ESPN Suspends Adrian Wojnarowski After Profane Email to U.S. Senator

Yappi

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Adrian Wojnarowski looks a little pathetic here. Seems like he was the old out of shape non-athlete trying to get a little street cred with the "cool kids". Kudos to him because it apparently worked with a few of the NBA players...

There is reportedly a timeline on the suspension for ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

According to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, the high-profile NBA news-breaker was suspended for two weeks by the network after responding "---- you" to an email sent out by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) that questioned the league's relationship with China and juxtaposed it against its push to support the Black Lives Matter movement.
 
 
Probably a big win for his "first to break breaking basketball news" reputation going forward.

I do not like the dynamics of the NBA's relationship with China, but IMO Senator Hawley looks like a Karen that's going on a fishing expedition here to try to cause a scene. In regards to pro-military and pro-police messages, there's zero evidence that promoting such messages was neutralized by the league or the player's association. It's not being promoted because "socially conscience" causes are shockingly at the forefront of a player's union that overwhelmingly consists of blacks and foreigners, many of whom are from former Eastern Bloc type authoritarian countries.
 
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Probably a big win for his "first to break breaking basketball news" reputation going forward.

I do not like the dynamics of the NBA's relationship with China, but IMO Senator Hawley looks like a Karen that's going on a fishing expedition here to try to cause a scene. In regards to pro-military and pro-police messages, there's zero evidence that promoting such messages was neutralized by the league or the player's association. It's not being promoted because "socially conscience" causes are shockingly at the forefront of a player's union that overwhelmingly consists of blacks and foreigners, many of whom are from former Eastern Bloc type authoritarian countries.

I get it, but I’m still irritated by the fallout from last Fall. LeBron and Steve Kerr never have a problem saying what’s wrong with America. Which is their right, but they have no problem lining their pockets with millions of $ from a country that’s far worse in Human Rights abuse. It’s not fair to think they’ll have an opinion on EVERY single world event, but when you’re taking a lot of $ from some foreign govt, you should perform your due diligence
 
I get it, but I’m still irritated by the fallout from last Fall. LeBron and Steve Kerr never have a problem saying what’s wrong with America. Which is their right, but they have no problem lining their pockets with millions of $ from a country that’s far worse in Human Rights abuse. It’s not fair to think they’ll have an opinion on EVERY single world event, but when you’re taking a lot of $ from some foreign govt, you should perform your due diligence

It is the marketplace in action. China is a major growth market for their product, and by estimates drives up to 10% of their current revenues. By their own estimates they expect to lose up to $400 million over the brief fallout from the Daryl Morey tweets. If their biggest stars and brand name teams went all in on #FreeHongKong, it would be the equivalent of lighting a huge pile of cash on fire.

Domestically, what does their average fan look like? The answer is much younger and far less white than the viewership of the NFL and MLB. Up to 2/3rds of their domestic viewership is non-white and almost all domestic viewership growth is viewers under 35. Domestically, social justice stuff is extremely on-brand for who actually watches their product, and if they actually had guys that wanted to pimp conservative causes with jersey messages they would probably face some domestic viewership backlash for it. Something that the virtue signalling senator involved here is well aware of.
 
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This is absolutely wild
 
It is the marketplace in action. China is a major growth market for their product, and by estimates drives up to 10% of their current revenues. By their own estimates they expect to lose up to $400 million over the brief fallout from the Daryl Morey tweets. If their biggest stars and brand name teams went all in on #FreeHongKong, it would be the equivalent of lighting a huge pile of cash on fire.

Domestically, what does their average fan look like? The answer is much younger and far less white than the viewership of the NFL and MLB. Up to 2/3rds of their domestic viewership is non-white and almost all domestic viewership growth is viewers under 35. Domestically, social justice stuff is extremely on-brand for who actually watches their product, and if they actually had guys that wanted to pimp conservative causes with jersey messages they would probably face some domestic viewership backlash for it. Something that the virtue signalling senator involved here is well aware of.
Then you don’t get to be a social justice league. IDC if you take China’s $, but if you do, you lose all rights to about America
 
Then you don’t get to be a social justice league. IDC if you take China’s $, but if you do, you lose all rights to about America

I don't really care who they take money from. They do what they do because it's what their core viewership groups want and support.

I feel safe in saying that most minorities in this country, especially younger people and blacks, don't care very much about Chinese Communism or democracy in Hong Kong. They care about domestic social justice. The people that hate China and spend their time ranting about Hong Kong are overwhelmingly in demographic groups that don't support their product.
 
I don't really care who they take money from. They do what they do because it's what their core viewership groups want and support.

I feel safe in saying that most minorities in this country, especially younger people and blacks, don't care very much about Chinese Communism or democracy in Hong Kong. They care about domestic social justice. The people that hate China and spend their time ranting about Hong Kong are overwhelmingly in demographic groups that don't support their product.
But you don’t see the hypocrisy in condemning social injustice in the US and taking $ from a govt where greater injustice occurs?
 
I don't really care who they take money from. They do what they do because it's what their core viewership groups want and support.

I feel safe in saying that most minorities in this country, especially younger people and blacks, don't care very much about Chinese Communism or democracy in Hong Kong. They care about domestic social justice. The people that hate China and spend their time ranting about Hong Kong are overwhelmingly in demographic groups that don't support their product.
It is also probably reasonable to say that a lot of the people who watch the NBA, if not the majority of Americans, Don't Care About China. Or whatever extent they do "care" about China is superseded with their own concern about what's going on in the country they live in.
 
