Who had Bill Belichick on their 2021 Unlikely Virtue Signaler Bingo Card? Come collect your winnings. 
That’s right — the Lord Vader of the NFL’s Evil Empire has publicly rejected a Presidential Medal of Freedom because being in the same room as Donald Trump is apparently too icky.
Here’s his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/belichick-rejects-medal-of-freedom-from-trump-statement">statement</a>, in part: “Above all, I am an American citizen with great reverence for our nation’s values, freedom and democracy. I know I also represent my family and the New England Patriots team. One of the most rewarding things in my professional career took place in 2020 when, through the great leadership within our team, conversations about social justice, equality and human rights moved to the forefront and became actions. Continuing those efforts while remaining true to the people, team and country I love outweighs the benefits of any individual award.”
Translation: I coach in the NFL, and standing up to the mob is risking career suicide, even for a six-time champion, and I’m going to use the “riot” as an excuse to weasel out of going to the White House.  
Et tu, Bill? You would think that resistance to bending the knee would be in his DNA. The guy’s GAF (Give a f***) meter has been pegged at zero since I’ve been paying attention. He shuffles into press conferences in his cut-off hoodie looking like he just missed last call and is pissed about it, mumbles a few occasionally coherent thoughts and leaves, apparently unconcerned with protocol, decorum or even personal dignity. 
But not even Bill Belichick is immune to the woke virus rampaging through pro sports. Roger Goodell is NFL Commissioner in name only; Colin Kaepernick apparently calls the shots.  
As with any former Republican president who garners a Strange New Respect for not being as bad as his successor, the announcement has given Belichick some unexpected cachet with leftists, who celebrated it as “the latest rebuke to Trump from the sports world.” Deadspin’s headline blared: “Bill Belichick has some integrity, turns down Trump’s Medal of Freedom.”
To his credit, hard-core leftist Mike Florio of NBC Sports saw the announcement for what it probably was: a cynical reading of the room at Patriots HQ and attempt to deflect the guilt-by-association that has haunted Belichick since he supported Trump in 2016. Florio wrote, “This was not a deathbed conversion. It was an effort to avoid what would have been the death knell for Belichick’s coaching career.”
Of course, it follows a certain twisted logic that the author and instigator of Deflategate and Spygate, a win-at-all-costs, whatever-it-takes NFL Machiavelli, would align himself with those who would consider cheating Trump out of an election (whether it actually happened or not) a moral necessity. 
My thoughts on the matter? Get over yourself, Belichick. These Medals of Freedom are often nothing more than a chance for the President, whoever he is, to fangirl over his sports and pop culture idols. Bruce Springsteen, Barbra Streisand, Lorne Michaels and Robert DeNiro — all Medal of Freedom recipients during the Obama years — are the kind of company Belichick would be keeping. A good reason to turn down the award, now that I think about it.  
The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Pittsburgh Steelers v New England Patriots

Belichick Bends The Knee

Bill Belichick

Cancel culture

Donald Trump

New England Patriots

Who had Bill Belichick on their 2021 Unlikely Virtue Signaler Bingo Card? Come collect your winnings.  That’s right — the Lord Vader of the NFL’s Evil

