized, called the word he used “insensitive,” and accepted the suspension, which is with pay and indefinite while the school investigates.

“We’ve certainly addressed it, with the staff first and then we had a team meeting a few nights ago via Zoom where we talked to the team about it,” Whittingham told The Tribune about the Floyd video, one day before criminal charges against Chauvin were upgraded to second-degree murder, while the other three officers involved were charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder. “This week, the offense and the defense as individual units are having Zoom calls as well with their groups and further discussing.

“Bottom line is, we want to make sure we’re there to support our guys and that they know we’re there for them. We have a great mental health team here at the University of Utah and just making sure the players use all the resources available to them and know the support is there if they want to reach out. That’s been our main focus since the event.”

Added Utah receivers coach Guy Holliday: “What I see is really a problem allowed to fester and exist for whatever reasons, but it seems to be a fear of African-American men, plus a willingness to intimidate, be aggressive and punish. What we have to recognize is there are good and bad people within all races, it’s not exclusive to men or minorities. We have to have more tolerance and really better treatment of human beings.”

In the wake of Floyd’s death, Whittingham, Holliday and the rest of the coaching staff were already in the middle of a unique and teachable moment. While African Americans make up nearly 50% of all FBS rosters according to multiple analysis done over the last decade by a variety of sources, Whittingham is the head coach of one of, if not the most-diverse rosters in the country.

“It’s one of the things I love most about our program and our team, the diversity,” Whittingham said. “We believe we’re the most-diverse team in the country and not just from an ethnic background, but we also have 18-year-old freshman and 25-year-old returned missionaries. We have various religious backgrounds, so you’d be hard-pressed to find a team in the country in any sport that has the level of diversity that we have. To me, it’s been a blessing. It’s a way for these guys to interact with each other, get along with each other and it’s been a strength of ours. It’s been great to be a part of that for so many years.

“I think it helps prepare them for life in a lot of different ways. To learn how to get along and be part of a team and have so many guys pulling in the same direction that genuinely care about each other and love each other, it’s just great to be a part of.”

In the aftermath, a handful of former players and recruits have come out in support of Scalley on Twitter, which is to be expected. Scalley, 40, is generally considered player-friendly, a strong defensive mind, an effective recruiter and a future head coach. He is viewed by some as the potential successor to Whittingham whenever he decides to retire.

How things play out in the shorter term will also offer fascination because as rallies and protests persist, Utah players, and young men of color in general, have proven more than willing to use social media to help get their point of racial injustice across.

One Ute in particular, redshirt junior running back TJ Green, has been active on social media in the days since protests ramped up nationwide. Tuesday and Wednesday nights brought protests to the downtown area of Green’s hometown of Chandler, Ariz.

On Tuesday, Green tweeted out a photo of himself with a group of fellow young African-American males. They are holding up a sign that reads “AM I NEXT?” That sentence is sandwiched in between two black power fists. The next day, Green fired off a photo of himself holding the sign at a protest next to a photo of himself in game action at Utah. The accompanying tweet read, “If you do not support me in this field, Then do NOT support me on the field.”

“There’s a right way and a wrong way to do it, but we talk in this program all the time about letting their personalities show through,” Whittingham said. “You get a team of 100-plus players, approaching 120 players, you have a bunch of personalities and you want them to manifest. That also goes for the coaching staff. If you’re on a coaching staff, in a meeting with 12 guys with the same personality and who all think the same way, you don’t need that. We encourage people to be themselves and stand up for what they believe in, but do it the right way. There are ways to do things constructively instead of destructively.”

Holliday added. “I think it’s very important for young people to have a voice. For so long, adults tended to brush over and really don’t acknowledge the opinions and voices of our youth. If you see the protests, they are cross-racial and there is a lot of pain and frustration if you listen to what these young people are saying. We need to listen to what they’re saying, we have to stop dismissing them as not being important.”

