Posted on 02/17/2018 6:52:58 PM PST by Kaslin
Fox News’ Laura Ingraham sparked nationwide controversy this week after telling Cleveland Cavaliers star Lebron James and Golden State Warriors role player Kevin Durant to avoid discussing politics and to “shut up and dribble.” Liberals decried the supposedly racist undertones of her comments, but last night the host of The Ingraham Angle refused to to apologize for her remarks saying, “the left and the media attack dogs can dish it out can’t they, but they sure can’t take it.”
On Thursday night, Ingraham aired a video featuring the aforementioned NBA stars and an ESPN host discussing politics and the state of America under President Donald Trump. “King James" harshly criticized the commander in chief, saying, he does not “give a f*ck about the people.”
In response to that clip, Ingraham said, “I’m numb to this commentary. Must they run their mouth like that? A lot of kids and some adults take these ignorant comments seriously. There might be a cautionary lesson in Lebron for kids. This is what happens when you attempt to leave high school a year early to join the NBA. Someone gets paid $100 million a year to bounce a ball. They’re great players but no one voted for you. Millions elected Trump to be their coach. Keep the political commentary to yourself or as someone once said, shut up and dribble.”
Not surprisingly, liberals accused Ingraham of racism. Others bemoaned Ingraham telling an athlete to remain silent on non-sporting news when she has had numerous non-political guests, such as Tim Tebow, on her show through the years. Lebron James respondedwith the following tweet.
#wewillnotshutupanddribble https://t.co/LyenGRKTUE— LeBron James (@KingJames) February 17, 2018
But yesterday, Ingraham pointed out several problems with these accusations of racism.
on Friday afternoon, she released a statement, saying, “In 2003, I wrote a New York Times bestseller called ‘Shut Up & Sing,’ in which I criticized celebrities like the Dixie Chicks & Barbra Streisand who were trashing then-President George W. Bush. I have used a variation of that title for more than 15 years to respond to performers who sound off on politics. I’ve told Robert DeNiro to ‘Shut Up & Act,’ Jimmy Kimmel to ‘Shut Up & Make Us Laugh,’ and just this week told the San Antonio Spurs’ Gregg Popovich to ‘Shut up & Coach.’ If pro athletes and entertainers want to freelance as political pundits, then they should not be surprised when they’re called out for insulting politicians. There was no racial intent in my remarks – false, defamatory charges of racism are a transparent attempt to immunize entertainment and sports elites from scrutiny and criticism. Additionally, we stated on my show that these comments came from an ESPN podcast, which was not the case – the content was unaffiliated with ESPN.”
On last night’s show, Ingraham echoed those remarks and added, "If you want to be a political pundit, you’re coming on my court, okay? Let’s do it. Let’s have a real conversation about black unemployment. Let’s talk about violence in the inner city. Let’s talk about all the issues like school choice. Let’s do it. Don’t think you’re not going to get criticized if all you do is a drive-by hit on Trump and say he’s no leader.”
As Mediaite reports, Ingraham told her audience that she “called those remarks barely intelligible, not to mention ungrammatical… and the left erupted.” She added she was “equal-opportunity critic” and that “Race has nothing to do with it.”
On Twitter she invited Lebron on the show anytime to discuss politics.
Hey King, Come play on my Court next week. You’re invited on the show anytime. https://t.co/CpXRl5jGzQ— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) February 17, 2018
Ingraham also interviewed Niger Ennis and former NFL star Burgess Owens. The segment can be seen below.
Ingraham: My criticism of LeBron had nothing to do with race
“...refused to to apologize...”
Absolutely NEVER apologize to them.
A hearty middle finger works best.
“Race has nothing to do with it.”
That’s exactly why it’s Racist, said Humpty Dumpty to Alice.
Hey Lebron - what she said.
Exactly. Apologies today are fake. We already know they’re gonna throw the race card (like clockwork) so why apologize? That’s all they do—race card flipping.