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With the news that the Cleveland Indians have decided to follow the Washington Redskins off the PC cliff and erase decades of tradition, we thought we’d scan the sports world for similarly offensive nicknames. How long can these last in the face of the scorched-earth tactics of today’s tireless social justice warriors? 
Wait a second — warriors? Isn’t that offensive to and/or appropriative of Native American culture? For shame, SJWs, for shame.
Anyway, back to the topic at hand. If the stupid grows ever stronger, here are some names that belong on the chopping block. 
Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Braves
If “Indians” is verboten, then these two are no-brainers for history’s ash heap. Never mind that these franchises have worn these nicknames as points of pride, not derision. Good night, Chief Noc-a-Homa, wherever you are. 
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
This one actually is a pretty blatant stereotype — the Irishman as drunken brawler. Working in the nickname’s favor is the fact that Irish people are white (aren’t they? It’s hard to keep up any more) and therefore stereotype-able. 
New Zealand All Blacks
Tradition says that the nickname is a reference to their jerseys, but how have the wokescolds who run New Zealand, personified by progressive princess PM Jacinda Ardern, allowed this atrocity to stand? 
Orofino (Idaho) High School Maniacs
Insensitive much to the mentally ill? Come on, Orofino. Be better. And haven’t you heard? Here in Wokeistan USA, we celebrate our mentally ill; we don’t label them with pejoratives. Of course, the Orofino Individuals Living with Mental Illness probably wouldn’t fit on the banner. 
Freeburg (Ill.) HS Midgets
I am actually a little shocked that this one has survived. “Midget” hasn’t passed PC muster since before Herve Villechaize was a thing. Of course, little people have taken a prominent place in pop culture, so celebrating them is encouraged. Maybe change it to the Peter Dinklages? Or the Tyrion Lannisters? 
Yuma (Ariz.) HS Criminal
Celebrating criminality isn’t a good idea, is it? Of course, isn’t a so-called criminal just an individual forced into his or her (or their) actions by centuries of oppression? If used in this way, to shine an ironic spotlight on injustice, we’ll allow it.   
Glenville (Ohio) HS Tarblooders
A tarblooder was apparently a railroad worker who laid ties and secured them with tar. So the nickname is a tribute to America’s working class, i.e., deplorables. Can’t have that. 
Salesianum (Del.) HS Sallies
This one’s a Mobius strip of offensiveness: It offends those whose masculinity is called into question by being called Sallies; and that perception in turn offends those who think masculinity is a patriarchal construct to begin with. Got it? 
Montgomery Biscuits
The Tampa Bay Double-AA affiliate baseball team is stationed in the one-time capital of the Confederacy and named for a Southern delicacy, a two-fer of shame worthy of banishment from polite society. Put more succinctly: Paula Deen makes biscuits. Paula Deen once used a racial epithet. Cancel. It’s just as well — hot, buttery and delicious is no way for a sports team to go through life. 
Honorable mention: Butte HS Pirates
Do with this what you will. (Yes, I know it’s pronounced Byoot. And I know I have the emotional intelligence and maturity of a toddler.)
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Atlanta Braves v Minnesota Twins

11 ‘Offensive’ Team Names Next To Be Canceled

Mascots

Readers Pass

Sports

With the news that the Cleveland Indians have decided to follow the Washington Redskins off the PC cliff and erase decades of tradition, we thought we’d