But you don’t see the hypocrisy in condemning social injustice in the US and taking $ from a govt where greater injustice occurs?

Hypocritical yes, but they are far from the only business to enrich themselves off of China.

Up until the last handful of years there was nothing controversial about extending business to China. The market opportunity made it smart business.
 
I don't think Woj should've reacted at all, and I don't agree with his reaction. I see nothing wrong with ESPN suspending him for his actions.

That said, Josh Hawley is acting like a complete nerd and tool about this.
 
It is also probably reasonable to say that a lot of the people who watch the NBA, if not the majority of Americans, Don't Care About China. Or whatever extent they do "care" about China is superseded with their own concern about what's going on in the country they live in.

Agreed entirely.
 
Hypocritical yes, but they are far from the only business to enrich themselves off of China.

Up until the last handful of years there was nothing controversial about extending business to China. The market opportunity made it smart business.
Well yeah bc they weren’t pushing Social Justice, that’s the whole point.
 
It is also probably reasonable to say that a lot of the people who watch the NBA, if not the majority of Americans, Don't Care About China. Or whatever extent they do "care" about China is superseded with their own concern about what's going on in the country they live in.
That’s fine, but those of us watching the NBA aren’t being paid millions of $ by the Chinese Govt
 
Well yeah bc they weren’t pushing Social Justice, that’s the whole point.

The point regarding social justice is that the overwhelmingly black player's union and minority fanbase is fixated on domestic social justice, whether the causes are just or exaggerated.

The Dock is correct. For most of those people China, Hong Kong, etc. isn't even on their radar or is way down their priority list below what they're concerned with in their own country.
 
I agree, it’s definitely a PR stunt, but he’s not fundamentally wrong.
Except anyone in the league in theory would opt for "Back the Blue" or "Support Our Troops" on the back of their jersey if they wanted, right? I'm not at all seeing what Sen. Hawley's point is. No one is being 'deplatformed' or silenced or whatever. We aren't seeing these messages because frankly no one in the league, when presented with the option, wants to promote the message. Probably because they don't believe in such the message themselves, or... more likely, they realize those messages are not challenged in the US and thus don't need the advocacy of a professional athlete. Pretty cool to see Kyle Korver opt for "Black Lives Matter."
 
Except anyone in the league in theory would opt for "Back the Blue" or "Support Our Troops" on the back of their jersey if they wanted, right? I'm not at all seeing what Sen. Hawley's point is. No one is being 'deplatformed' or silenced or whatever. We aren't seeing these messages because frankly no one in the league, when presented with the option, wants to promote the message. Probably because they don't believe in such the message themselves, or... more likely, they realize those messages are not challenged in the US and thus don't need the advocacy of a professional athlete. Pretty cool to see Kyle Korver opt for "Black Lives Matter."
I actually think there’s only a few select messages they’re allowed to wear
 
The point regarding social justice is that the overwhelmingly black player's union and minority fanbase is fixated on domestic social justice, whether the causes are just or exaggerated.

The Dock is correct. For most of those people China, Hong Kong, etc. isn't even on their radar or is way down their priority list below what they're concerned with in their own country.
That’s fine, but then you don’t take the Chinese Govt’s $. How is that hard to grasp? They want to have their cake and eat it too. It doesn’t work that way. You don’t call out the US for social injustice, then turn right around and take millions of $ directly from a Govt that’s far worse. I understand they should care more about what goes on here, but that’s not an excuse to look the other way with China.
 
That’s fine, but then you don’t take the Chinese Govt’s $. How is that hard to grasp? They want to have their cake and eat it too. It doesn’t work that way. You don’t call out the US for social injustice, then turn right around and take millions of $ directly from a Govt that’s far worse. I understand they should care more about what goes on here, but that’s not an excuse to look the other way with China.

They've been taking their money (exponentially) for the last 10-15 years, long before American conservatives that don't care for their product found themselves suddenly caring deeply about Hong Kong and the Uighurs in Xinjiang.

Taking a stand against China isn't happening unless there's another Yao level star that emerges and takes on that fight. Otherwise, there's zero chance they're throwing away several years of making inroads and hundreds of millions of Chinese basketball viewers.
 
They've been taking their money (exponentially) for the last 10-15 years, long before American conservatives that don't care for their product found themselves suddenly caring deeply about Hong Kong and the Uighurs in Xinjiang.

Taking a stand against China isn't happening unless there's another Yao level star that emerges and takes on that fight. Otherwise, there's zero chance they're throwing away several years of making inroads and hundreds of millions of Chinese basketball viewers.
Also: this is really less a players' issue and more a, uh I don't know... an issue for the State Department and the Oval Office to hash out. Oh wait, Mike Pompeo is instead talking about TikTok.
 
They've been taking their money (exponentially) for the last 10-15 years, long before American conservatives that don't care for their product found themselves suddenly caring deeply about Hong Kong and the Uighurs in Xinjiang.

Taking a stand against China isn't happening unless there's another Yao level star that emerges and takes on that fight. Otherwise, there's zero chance they're throwing away several years of making inroads and hundreds of millions of Chinese basketball viewers.
And they weren’t in our faces about social justice then. How is that hard to grasp?
 
Also: this is really less a players' issue and more a, uh I don't know... an issue for the State Department and the Oval Office to hash out. Oh wait, Mike Pompeo is instead talking about TikTok.
No, it’s an issue bc a foreign govt is curtailing freedom of speech in this country. They’re all riding Kap’s tip and his right to protest at work, why can’t Daryl Morey speak his mind?
 
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