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]]> https://www.badsporters.com/2020/06/06/kyle-whittinghams-efforts-to-shepherd-utah-football-through-current-social-unrest-put-to-test-by-morgan-scalleys-racial-slur/feed/ 0 7003 The NBA's return brings with it a leadership opportunity in the social justice movement https://www.badsporters.com/2020/06/06/the-nbas-return-brings-with-it-a-leadership-opportunity-in-the-social-justice-movement/ https://www.badsporters.com/2020/06/06/the-nbas-return-brings-with-it-a-leadership-opportunity-in-the-social-justice-movement/#respond Sat, 06 Jun 2020 11:11:12 +0000 https://badsporters.com/?p=6964 Basketball has never felt less essential. Worldwide protests against racial injustice and police brutality have pushed a global pandemic below the fold, and yet the NBA is moving toward resuming its 2019-20 season. There was a time we hoped the league could provide a welcome distraction for Americans quarantined and isolated because of the coronavirus. […]

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Basketball has never felt less essential. Worldwide protests against racial injustice and police brutality have pushed a global pandemic below the fold, and yet the NBA is moving toward resuming its 2019-20 season.

There was a time we hoped the league could provide a welcome distraction for Americans quarantined and isolated because of the coronavirus. That time has passed. We should no longer welcome any distraction from the movement currently spreading across the country. All eyes should be focused on a broken system.

“Everything going on right now, basketball is not important,” Los Angeles Clippers guard Patrick Beverley tweeted on Wednesday, surely echoing the thoughts of many of his colleagues who have joined protests and spoken out in the wake of George Floyd’s homicide in custody of the Minneapolis Police Department.

I had my reservations about the NBA returning in the midst of a pandemic, so sports seem even sillier now, but basketball is coming back, and I am trying to reconcile with that, because I write about basketball. Here is where I have landed: The league has a chance to dominate this conversation in the next five months, and seizing that opportunity could carry the current movement forward in a way that creates a lasting impact.

Former NBA player Stephen Jackson (right), a friend of George Floyd’s, poses for a photograph at a memorial for Floyd on Wednesday. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

When the NBA returns at the Walt Disney World Resort next month, players and coaches will have a massive audience as the faces of the most popular North American sport resuming games this summer. Among the four major North American sports leagues, the NBA has the highest percentage of African-Americans at every level of its organizations — from players to coaching staffs to executives to the league office — by a wide margin.

Three quarters of NBA players are black, according to the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, and many have been among the most vocal social justice advocates. Malcolm Brogdon of the Indiana Pacers joined a peaceful protest in Atlanta partially organized by Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics on Saturday, and the two rising stars made public pleas to a crowd of thousands in their hometown, a few hundred miles from where a black man, Ahmaud Arbery, was gunned down while jogging last month.

“This is a moment,” Brogdon told protesters. “We have leverage right now. We have a moment in time. People are going to look back, our kids are going to look back at this and say, ‘You were part of that.’ I’ve got a grandfather that marched next to Dr. King in the sixties, and he was amazing. He would be proud to see us all here. We got to keep pushing forward. Jaylen has led this charge, man, and I’m proud of him. We need more leaders.”

Former NBA player turned popular broadcaster Stephen Jackson was a close friend of Floyd’s. He was seen in recent days holding Floyd’s young daughter on his shoulders as she told onlookers, “Daddy changed the world.” Flanked by All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns and other Minnesota Timberwolves, Jackson spoke passionately from a justice rally in Minneapolis’ Government Center Plaza last week.

“When was murder ever worth it?” he said, referencing Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer since charged with Floyd’s murder. “But if it’s a black man, it’s approved. You can’t tell me when that man had his knee on my brother’s neck, taking his life away with his hand in his pocket, that that smirk on his face didn’t say, ‘I’m protecting.’”

NBA players have been increasingly vocal about racial injustice in the years since LeBron James tweeted a photo of his Miami Heat donning hooded sweatshirts in honor of Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old high school student who was shot and killed by Orlando-area neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman in 2012. James was also among dozens of players to sport “I Can’t Breathe” T-shirts in protest of a grand jury opting not to indict New York City police officer Daniel Pantaleo for the choking death of Eric Garner in 2014.