11 &#039;Offensive&#039; Team Names Next To Be Canceled

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I’m sure I don’t have to tell you what a cesspit Twitter has become. What was once a promising platform for the immediate dissemination of information has devolved into the preferred hangout for bullies, bots, trolls and mean girls. And if you’re conservative? Twitter boss Jack Dorsey has higher regard for the debris in his quarantine beard than he does for you. Instead of offering a free and open forum for varying opinions, he’s more than happy to de-platform or shadow ban those with whom he and his henchmen disagree. 
Twitter is still where news breaks — but it’s usually broken beyond recognition, irretrievably tainted by the bias of the messenger. Sports Twitter is no different. It’s where you’ll find the pro-China, anti-Trump musings of LeBron James, or the anti-cop, pro-cop killer ruminations of Colin Kaepernick — not to mention the historically illiterate reflections of sportswriters for whom leftism is truth and history began yesterday.
All that said, I haven’t given up on Twitter quite yet. There are pockets of sanity, decency, cleverness and common sense that are worth seeking out. There are still those using it for good rather than evil. 
So, now that I’ve thoroughly denounced and discredited the forum, let me present 10 sports figures who are worth following on the world’s worst social media platform (except for all the others). 
Jay Bilas (<a href="https://twitter.com/JayBilas">@JayBilas</a>)
Yes, he’s opinionated, but college basketball’s most intelligent analyst backs up his opinions in a reasoned, coherent fashion — not much flamethrowing, but a lot of common sense. Gets extra points for his frequent beclowning of the NCAA. His signature “I gotta go to work” tweets showcasing rapper and urban philosopher Young Jeezy are a morning source of inspiration. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Prеacher told me I need to live my lifе with grace. Lawyer wanted twenty before he even touched the case. I gotta go to work.
&mdash; Jay Bilas (@JayBilas) <a href="https://twitter.com/JayBilas/status/1330466135154810881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
David Feherty (<a href="https://twitter.com/Fehertwit">@Fehertwit</a>)
Golf’s wittiest analyst has provided much of the soundtrack to the Tiger Woods era. His compelling personal story — he’s overcome addiction and mental illness — adds to his Twitter appeal. He’s also a tireless supporter of the troops defending his adopted home country. 
Kirk Herbstreit (<a href="https://twitter.com/KirkHerbstreit">@KirkHerbstreit</a>)
College football’s top analyst was basically run out of Columbus for not being an Ohio State homer, while simultaneously being accused of Buckeye homerism by OSU haters. A tough spot to be in, but one that Herbie has handled with aplomb by deftly refuting both sides. Plus, the guy just knows and loves college football.  
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Such a GREAT message for people to hear. Especially hope kids see this-feel like many kids feel such pressure to be perfect in all as aspects of their lives. It’s not realistic-being frustrated and more determined after a failure is a huge life lesson. Have a great weekend. <a href="https://t.co/N59VuXQqGv">https://t.co/N59VuXQqGv</a>
&mdash; Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) <a href="https://twitter.com/KirkHerbstreit/status/1324701722133045254?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Chad Johnson (<a href="https://twitter.com/ochocinco">@ochocinco</a>)
His career as a social media influencer may have eclipsed his former career as a highly productive, if eccentric, wide receiver. That eccentricity only adds to his Twitter appeal, and he knows it. The erstwhile Chad Ochocinco may be the funniest athlete on Twitter.
Lane Kiffin (<a href="https://twitter.com/Lane_Kiffin">@Lane_Kiffin</a>)
The well-traveled, oft-reviled college football coach has used humor to ingratiate himself with college football fans, who are now more apt to forgive his professional and personal shortcomings thanks to his amusing Twitter presence, which proves that he’s in on the joke. Example: Fined $25,000 for criticizing the refs, Kiffin took to Twitter to try to figure out how many pennies it would take to pay the fine.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Where can I find 25,000 pennies??
&mdash; Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lane_Kiffin/status/1320904303838699520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Phil Mickelson (<a href="https://twitter.com/PhilMickelson">@PhilMIckelson</a>)
Lefty has the hang of this Twitter thing, using his 280 characters for humorous self-deprecation and witty observations. His posts far outshine the sanitized, sterile, corporate output of his rival, Tiger Woods.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Just when I think I’ve arrived ( I was the answer to tonight’s final Jeopardy question) I realize I still have a ways to go (they all got it wrong ):
&mdash; Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) <a href="https://twitter.com/PhilMickelson/status/1309674188534210560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 26, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Shaquille O’Neal (<a href="https://twitter.com/SHAQ">@SHAQ)</a>
Folk hero, pitchman nonpareil, and, as he puts it in his Twitter tagline, very quotatious. Shaq uses the platform to promote causes he supports and companies he does business with, but he does it with a light touch that belies his Paul Bunyan frame. 
Tim Tebow (<a href="https://twitter.com/TimTebow">@TimTebow</a>)
Decency hasn’t been entirely eradicated from Twitter. Exhibit A is Tim Tebow, who might just be the most encouraging presence on the internet. Just don’t dig through his mentions and replies, where the haters reveal themselves. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Sometimes it seems easier to just give up on people, or to shut down emotionally ourselves. This is just fear talking. 
God is bigger than our greatest fears.
&mdash; Tim Tebow (@TimTebow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TimTebow/status/1330640839605882889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Clay Travis (<a href="https://twitter.com/ClayTravis">@ClayTravis</a>)
Whoever thought that a lawyer who voted twice for Obama could become the face of the counterculture center/right? With his partner Jason Whitlock, the “Outkick the Coverage” founder is a lonely but essential voice of reason in the monolithically leftist world of sports journalism. Travis’ stubborn pushback against the COVID fearmongers, whom he has dubbed “coronabros”, earns him extra points.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
There hasn’t been a single case of covid spreading from one team to another during a game in the entire world. Not one. Wearing masks during games is absolute idiocy. <a href="https://t.co/oqa7c4dAiS">https://t.co/oqa7c4dAiS</a>
&mdash; Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClayTravis/status/1329894178076168198?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Jose Canseco (<a href="https://twitter.com/JoseCanseco">@JoseCanseco</a>)
There’s a place for the insane in this world, and it’s on Twitter. Canseco is the entertaining kind of insane, covering topics ranging from vampirism to Bigfoot to aliens to steroids in sports. He’s a leftist of sorts, but he has enough disdain for both sides that we’ll allow it. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
all we need is a dollar from everyone in this country who wants change to finance my running for president
&mdash; Jose Canseco (@JoseCanseco) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoseCanseco/status/1269025007797071874?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Reebok Classic Breakout