What they do on the court has little resemblance to the game I was taught in school.
There were actual “rules” and they were enforced.
It’s been midnight smashmouth ball forever it seems, only with millionaires who would likely have long rap sheets if not for their ability to throw a ball through a ring.
(I’d say dribbling, but they don’t seem to bother with that much anymore either)
It is a ll they have....your a racist.....
The democrats have destroyed the country.....
Trumps job is hopeless...because the GOP is hopeless....
You need someone like Trump to be president for thirty straight years
You need to get all the money out of DC and back to the states
“Never apologize, mister. It’s a sign of weakness.”
-John Wayne, “She Wore A Yellow Ribbon”
Depending on the situation, it surely is.
Exactly never apologize
Laura’s excellent.
She’ll verbally knee them in the balls.
LeDouche (That is what we call him here in LA) must feel really really small and pathetic..after all..he thinks he is the best thing since sliced bread, people in Ohio supposedly worship the ground that douche walks on..he begged everyone to elect Hillary Clinton and Ohio went for..Donald Trump!! Ahhh poor LeDouche..you can go back to your 60+ million dollar estate and your 120 mil 6 yr contract for putting a BALL into a HOOP
Let Labron say what he wants telling him to shut up and dribble accomplishes nothing and has no meaning
Neither does a follow up explaining you aren’t a racist
You want to comment ask him to give the rational behind his stupid remarks
That, in fact, is my point. We've gotten to the point at which we've accepted and perpetuated the meme of blacks as victims, and whites as victimizers. Blacks and other minorities suffer, but whites are ‘privileged’. Whites are undeserving of empathy, and are too privileged and oblivious to even begin to understand the plight of those who truly suffer and who do deserve empathy. That's the meme that is pushed. Worse, it's the meme that is believed, by significant numbers of people in our country - and around the world.
What does Lebron James know about what's in Trump's heart? Ironically, because of his celebrity, if James wanted to know more about what Trump thinks and feels, and wanted to have the opportunity to discuss his grievances with Trump, he would very likely just have to pick up the phone and an opportunity would be arranged. That is privilege.
Absolutely! Double down on these ingrates.
Way to go Laura. Don’t apologize especially to those who know how to drool while they dribble a basketball.
Laura was right, It was a drive by, replete with profanity, and also happens to be an false statement by Lebron. The evidence is strongly to the contrary that Donald J. Trump does "give a f--k about the people", and such ignorant commentary should be called out when it occurs.
Lebron is simply trying to be a bully, relying on the fact that the color of his skin will assure that he doesn't receive significant blowback from the Black community. Instead of being divisive and displaying knee-jerk hate, Lebron should consider building bridges and being constructive. And playing the race card in an attempt, as Laura pointed out, to immunize himself from criticism is a sure sign of a weak debating position.
To see Kevin Durant and Dwyane Wade do the predictable piling on simply accentuates the absurdity of these politically naive players. Lebron had a nice safe environment in which to display his blind hatred for the President—and millions of Deplorables, by proxy—and he leapt at the opportunity to virtue signal—just as brainwashed hater is wont to do.
Yes, there was definitely some ignorance on display in this exchange, and I can say without reservation or he slightest taint of bigotry that the overwhelming bulk of it was coming from three Black NBA players, led by "King" James.
Hey Lebron, let me clue you in on something. White Americans aren't afraid of phony charges of racism from you or your ilk. Thanks to people like you erroneously resorting to the term, the label has lost most of its meaning.
If you want to dip your toe into the political arena, expect to be confronted when you do nothing but spew partisan hatred—in other words, when you're full of sh-t.
The fact that you Hillary-loving Democrats could blithely accuse Laura Ingraham of racism is an absolute travesty, and you should expect your casual slander to be ridiculed in such cases. Frankly, you and your cadre of "me too" virtue signalers look like the real racists to this American...
Lebron is yet another horrible liberal. Why do people pay to watch him play a stupid game?
JoMa
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