LeBron James was among the NBA players who wore “I Can’t Breathe” T-shirts in protest of police brutality in 2014. (Rich Kane/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

James has criticized Donald Trump for furthering the racial divide on a number of occasions, notably after the president referred to Colin Kaepernick and other NFL players protesting police brutality as “sons of bitches” and also after he defended “very fine people on both sides” of a 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, where a neo-Nazi drove into a crowd of anti-racism protesters, killing Heather Heyer.

Over the past week, James has pledged support for protests to tens of millions of social media followers.

“I won’t stop until I see change,” James wrote on Thursday.

The audience for James and other NBA players will only increase when they convene to resume the 2019-20 season in Orlando next month, when the league will take center stage on national television. The most predominantly black sports league in America, a league that empowers its players to voice their opinions, will have one of the most powerful voices in the world in the months leading up to the presidential election.

Racism and social justice are not inherently political issues, but they become more so when the president of the United States responds to protests not with a consistent unifying message but by calling Minneapolis protesters “thugs” in a Twitter rant that also suggested, “when the looting starts, the shooting starts,” when he called on the nation’s governors to “dominate” protesters or risk looking “like a bunch of jerks,” and when he promoted the use of tear gas on peaceful protesters to clear his path for a photo opportunity.

In one breath Trump once suggested Kaepernick and other NFL players peacefully protesting racial injustice during the national anthem should be deported, and in another he said this week, “I am … an ally of all peaceful protesters.” It is clear why Stephen Curry, Steve Kerr and members of the Golden State Warriors repeatedly clashed with Trump over his divisive remarks and why Trump rescinded an offer to visit the White House that was never extended to the champions of the blackest sports league in America.

The NBA also features a number of white men who have pledged their support for social justice and anti-racism efforts and put their face to white privilege. Kyle Korver, a senior member of the Eastern Conference-leading Milwaukee Bucks, penned an essay on the subject for The Players’ Tribune. Kerr and former Detroit Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy joined the Players Coalition in endorsing a letter to Attorney General William Barr last month that called for the arrest of the men who killed Arbery.

Steve Kerr and Gregg Popovich, coaches together on the U.S. men’s national team, have been vocal critics of President Donald Trump. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

“I’ve never met a single black parent that doesn’t have to sit their kids down and talk to them very directly about how you deal with the police if you’re stopped,” Van Gundy told Yahoo Sports in late May. “‘You do this, this and this, so you come home alive.’ I started getting more of that in my career. I’m like holy [expletive]. I’ve never once talked to my kids about that or felt the need to. If my kid got pulled over, it was because they deserved to get pulled over. Even if they mouthed off, nobody was gonna shoot them.”

Kerr hosted San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich this week on his “Flying Coach” podcast with Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll for a conversation about how they, as privileged white men, can engage players of all backgrounds in meaningful conversations and assist the effort to bring about systemic change. Popovich has long been one of the NBA’s most vocal critics of Trump’s leadership.

“The thing that strikes me is that we all see this police violence and racism and we’ve seen it all before but nothing changes,” Popovich told The Nation’s Dave Zirin in a conversation prompted by the oft-private coach. “That’s why these protests have been so explosive. But without leadership and an understanding of what the problem is, there will never be change. And white Americans have avoided reckoning with this problem forever because it’s been our privilege to be able to avoid it. That also has to change.”

Popovich went so far as to call the president “a deranged idiot.” Kerr has called Trump “a blowhard.” Curry called him an asset, “if you remove the et.” James called him a “bum.” The NBA’s voice on this is glaring.

Players and coaches have two months before the season resumes to craft a more effective message to the American public, one that elevates the national conversation from name-calling and attempts by detractors to conflate peaceful protests with looting and the excessive use of force by police with assaults against police officers. There is an opportunity to further a sports activism cause once carried by their predecessors at the 1967 Cleveland Summit, including Bill Russell, who also had a front-row seat as a guest of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the March on Washington and for whom the NBA’s Finals MVP trophy is named.