10 Sports Figures You Should Be Following On Twitter

Chad Ochocinco

Clay Travis

Jay Bilas

Jose Canseco

Kirk Herbstreit

Phil Mickelson

Shaq

Tim Tebow

Twitter

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you what a cesspit Twitter has become. What was once a promising platform for the immediate dissemination of information has

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It&#8217;s Masters week. The fact that I&#8217;m writing those words in the second week in November shows just what an unmitigated cluster 2020 has been.
Be that as it may, I&#8217;m not going to let the calendar or the dire national circumstances in which we find ourselves detract from what is possibly my favorite event on the sports calendar.  No other sport treasures its traditions quite like golf does, but The Masters is, as Jim Nantz is quick to remind us, a Tradition Unlike Any Other, warranting a little extra reverence.
I’ve looked back over my decades of Masters-watching and come up with my own top 7 Masters Moments, and given the stakes and the setting, these take their place with the greatest moments in sports history.
7. Norman’s Collapse, 1996
Nick Faldo was a great player, and a big part of Sir Nick&#8217;s greatness was the fact that he was always around, ready to capitalize on a collapse. Collapses don&#8217;t come any more epic than the one that Greg Norman endured at the 1996 Masters. Norman held a six-shot lead over Faldo entering the final round but shot a Sunday 78 to Faldo’s 67 and lost by five in what amounted to a day-long, slow-motion car crash.
6. Couples Defies Gravity, 1992
Nursing a slim lead on Sunday, Fred Couples arrived at the benign-looking but diabolical par-3 12th and narrowly avoided disaster when his mis-clubbed tee shot somehow clung to the bank above Rae&#8217;s Creek instead of trickling down into the water. Couples saved par, then played 1-under golf the rest of the way to win by two shots.
5. Larry Mize, 1987
Many of Greg Norman&#8217;s heartbreaking losses were self-inflicted; this one was more like an explosion taking out an innocent bystander. Playing a few miles from his home, Mize holed a seemingly impossible 140-foot pitch shot on the second playoff hole, the brutal par-4 11th, to deny Norman a green jacket.
4. The Ultimate Nike Ad, 2005
The Nike marketing office couldn&#8217;t have drawn it up any better. Tiger Woods&#8217; chip shot on 16 on Masters Sunday, the ball hanging tantalizingly on the edge of the cup, the Swoosh momentarily freeze-framed on our television screens before the ball tumbled into the hole, unleashing an awkward golfer high-five moment between Tiger Woods and caddie Steve Williams. Woods went on to win his fourth Green Jacket in a playoff with Chris DiMarco.
3. Lefty’s Leap into History, 2004
Sporting a bemused grin, as though he was actually enjoying the pressure, Phil Mickelson got the major monkey off his back, following up an opening-round 72 with three straight 69s to hold off a charging Ernie Els. Mickelson’s clinching putt on 18 and subsequent &#8220;leap&#8221; for joy provided one of golf’s most cathartic moments.
2. Tiger&#8217;s Arrival, 1997
In the spring of &#8217;97, I had the good fortune to attend a practice round at Augusta on the Tuesday of Masters week. As we stepped onto the meticulously manicured grounds, our first stop was the impossibly picturesque par-5 13th, scene of so much glory and heartbreak. On the tee in the distance was the threesome of Seve Ballesteros, Jose Maria Olazabal and a young phenom named Tiger Woods. Five short days later, Tiger had changed the sport forever. The 1997 Masters lacked any of the event&#8217;s typical drama; instead, it was a four-day coronation, as Tiger dismantled the storied course en route to an 18-under finish and 12-shot victory — despite going out in 40 on his opening 9.
1. Jack’s Back, 1986
At 46, Jack Nicklaus seemed to be little more than a footnote as Masters week dawned. An Atlanta newspaper article went so far as to call him “done, washed up, through.&#8221; That article found its way onto the refrigerator at Jack&#8217;s rental house, and suitably motivated, the Bear emerged from hibernation. Four shots back heading into the final round, Jack birdied 9, 10 and 11 to creep up the leaderboard. He bogeyed 12 when his par putt brushed a spike mark, but he got it back with a two-putt birdie at 13. Then, an eagle putt at 15, a near-hole-in-one at 16 and a birdie at 17 unleashed roars that rattled the pines, along with his competitors. Nicklaus’s 65 put him at 9-under, a score that no other contender could match. Jack needed only 33 strokes to complete the final ten holes of the greatest Masters of them all.
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The Masters – Final Round

