Should professional sports organizations take political stands?

The NBA and China are in a tiff over the NBA's butting in over the situation in Hong Kong. This isn't a few professional players demonstrating for a personal view on social issues. This is the ownership and management of a professional sport becoming embroiled in an international political issue. Should professional sports organizations take political stands? Aren't they "citizens, too?


https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/09/sport/nba-china-houston-rockets-basketball-spt-intl/index.html
 

No, they have no business butting into it. Why do they think it's necessary for a sports team to do that? Why do they think China would care what a sports team thinks? Totally arrogant.
 

Well, let me think a minute.
After their through bouncing the ball around, reporters will flock asking questions about the game.
Your opinion as a basketball player or official of the NBA is best given on a talk show, not a sporting event. I don't know if China has talk shows where a honest opinion would be accepted.
The NBA wants to expand for financial reasons, they cannot afford to irritate a possible mega-million market.

Fuzz a good thought, but China does not give 'a hoot in hell' what an American NBA owner, player or any other person affiliated with
ball bouncing thinks.

Ah poo, having taken a stance Capt. Lighting brings up a topic I had forgotten; gott'a go back to me cave and give it a think.
 
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When I started working in 1972 the company HR director told me that the only time they wanted to see my name in the paper was for my wedding notice and my obituary.

I think that it is fine for the organization to take a stand if they are prepared to deal with the consequences of their position/actions.

I think it is inappropriate for a highly visible employee to take a stand or make comment unless it is clearly understood that it is a personal opinon. Even then the person needs to be prepared for the possible blowback, loss of a job, etc...
 
The NBA and China are in a tiff over the NBA's butting in over the situation in Hong Kong. This isn't a few professional players demonstrating for a personal view on social issues. This is the ownership and management of a professional sport becoming embroiled in an international political issue. Should professional sports organizations take political stands? Aren't they "citizens, too?


https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/09/sport/nba-china-houston-rockets-basketball-spt-intl/index.html

The NBA has been political for awhile. Now they're soft -peddling the Hong Kong issue because China's government (the Chinese market is worth billions to the NBA) is miffed that one employee of one team expressed support for Hong Kong on his personal twitter account.

There's a glut of politics as 'entertainment' industry in this country without organizations that provide entertainment of other forms jumping in. I'm okay with entertainers expressing social and political opinions ....so long as they're off the clock and not intruding into my space as I pay them to entertain me for a non-political activity. And think it's probably wise for sports organizations to stay in the background for for their own sakes, otherwise they look like hypocrites when money trumps social consciousness in cases like the Hong Kong protests.

I see a difference in Olympic boycotts because those athletes are representing a nation.
 
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I feel like professional sports of all kinds, and many college sports are so over the edge in so many ways nothing surprises me. Personally the idea of a US team & its players cozying up to countries which have no respect for human rights, just to make money off them is repugnant to me. Playing an exhibition game to demonstrate US values, I can see that.
 
On one hand communism is poop way of doing things. To get countries and people to change they have to be sold capitalism. The only way to do that is tolerate capitalist activity no matter how irritating or disruptive it can be.

True sports should be neutral but these mega sports leagues in the US or China need a lot of funding wether from the government or private sources so they'll follow the money for survival reasons.

To me even more troubling than China is an NBA Team cutting ties with a Veterans organization because they don't like the ties to Israel. Which brings the question-which is more important-the actual cause or the organization's other business.
 
To me even more troubling than China is an NBA Team cutting ties with a Veterans organization because they don't like the ties to Israel. Which brings the question-which is more important-the actual cause or the organization's other business

going to have to monitor that, had no idea...
 
Sometimes they have no option.

Suppose a government decides to ban boxing. Stands to reason that everyone connected with boxing will support the opposition party, of whatever colour.

So far as the specific situation in Hong Kong is concerned, that as an internal matter for China,and nobody else's business but theirs, other than international efforts.

You have crowds of people on the streets protesting at the rule of law.

Not a good idea in any country, but particularly China. People seem to think Hong Kong is another Taiwan.

It isn't.
 
NBA star Lebron James speaks-uh oh

https://nypost.com/2019/10/15/lebron-james-gets-china-completely-wrong/
My guess the NBA has the players under their thumb. Promote China basketball business or else. The players should be quiet say nothing good or bad. If the NBA wants them to travel to China go there and play basketball not pundit.

If US fans are truely that upset and the NBA stop buying tickets and paraphernalia. Or walkout in unison if an China protestor is removed from the game.
 


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