The National Basketball Coaches Association recently condemned “police brutality, racial profiling and the weaponization of racism” as “shameful, inhumane and intolerable,” forming a committee to combat social injustices with tangible reform in NBA cities. That is a start. There is a long way to go, but coaches and players can undoubtedly serve as leaders in carrying the momentum of this movement into the most consequential election of many of their lifetimes.

The best reason to welcome the NBA’s return in the face of a pandemic is what might unfold off the court in Orlando during the months before another champion refuses to accept a White House invitation. In that way, basketball might just be essential again.

– – – – – – –

Ben Rohrbach is a staff writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at rohrbach_ben@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @brohrbach

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]]> https://www.badsporters.com/2020/06/06/the-nbas-return-brings-with-it-a-leadership-opportunity-in-the-social-justice-movement/feed/ 0 6964 Former Florida Tech football player accused of trying to sell stolen goods on social media https://www.badsporters.com/2020/01/20/former-florida-tech-football-player-accused-of-trying-to-sell-stolen-goods-on-social-media/ https://www.badsporters.com/2020/01/20/former-florida-tech-football-player-accused-of-trying-to-sell-stolen-goods-on-social-media/#respond Mon, 20 Jan 2020 04:53:36 +0000 http://www.badsporters.com/?p=4950 CLOSE A former Florida Institute of Technology football player who police say used social media to sell stolen goods from retail stores in Brevard and Indian River counties was arrested. Marshawn Gordon, 23, of Missouri, was charged with dealing or trafficking in stolen property, possession of an anti-shoplifting inventory control device, organized fraud, and petit […]

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A former Florida Institute of Technology football player who police say used social media to sell stolen goods from retail stores in Brevard and Indian River counties was arrested.

Marshawn Gordon, 23, of Missouri, was charged with dealing or trafficking in stolen property, possession of an anti-shoplifting inventory control device, organized fraud, and petit theft, after a traffic stop in Melbourne.

Gordon had exhausted his eligibility with Florida Tech’s football program after the end of the last season. He played two seasons as a backup running back and wide receiver with the Florida Tech Panthers.

Marshawn Gordon (Photo: BREVARD COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE)

In November, Gordon was one of 10 offensive players honored on Senior Day as part of the festivities before rushing for 45 yards on four carries in that season-ending 42-3 victory against Shorter. 

More: Auto dealers offering $2,500 reward for information in connection to south Brevard burglaries

On Jan. 8,  Brevard County sheriff’s deputies were alerted about a retail theft at the Target store in Viera. Deputies spotted his vehicle and carried out a traffic stop. Deputies approached the car with guns drawn and ordered him out of the vehicle, reports show. 

Deputies searched the car and found a pair of cutters – the kind typically used to cut roofing type metal – sticking out of his right pocket. Investigators said Gordon had used the cutters to remove shoplifting devices at Target stores in West Melbourne, Viera and in Indian River County. 

Inside the car, deputies found several electronics, including wireless controllers, video streaming devices, Amazon Firesticks. West Melbourne police also linked Gordon to the theft of Nintendo switch controllers and Fitbit watches. 

Investigators talked with Gordon, who admitted to stealing the goods and then selling the items on Instagram and Facebook. Gordon was registered at Florida Tech but was not staying on campus, authorities reported.

He remained held at the Brevard County Jail on $34,000, according to court records. No court date has been set. 

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]]> https://www.badsporters.com/2020/01/20/former-florida-tech-football-player-accused-of-trying-to-sell-stolen-goods-on-social-media/feed/ 0 4950 Sexual assault via social media emerging as new threat; Knox man second to be charged https://www.badsporters.com/2018/02/28/sexual-assault-via-social-media-emerging-as-new-threat-knox-man-second-to-be-charged/ https://www.badsporters.com/2018/02/28/sexual-assault-via-social-media-emerging-as-new-threat-knox-man-second-to-be-charged/#respond Wed, 28 Feb 2018 20:31:28 +0000 http://www.badsporters.com/?p=2607 CLOSE There is new form of rape emerging in the digital age in East Tennessee – social media threats as weapons to force victims to submit to sexual demands. Angela Gosnell/News Sentinel Justin Scott Corum, shown in a mugshot, is accused of using digital threats to extort sex.(Photo: Knox County Sheriff’s Office)  A new form […]

