One of the most respected players in the NFL was not afraid to speak his mind today. Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Chris Long defended Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James after James was criticised on Fox News this morning by host Laura Ingraham.
The rant from Ingraham came after an Uninterrupted video of James and Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant criticized President Donald Trump. The interview with James and Durant happened over a month ago.
“Look, there might be a cautionary lesson in LeBron for kids," Ingraham said. "This is what happens when you attempt to leave high school a year early to join the NBA. And it’s always unwise to seek political advice from someone who gets paid $100 million a year to bounce a ball. Oh, LeBron and Kevin [Durant], you’re great players but no one voted for you. Millions elected Trump to be their coach.”
“So, keep the political commentary to yourself, or, as someone once said, shut up and dribble.”
Ingraham’s argument was that James is not qualified to speak about politics because he’s an athlete. Needless to say, this didn't sit well with Long.
"I’m sure the network she works for has interviewed a bunch of athletes, just couldn’t find the screenshots quickly," Long wrote on Twitter. "The point is, what’s the prerequisite for who can talk politics? So, Fox News folks who agree with Laura... you okay with these segments? And if you reply “stick to sports,” you should probably tune of out Fox News because they’ve got karate guys talking climate change on there. (Which I’m cool with... it’s his right.) Unless it’s just about you needing to feel like you’ve got control of athletes like LeBron."
Long proceeds to mention other celebrities who have appeared on Fox News to give political takes, such as musician Kid Rock, former Indiana head basketball coach Bob Knight, actor Chuck Norris, and former MLB pitcher Curt Schilling, among others.
Long is one of several NFL players who received heavy criticism this past season due to protests during the national anthem, and he publicly fought back against those saying the players should “stick to sports."
This past season, Long donated his entire salary to help fund the education of others and is one of the most respected NFL players on and off the field.
Laura Ingraham has since released a statement:
"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."
Stick with us in the Chat Sports app or follow NFL by Chat Sports on Facebook to be the 1st to know every breaking story and all the rumors on the NFL!
FOLLOW: Mitchell Renz is the Senior Writer & On-Air Host at Chat Sports. Check out his article archive and live videos on Chat Sports Facebook page. Please follow him on Twitter @MitchellRenz365.
Back to the Philadelphia Eagles Newsfeed