The 7 Best Masters Moments Of All Time

Golf

The Masters

Woke

It&#039;s Masters week. The fact that I&#039;m writing those words in the second week in November shows just what an unmitigated cluster 2020 has been. Be that as

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As a sports fan, it pains me to say this: I watched not one inning of the 2020 World Series. This revelation is not some preening, pin-a-medal-on-me political puffery — “Those sportsball players are annoying, America-hating commies, so I’m not watching” — but rather the embarrassed confession of a discouraged, disillusioned former fanatic who has come to realize that my erstwhile sports obsessions are really not all that important.
Apparently, I’m far from alone. The Tampa Bay Rays’ instant classic walk-off Game 4 win drew 8.95 million viewers, the second-lowest viewership in World Series history — ahead of only Game 3’s 8.2 million. For contrast, remember that only four short years ago, Game 7 between the Cubs and Indians peaked at 49.9 million viewers. Game 7 of the classic 1986 Mets-Red Sox series had an estimated viewership as high as 60 million.
The ratings numbers have attached themselves to an anvil and tossed the anvil off a cliff into a black hole. It’s a shocking decline. MLB is not alone in seeing its appeal become more selective, Spinal Tap-style. The NFL’s once-vaunted viewership juggernaut is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/brett-favre-poor-nba-nfl-ratings-show-fans-clearly-do-not-want-political-messaging-in-sports">shedding passengers</a> at an alarming pace; the league is left celebrating a 33 percent decline year-over-year for the most recent Sunday Night game, because it represented a slight uptick compared to the rest of this season’s dismal numbers.
And the NBA? <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nba-will-leave-social-justice-messages-to-be-delivered-off-the-floor-amid-ratings-dive">Woof.</a> Game 3 of the 2020 NBA Finals averaged 5.9 million viewers. For comparison, Michael Jordan’s last game as a Bull, the clinching Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals, averaged almost 36 million viewers. Overall, the Lakers-Heat series dropped 51 percent from the 2019 numbers and 67 percent from 2018.
To extend the Spinal Tap metaphor, the NBA is a few BLM wokebombs away from second billing behind Puppet Show. Let’s be fair: There are mitigating circumstances. Nothing about this year is normal. MLB shoehorned a 60-game season into a pandemic-ravaged sports calendar. The NBA played its Finals at a time of year when teams are normally in training camp. The NFL has clung to something resembling a normal schedule, but the mostly empty stadiums and piped-in crowd noise have lent a surreal, off-putting atmosphere to the proceedings.
Personally, I’ve found it hard to care about sports when the very future of the Republic seems to be at stake, and every day’s headlines bring some fresh hell to torment and terrorize my fragile psyche. Sport becomes far less relevant in times like these, even as simple escapism. There’s no escaping a pervading sense of doom. But after the election, will my apathy magically dissipate, much like I expect the pandemic panic to do? Will I re-engage my former passion for pro sports? It’s entirely possible. A return to normalcy in 2021 would likely include a reboot of a casual interest in the exploits of overgrown man-children and a willingness to set aside their silly political posturing. A post-election de-weaponization of the virus will allow us all to relax, breathe and reclaim life’s simple pleasures. I hope so, anyway.
One final piece of advice: Don’t wait for woke-ism to recede from pro sports before re-engaging. Believe it or not, it is possible to set all that aside and simply enjoy the games themselves. If I let politics control my entertainment choices, I’d be left with listening to the Beatles song “Taxman” on an endless loop, and not much else. Life’s too short, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-jon-voights-message-of-hope-trump-is-a-man-of-great-integrity-a-man-who-took-on-evil">Jon Voight’s</a> not making many movies these days.
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/7-sports-figures-who-should-go-into-politics-and-5-who-shouldnt/">7 Sports Figures Who Should Go Into Politics, and 5 Who Shouldn&#8217;t</a>
The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.)
The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Los Angeles Dodgers take on the San Francisco Giants during a MLB baseball game on Opening Day at Dodger Stadium.