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There is new form of rape emerging in the digital age in East Tennessee – social media threats as weapons to force victims to submit to sexual demands.
Angela Gosnell/News Sentinel

Justin Scott Corum, shown in a mugshot, is accused of using digital threats to extort sex.(Photo: Knox County Sheriff’s Office)

 A new form of rape is emerging in the digital age in East Tennessee – social media threats as weapons to force victims to submit to sexual demands.

Court records show 26 young women – many of them University of Tennessee students – and three girls have been terrorized with threats delivered via dating app Tinder and social media apps Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram in less than two years.

Their assailants used those digital threats of public humiliation and violence to try to force them into acts of sexual degradation and, in some cases, rape, records show.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Knoxville is responding to this new trend in sexual victimization through the use of federal extortion charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Davidson last year successfully prosecuted the first such case and last week filed another.

Posers and apps

Justin Scott Corum, 22, of Knoxville faces 13 counts of transmitting a threat via the Internet with the intent to extort. U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Guyton arraigned Corum last week and set a May 1 trial before Chief U.S. District Judge Tom Varlan.

Corum’s 13 alleged victims are only identified in the indictment with initials but court records show at least one is a UT student and another is a minor.

Corum’s case comes after Davidson successfully prosecuted Brandon Douglas Shanahan of Sweetwater for similar crimes involving 14 young women, many of whom were UT students, and two teenage girls.

More: Snapchat extortionist posing as UT football player gets 30 months, told to take responsibility

In both cases, records show, the alleged assailants crafted fake online identities. Shanahan, who late last year was sent to federal prison after confessing his crimes, pretended to be former UT defensive back Cameron Sutton to lure women into his digital trap largely via Snapchat.

Shanahan had no connection to Sutton, and the football player – now a Pittsburgh Steelers player – was unaware of Shanahan’s crimes.

Corum allegedly posed as a minor league baseball player and reeled in victims via Tinder, records show.

Single victim comes forward

The case against Corum began with a call from a UT student to the UT Police Department in October. UTPD Officer Jeffrey Quirin wrote in a warrant initially filed in Knox County General Sessions Court the female student “began talking via Tinder” to Corum.

“The conversation then moved to text messaging,” Quirin wrote.

At some point, Corum “began taking the conversation in an explicit direction,” demanding “sexual acts” from the young woman.

“When (the woman) stated that she would not perform sexual acts that Mr. Corum wanted, the tone of the conversation changed,” the officer wrote. “Mr. Corum advised that if (the woman) would not meet up with him and perform these acts, there would be retribution.”

University of Tennessee police (Photo: Submitted)

Corum allegedly claimed he had “family in law enforcement and would ‘pull her number,’” Quirin wrote in the warrant.

“Mr. Corum also stated, ‘You’ll find out later (that) sometimes you bark up the wrong tree,’ ” the warrant stated.

Corum is accused of threatening to publicly humiliate the young woman and expose “her actions to her family,” the warrant stated. He claimed he had “found every single one of” her relatives, Quirin wrote.

The young woman grew so frightened “she had her friend walk with her to work, out of fear she would be accosted by Mr. Corum,” the officer stated in the warrant.

Quirin, the warrant stated, tracked Corum down and arrested him at his Knoxville home.

“Mr. Corum admitted the messages were authored by him,” Quirin wrote.

The FBI was notified and launched a probe that has since revealed a string of alleged victims, with extortion threats dating back to at least May 2017, according to federal court records. The indictment states Corum used social media apps including Twitter and Instagram to threaten to humiliate his alleged victims if they did not comply with his demands.

Corum remains jailed pending trial in U.S. District Court.

