Jordan speaks, but what does he say?

Someone once summarized the first three laws of physics as: you can’t win, you can’t break even, and you can’t quit the game.  I have to admit that sometimes life feels just like that.  But then I think, at least I’m not Michael Jordan.

Jordan released a statement about the racial tensions that have escalated recently in America.  His pronouncement was endlessly hyped by ESPN, partly because of Jordan’s stature among the American people, partly because he chose to release the statement on The Undefeated, ESPN’s sub-domain for African American related sports issues.  Jordan solemnly intoned that he could no longer remain silent about the violence that was occurring in America, and then Jordan took a strong, potentially controversial position.

He was against it.

This gets to the core problem with people urging athletes to be more like activists, to take stands on public issues, and to try and emulate role models like Muhammad Ali and do something to solve the social problems facing our country.  Jordan, who famously (and apocryphally) was alleged to have refused to take controversial stands in the past because “Republicans buy sneakers too,” said he could no longer remain silent; then he proceeded to say nothing.  The message, no doubt written in some degree by hired press agents, was designed to be as inoffensive as possible.  How can we solve the problems being discussed if we can’t say anything that would offend anyone?

ESPN’s Bomani Jones made an insightful point on ESPN’s Around the Horn when he pointed out that the statement used passive language when referring to the African-American victims of police violence (“the deaths of African-Americans at the hands of law enforcement”) but a more active voice when referring to assaults on police officers (“the cowardly and hateful targeting and killing of police officers”).  The former sounds like an excerpt from one of those fake apologies, where someone says, “I am sorry for what happened” instead of “I’m sorry for what I did.”  Apparently the deaths of the African-Americans by police officers weren’t cowardly or hateful.

My point is this—we want, or some people want, athletes to speak out on social issues.  But what do we want them to say?  What can be said that would actually help?  I’m not saying all athletes are stupid, but it is a little extreme to expect someone who spends most of his time trying to stop LeBron on a pick and roll to come up with the answer for race relations in America.

Jordan did more than talk.  He gave $2 million to help solve the problem.  But once again, he edged away from making any real statement.  $1 million will go to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.  They are an old and respected institution, and I am sure that money will be put to good use, but how does this impact the issue at hand?  Will the NAACP file a class action lawsuit against all police departments in America?  Will the NAACP represent the families of those African-Americans who happened to die while in police custody?  Will legal action ease tensions between White police officers and African-American communities?  Lawsuits rarely have a soothing effect.

The other million bucks will go to the International Associations of Chiefs of Police’s new Institute for Community-Police Relations.   Will they use this money to understand the positions of those in the African-American community who are afraid of the police?  Will they try to gain insight into the reasons why White police officers are so quick to use deadly force in confrontations with unarmed African-American suspects?  Or will they buy a million dollars’ worth of jelly donuts?

Jordan says he can no longer stay silent, and then proceeds to say nothing.  Saying he can longer remain silent makes it sound like he was being compelled to not speak on public issues, when in fact he was freer than most because he could command any forum he wanted. He just didn’t want to.  Maybe he thought it might hurt his endorsement deal with Hanes; maybe nothing occurred to him.  But no one was keeping him silent against his will.

Wanting athletes to be good, involved citizens is natural.  But expecting any of them to actually know what to do or how to make things better is futile.  Maybe Jordan’s $2 million will accomplish some change; it is $2 million more than I’ve given. But to me it’s like saying you want to help world hunger, then eating at a restaurant because they donate their left overs to a food bank.  It helps, but it isn’t solving the problem.

So Jordan can’t win—if he says nothing, he gets slammed, but if he speaks and says pablum, people like me mock him.  He can’t break even; his stature isn’t enhanced by stepping into this issue, and now that he has what will be the next issue on which he can’t stay silent?  And he can’t quit the game, because when did Michael Jordan ever quit?