World Series Proved It…Woke Sports Are Unwatchable

Colin Kaepernick

national anthem

As a sports fan, it pains me to say this: I watched not one inning of the 2020 World Series. This revelation is not some preening, pin-a-medal-on-me

World Series Proved It...Woke Sports Are Unwatchable

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If you’re looking for a respite from the constant intrusion of off-field drama and scandal and joy-sapping real-world politics into what was once escapist entertainment, then fantasy is your gateway back into sports fandom. It’s where between-the-lines production is all that matters.
The advantages of make-believe teams over the real thing have never been more evident than in today’s hyper-woke climate. In fielding a fantasy team, you are far less likely to find yourself making mental notes of who’s kneeling and who’s not. It matters little that Alvin Kamara has been a kneeler and outspoken SJW (unless that’s your thing — I don’t know what you’re into); what matters is that he had the third-most fantasy points for a running back through four games in league history and that he helped you beat that douchebag Bill from Accounting.
Mookie Betts may have offended you with his refusal to attend the Red Sox White House celebration following the team’s 2018 World Series title, but if he was on your fantasy team that season, he no doubt delighted you with his .346/.438/.640 slash line.
ESPN and its fellow travelers in journalistic woke-dom may annoy you with their ongoing refusal to “stick to sports,” but fantasy content is typically a politics-free zone.
Nor does thuggish behavior dampen your enjoyment of your make-believe team’s exploits. In 2015, when I won my first fantasy football league championship, one of my team’s cornerstones was Odell Beckham Jr. During my league’s Week 15 Super Bowl, OBJ was flagged for three personal foul penalties, later drawing a one-game suspension from the Disciplinary Committee for dangerous on-field conduct. But all that mattered to me was that Beckham salvaged an off day — and saved my season — by catching what was a decisive touchdown for my cause.
All this is not to say that you check your beliefs at the fantasy league door. You’re free to let real-world concerns color your perceptions of every pro athlete out there. But fantasy provides a safe harbor from the storm of negativity that has consumed this country and the world of sports along with it.
I know I’m coming to you late with this recommendation, since we’re almost halfway into this NFL season, and you may have written off the NFL anyway; I know several people who have.
But it’s never too late to get into the fantasy game. There are weekly options, formats that shelter you from bad drafts or season-killing injuries and allow you to jump in at any time.
One word of warning if you’re new to the fantasy world: Nobody cares about your team but you. That’s something that fantasy old-timers like me have learned the hard way. It’s a hobby best suited for rugged individualists. If you’re looking for someone to share your joy over your success, get a dog.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/7-sports-figures-who-should-go-into-politics-and-5-who-shouldnt">7 Sports Figures Who Should Go Into Politics, and 5 Who Shouldn’t</a>
The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>. 
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Anthem Protest

An Alternative To Hyper-Woke Sports 

Fantasy Sports

If you’re looking for a respite from the constant intrusion of off-field drama and scandal and joy-sapping real-world politics into what was once escapist