Extortionist

A single report to law enforcement – and a USA TODAY NETWORK-Tennessee story on that allegation – also led to the discovery of multiple victims in Shanahan’s case.

More: FBI: Sweetwater man impersonated football player, terrorized UT student via Snapchat

Shanahan was himself a popular football player but wound up his sister’s babysitter after graduating high school. At age 22, he began posing as Sutton, who had a big following on Snapchat among female students and teenage girls.

Brandon Douglas Shanahan (Photo: Blount County Sheriff’s Office)

His impersonation soon led to darker forms of deceit and intimidation as he vowed public humiliation and in at least one instance violence against 14 young women and two teenage girls if they didn’t send him nude selfies with sexually explicit and degrading captions, court records show.

More: Two minors among victims revealed in Snapchat probe

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A Sweetwater, Tenn., man who posed as a University of Tennessee football player on Snapchat and terrorized more than a dozen young women in a bid to extort nude selfies from them has struck a plea deal in the case, records show.
Angela Gosnell/News Sentinel

Even after Shanahan was captured by the FBI in 2016, he ran the same extortion racket again while free on pretrial release. The details of that are under seal, but now-retired U.S. Magistrate Judge Clifford Shirley jailed him for it, and U.S. District Judge Pamela Reeves cited it as justification for the 30-month prison term she imposed.

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]]> https://www.badsporters.com/2018/02/28/sexual-assault-via-social-media-emerging-as-new-threat-knox-man-second-to-be-charged/feed/ 0 2607 LATEST NEWS: Peterborough League player charged with improper conduct following social media comments https://www.badsporters.com/2018/02/16/latest-news-peterborough-league-player-charged-with-improper-conduct-following-social-media-comments/ https://www.badsporters.com/2018/02/16/latest-news-peterborough-league-player-charged-with-improper-conduct-following-social-media-comments/#respond Fri, 16 Feb 2018 10:28:25 +0000 http://www.badsporters.com/?p=2308 A Peterborough League footballer has been charged with improper conduct after allegedly making derogatory comments towards a referee on social media. Long Sutton Athletic player Paul Newcombe could face a 10-game ban and £50 fine when the matter comes before the Lincs FA. It’s the latest fall-out from a stormy PFA Senior Cup quarter-final between […]

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A Peterborough League footballer has been charged with improper conduct after allegedly making derogatory comments towards a referee on social media.

Long Sutton Athletic player Paul Newcombe could face a 10-game ban and £50 fine when the matter comes before the Lincs FA.

It’s the latest fall-out from a stormy PFA Senior Cup quarter-final between Long Sutton and Netherton United last weekend (February 10). Netherton won the tie 3-2, but one of their players, James McDonagh, was allegedly assaulted in the visiting dressing room after the game by a home player.

Newcombe was among several Sutton club members to condemn the alleged assault by a teammate, but it’s understood he also took to social media to make an accusation about match referee Shaun Gray 48 hours later which has led to an increasingly common charge from a local FA.

Newcombe posted the letter from the Lincs FA on his Twitter account.

It read: ‘Paul Newcombe is charged with improper conduct (including foul and abusive language) for making comments on social media site Twitter that are seen to be improper.

‘In accordance with the FA Sanction Guidelines 2017-18, if a commission finds this charge proven they will be required to decide whether they feel the proven misconduct be classed as a low, medium or high level of seriousness.’

FA guidelines recommend a 1-3 match ban (£0-£25 fine) for a low level offence, a 2-4 match ban (£15-£40 fine) for a medium level offence and 3-10 match ban (£20-£50 fine) for a high level offence.

Teenager Robbie Ellis won the tie for Netherton with a terrific individual goal after Zack Fisher and Callum Madigan (penalty) had twice dragged Netherton level.

Tom Gosling scored and was then sent off for Long Sutton.

Netherton released a statement to confirm their views on the alleged assault will be made through ‘official channels.’ It’s understood there has been no police involvement so far.

Long Sutton issued a chairman’s statement 48 hours after the incident which read: “With regards to Saturday’s incident, the club will be taking the appropriate action towards the player. This kind of behaviour is not acceptable and will not be tolerated at Long Sutton.”

