Keidel: Kudos To Melo For Taking A Stand When Athletes Run And Hide
By Jason Keidel
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It seems the cliche on cultural topics has morphed from a "black and white" situation to black or white. Particularly in today's toxic political climes.
There is no room for nuance, no reserves of sympathy for both sides. Either you bleed for the murdered cops or those murdered by cops. You're either pro-gun or anti-gun. Blue state or red state. It's all volume and vitriol, all the time.
Except for a mushrooming village of pro athletes who have no opinion on the matter, or any matter. Most who make their millions on the diamond, hardwood, or gridiron, would rather quiver behind their brands, offer some useless platitude about unfortunate circumstances, then cash their next colossal check.
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Which is sad, if not ironic, considering sports have long served as a springboard for cultural progress. From Jackie Robinson to the cluster of high-end athletes who made their statements during the poltitical tinder box of the '60s, athletes double as emblems and shields for the downtrodden.
MORE: Keidel: Jackie Robinson's Impact On America Will Never Dissipate
Not so much anymore. You can decide if that's a sign of progress or indifference. Is it a good thing that athletes are no longer compelled to take a stand, or is it a sad statement of apathy at time when we need strong voices?
No matter which side of the aisle you call home, it's hard not to admire an athlete speaking his mind in this mindless world of branding and social media, which has spawned the celebrity who became famous for being famous.
And while this column has never been kind to Carmelo Anthony -- only regarding his play and pay, not his personal life -- he has been a most unlikely troubadour in the wake of recent tragedies, from Baton Rouge to St. Paul to Dallas and, once again, Baton Rouge.
From his Instagram prose to leading a potent foursome at the ESPYs, Melo has suddenly become the face of athletic activism.
Good for him. This isn't an endorsement of his, or any, cause. It's just a big slap on the butt for someone with the onions to speak out on something.
Sure, too many celebrities think their peripheral talents make them uniquely qualified for political theater.
Back in the 1940s, my literary hero, John Steinbeck, peppered the White House with ideas of flooding Nazi Germany with counterfeit money as a way of devaluing their currency, hence creating an economic quicksand from which they could not build their massive, military arsenal. (FDR's people politely rejected the future Nobel Laureate.)
But for every Jane Fonda there's a Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, or some seminal sports figure whose message is not only poignant but also essential.
Not to compare Anthony with Ali, but in today's celebrity void, it's refreshing to hear someone forget their sneaker deals and MTV Cribs to speak on something of substance.
So is Melo a lone crusader, a wolf among social sheep? Is he just basking in an ephemeral moment of clarity? Or is this an awakening that could spark many more? Will his words seep into the folds of fellow NBA brains, and spread among the montage of millionaire athletes who are all too cozy as pitchmen?
As Frank Isola noted in Tuesday's Daily News, Anthony is more than a soundbite. His stream of social consciousness on Instagram was published, in full, on the back page of the newspaper. He penned a longer editorial for the Guardian. And he plans to convene a town hall meeting this weekend in Los Angeles, where the U.S. Olympic basketball team will play an exhibition.
As Isola noted, Melo has matured since the gratuitous, "Stop Snitching" music video he filmed a dozen years ago. It was stereotypical urban noise, and the Knicks' All-Star not only owns it but also regrets it.
While yours truly has always questioned Melo's basketball bona fides, there's no question he has matured as a player, and a man. Despite endless chances to leave New York for more fertile NBA rosters, he has stayed to finish what he started.
And while too many athletes chill in the shade of their titanic contracts, unwilling to rock any socioeconomic boats, Anthony has ditched the comforts of the status quo to make himself heard, about something way beyond himself.
Some may still call it urban noise. Others may say it's music to many ears.
Follow Jason on Twitter at @JasonKeidel