https://editorial.dailywire.com/news/an-alternative-to-hyper-woke-sports/

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Now that Donald Trump has emphatically shattered the neon ceiling for celebrities and pop culture icons who might secretly (or not so secretly) desire higher office, it’s worth taking a look at some sports figures who might have a future in “show business for ugly people.”
One word of warning here — conservatives are notoriously cheap dates, easily seduced by any celebrity who mouths a few sensible-sounding platitudes. I’m not vouching for the conservative bona fides of any of these people. I’m just saying that they’ve displayed enough common sense to warrant a look.
<h3>Sports Figures Who Should Get Into Politics</h3>
1. Charles Barkley
Sir Charles was once touted as a potential candidate for governor of Alabama by Republicans desperate to diversify their party and push back against its racist reputation. That little pipe dream has yet to materialize and probably never will, especially since he has long since disavowed his perceived Republican leanings, but before you dismiss Barkley as just another dumb jock talking head, you must acknowledge that he possesses enough common sense to stumble onto the truth fairly frequently. Recently, Barkley had this to say about anthem kneelers: “The thing is, the national anthem means different things to different people. I’m glad these guys are all unified, but if people don’t kneel, they’re not a bad person. I want to make that perfectly clear. I’m glad they had unity, but if we have a guy that doesn’t want to kneel or the anthem means something to him, he should not be vilified.” It’s sad that such a tepid defense of standing for the anthem amounts to civil disobedience in today’s world, but that’s where we are.
<div id="attachment_65751" style="width: 860px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-65751" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-65751" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Screen-Shot-2019-11-20-at-10.59.14-AM-1024x632.png" alt="Charles Barkley attends the 2019 NBA Awards at Barker Hangar on June 24, 2019 in Santa Monica, California." width="850" height="524" />Rich Fury/Getty Images</div>
2. Michael Jordan
He’s been a surprisingly terrible NBA owner, and his horrible fashion sense has made him highly meme-able over the years, but His Airness has parlayed his status as the greatest basketball player in history (sorry LeBron) into a stunningly successful second act. MJ was smart enough to recognize that “Republicans buy sneakers, too,” and that savvy has enabled him to amass a personal fortune surpassed by only three other African-Americans. He’s been a disappointment to many who would have liked to see him become an activist, an issue he addressed in The Last Dance documentary: “It’s never going to be enough for everybody, and I know that. I realize that. Because everybody has a preconceived idea for what I should do and what I shouldn’t do. The way I go about my life is I set examples. If it inspires you? Great, I will continue to do that. If it doesn’t? Then maybe I’m not the person you should be following.” Makes sense to me.
<div id="attachment_114026" style="width: 860px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-114026" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-114026" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/A9FAD09E-C735-44C7-BEE6-49E791684826-1024x576.jpeg" alt="NOVEMBER 07: NBA 97/98 CHICAGO BULLS; Michael JORDAN/CHICAGO BULLS." width="850" height="478" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/05/A9FAD09E-C735-44C7-BEE6-49E791684826-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/05/A9FAD09E-C735-44C7-BEE6-49E791684826-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/05/A9FAD09E-C735-44C7-BEE6-49E791684826-768x432.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/05/A9FAD09E-C735-44C7-BEE6-49E791684826-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/05/A9FAD09E-C735-44C7-BEE6-49E791684826-2048x1152.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px" />Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images</div>
3. Nick Saban
Saban runs his program like a federalist, with delegated responsibilities amid a strong organizational structure and commitment to proven methods and metrics. Yes, he led a BLM march through Tuscaloosa, but that was nothing more than a sign of pragmatism, a bit of Trumpian dealmaking to maintain his players’ loyalties. He’s deft with the media, unafraid to put pesky know-nothing journalists in their place. Sound familiar?
<div id="attachment_123750" style="width: 860px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-123750" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-123750" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Nick-Saban-1-1024x576.jpg" alt="NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 13: Alabama head coach Nick Saban takes a break from his pregame TV commentator duties to look onto the field prior to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game between the LSU Tigers and the Clemson Tigers on January 13, 2020 in New Orleans LA." width="850" height="478" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/06/Nick-Saban-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/06/Nick-Saban-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/06/Nick-Saban-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/06/Nick-Saban-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/06/Nick-Saban-1-2048x1152.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px" />Todd Kirkland/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</div>
4. Alejandro Villanueva
Steelers OT Villanueva has a sterling record of military service — he earned a Bronze Star in Afghanistan — and the courage (and the imposing frame) to buck woke sports culture through quiet acts of patriotism. He may well be the most admirable figure in sports today. The guy’s right out of central casting and has a limitless political future if he wants it.
5. Clay Travis and Jason Whitlock