The Lincs FA told the Peterborough Telegraph: “We cannot comment on specific cases but we have charged roughly 6/8 players with improper use of social media.”

Long Sutton host Crowland Town in a Division One match tomorrow (February 17). They have signed the talented Makate brothers Wilson and Eric, the latter has been playing for Netherton.

Netherton will return to top spot in the Premier Division if they win their tricky game at Sutton Bridge United. Third-placed Moulton Harrox will go top if Netherton slip up and they win their fixture at Sawtry. Current leaders Stamford Lions are without a game.

Holders ICA Sports will join Netherton, Moulton Harrox and Whittlesey Athletic in the PFA Senior Cup semi-finals if they win at First Division Peterborough Polonia tomorrow.

Fixtures

Saturday, February 17

CHROMASPORT & TROPHIES PETERBOROUGH LEAGUE

Premier Division: AFC Stanground Sports v Warboys Town, Holbeach United Res v Whittlesey Athletic, Langtoft Utd v Ketton, Leverington Sports v Deeping Rangers Res, Sawtry v Moulton Harrox, Sutton Bridge United v Netherton United, Thorney v Peterborough Sports Res.

PFA Senior Cup

Quarter-final: Peterborough Polonia v ICA Sports.

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]]> https://www.badsporters.com/2018/02/16/latest-news-peterborough-league-player-charged-with-improper-conduct-following-social-media-comments/feed/ 0 2308 Woman in Blue Bulls rape case slammed for 'speaking out' on social media https://www.badsporters.com/2018/02/09/woman-in-blue-bulls-rape-case-slammed-for-speaking-out-on-social-media/ https://www.badsporters.com/2018/02/09/woman-in-blue-bulls-rape-case-slammed-for-speaking-out-on-social-media/#respond Fri, 09 Feb 2018 00:43:01 +0000 http://www.badsporters.com/?p=2114 Port Elizabeth – A 19-year-old Blue Bulls rugby player charged with rape and robbery was granted bail of R10 000, while the woman who opened the case against him was criticised for “speaking out” on social media, by the New Brighton Magistrate’s Court in the Eastern Cape  on Thursday.  The former Grey High School pupil, […]

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Port Elizabeth – A 19-year-old Blue Bulls rugby player charged with rape and robbery was granted bail of R10 000, while the woman who opened the case against him was criticised for “speaking out” on social media, by the New Brighton Magistrate’s Court in the Eastern Cape  on Thursday. 

The former Grey High School pupil, who cannot be named until he has formally pleaded, is facing charges after an 18-year-old woman opened a case against him in December last year. 

The alleged incident happened after a night out in KwaMagxasi in Port Elizabeth. In summarising evidence before court on Thursday, Magistrate Una Rhodes read out statements from witnesses who had also attended the party at a flat in Central. 

In the hours before the alleged attack, witnesses had seen the woman kissing, hugging and fondling the athlete. They also noted that the woman had consumed alcohol and substantial amounts of cannabis.  

Read more: Rape accused Blue Bulls player needs bail to advance his career – lawyer

The rugby player who intends to plead not guilty to the charges at trial, alleged that the woman’s motive for opening a case against him was as a result of her stealing his wallet and cellphone. He claimed that the pair did have sex, but it was consensual. 

The State on the other hand, claimed that the defence tried to tarnish the name of the complainant and according to the prosecution the woman could have been smoking flavoured tobacco and not dagga. 

Magistrate Rhodes criticised the woman for her outbursts on social media in the form of voice notes. She said that it raised serious questions in her mind, leaving room to doubt the reliability of her evidence. She also noted that there were contradictions in her statement to police and the voice notes. 

Also read: Blue Bulls rape accused awaits bail verdict

In her statement to police the woman claimed that she was dragged from the car they drove in and raped in the bushes, while in the voice notes she claimed that she got out of the vehicle, walked home and was attacked from behind.

However, Rhodes said that it was not the role of the bail court to decide on issues of credibility and those were matters to be dealt with at trial.  

Rhodes said that she was able to find that exceptional circumstances existed to warrant the athlete’s release on bail. “Being a sports star is not exceptional, however the circumstances around his career amount to exceptional circumstances,” she said. 

Rhodes said that rugby allowed him to be self sufficient and take care of the needs of his two-year-old son. 

On taking the community into consideration, she said it was disconcerting a rape of a five-year old child, in the same court building, got no attention from the public. She said that she condoned “victims speaking out” but it needed to be done in line with following procedure. “Why does the community feel no outrage? Do the community only feel rage because he is a Blue Bulls rugby player?” she asked. 

“The public had protested but this court cannot be held to ransom. Seemingly the public already found him guilty but this court can’t be bound by public opinion,” said Rhodes.  

The rugby player is to report to the Sunnyside Police Station in Pretoria thrice a week and to have no contact with the complainant and witnesses as part of his bail conditions. The case was postponed until March 27 for further investigation. 

African News Agency/ANA

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]]> https://www.badsporters.com/2018/02/09/woman-in-blue-bulls-rape-case-slammed-for-speaking-out-on-social-media/feed/ 0 2114 Knicks’ Kanter charged for insulting former Kings player Turkoglu on social media https://www.badsporters.com/2018/02/08/knicks-kanter-charged-for-insulting-former-kings-player-turkoglu-on-social-media/ https://www.badsporters.com/2018/02/08/knicks-kanter-charged-for-insulting-former-kings-player-turkoglu-on-social-media/#respond Thu, 08 Feb 2018 18:38:53 +0000 http://www.badsporters.com/?p=2088 New York Knicks center Enes Kanter faces charges for insulting former Kings player and current Turkish political adviser Hedo Turkoglu, and may be tried in absentia in Turkey, EuroHoops reported Thursday. The comments, made via social media, were considered to be “humiliating and hurtful” by the Istanbul Cyber Crimes Investigation Bureau in its indictment, according […]

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New York Knicks center Enes Kanter faces charges for insulting former Kings player and current Turkish political adviser Hedo Turkoglu, and may be tried in absentia in Turkey, EuroHoops reported Thursday.

The comments, made via social media, were considered to be “humiliating and hurtful” by the Istanbul Cyber Crimes Investigation Bureau in its indictment, according to Turkish newspaper Sabah, but were not referenced specifically. A prison term between one to four years is sought, and the case will be heard at the Assize Court without Kanter present.

Turkoglu has been CEO of the Turkish Basketball Federation since 2015 and a senior adviser to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan since March 2016. Erdogan was the subject of an attempted military coup in July 2016.

Kanter was raised in Turkey, and Turkoglu, 38, became the first Turkish-born NBA player upon being drafted by the Kings in 2000 (first round, No. 16). Turkoglu, a forward, played 15 seasons in the league, in Sacramento from 2000-2003.

Despite a 13-year age gap, Kanter and Turkoglu’s NBA tenure overlapped for about four years, from 2011 through the 2014-15 season.

In December, Kanter was also charged with insulting Erdogan, Sporting News reports, with four years of imprisonment sought in that case.

Kanter reacted to media reports of this week’s charges on Twitter, in Turkish, and tagged Turkoglu in his post, alongside a sarcastic “kiss” emoji.

Last May, Sabah reported that Turkish prosecutors had issued an arrest warrant for Kanter, charging him for “being a member of a terrorist organization.” Sabah’s story says the NBA player is known for expressing support for Fethullah Gulen via Twitter. Gulen, a preacher now living in the United States, is called a terrorist by the Turkish government and Sabah, considered by Turkish political leadership to be responsible for the 2016 coup attempt.

Kanter is a frequent Twitter user, and he sometimes discusses Turkish political and human rights issues on his page.

An ousted former bureau chief for Sabah noted that the publication has been overwhelmingly pro-government since its 2007 seizure by then-prime minster Erdogan, according to a 2009 Wall Street Journal story.

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