This duo has relentlessly pushed back against leftist insanity and overreach from their perch atop the fast-growing Outkick the Coverage website, an island of anti-woke commentary in the deep blue sea of sports journalism. Travis would have undeniable appeal to moderates; he likes to point out that he voted for Obama twice. Plus, Trump has made politics safer for Travis’ brand of flamethrowing. Whitlock is a thoughtful observer of American sports culture, a Tom Wolfe type unafraid to point out that the emperor is often stark naked.
<div id="attachment_129317" style="width: 860px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-129317" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-129317" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Jason-Whitlock-970x576.png" alt="Jason Whitlock" width="850" height="505" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/07/Jason-Whitlock-970x576.png 970w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/07/Jason-Whitlock-300x178.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/07/Jason-Whitlock-768x456.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/07/Jason-Whitlock.png 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px" />The Daily Wire</div>
6. Herschel Walker
At the 2020 Republican National Convention, Walker gave a far more eloquent defense of Donald Trump’s character than Trump himself ever has, or ever could hope to. Walker exudes class, something that’s missing from today’s politics, and he’s a legend in his home state. You listening, Georgia GOP?
<div id="attachment_141333" style="width: 860px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-141333" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-141333" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1268366253-1019x576.jpg" alt="Herschel Walker addresses the virtual convention on August 24, 2020." width="850" height="481" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/08/GettyImages-1268366253-1019x576.jpg 1019w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/08/GettyImages-1268366253-300x170.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/08/GettyImages-1268366253-768x434.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/08/GettyImages-1268366253.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px" />Committee on Arrangements for the 2020 Republican National Committee via Getty Images</div>
Dishonorable mention: Had Mike Ditka answered his party’s call to enter the 2004 Illinois senate race, he might have clipped the wings of an ambitious but unaccomplished young politician named Barack Obama. And he knows it, too, calling it “the biggest mistake I ever made.”
<div id="attachment_147909" style="width: 860px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-147909" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-147909" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Ditka.jpg" alt="CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 10: Former Chicago Bears head coach Mike Ditka walks the sidelines during the game between the Chicago Bears and the Atlanta Falcons at Soldier Field on September 10, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois." width="850" height="567" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/09/Ditka.jpg 594w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/09/Ditka-300x200.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px" />Kena Krutsinger/Getty Images</div>
<h3>Sports Figures Who Should Not Enter Politics</h3>
1. Mark Cuban
Cubes’ obvious political aspirations have yielded little but Twitter slap fights with Ted Cruz and a pigheaded determination to lash himself to the mast of the NBA’s sinking woke ship. He’s no leftist version of Trump, much as he would like to be. Once he inevitably gets into politics, he’ll be a public meltdown waiting to happen.
<div id="attachment_60526" style="width: 860px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-60526" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-60526" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Mark-Cuban-1024x576.jpg" alt="Mark Cuban, chairman and chief executive officer of Axs TV, speaks during the Wall Street Journal Tech Live global technology conference in Laguna Beach, California, U.S., on Monday, Oct. 21, 2019." width="850" height="479" />Martina Albertazzi/Bloomberg via Getty Images</div>
2. LeBron James
King James is China’s court jester. He notoriously condemned Rockets GM Daryl Morey’s “stand with Hong Kong” tweet as “misinformed” and “not educated.” For a guy who carefully (but often ineptly) stage-manages his public persona, it was an own goal of staggering proportions, one that in a sane world would disqualify him from ever dreaming about public office.
<div id="attachment_135318" style="width: 860px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-135318" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-135318" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/China-NBA-972x576.jpg" alt="Anti-Chinese Communist Party activists protest outside Staples Center ahead of the Lakers vs Clippers NBA season opener in Los Angeles on October 22, 2019. - Activists handed out free T-shirts displaying support for the Hong Kong protests after an NBA fan in Northern California raised enough money to pay for more than 10,000 shirts, according to the organizer who goes by the pseudonym &quot;Sun Lared&quot; as LeBron James of the Lakers suffers the brunt of people's anger after comments he made in response to the tweet from Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey in support of Hong Kong protesters, and drawing the ire of the Chinese Communist Party. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP)" width="850" height="504" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/08/China-NBA-972x576.jpg 972w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/08/China-NBA-300x178.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/08/China-NBA-768x455.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/08/China-NBA.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px" />Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images</div>
3. Colin Kaepernick
As a political figure, Kaepernick is too toxic, even in today’s BLM-dominated climate, but he can rest on his laurels as the guy who has done as much as anybody to put us in the racial morass where we currently reside.
<div id="attachment_117266" style="width: 860px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-117266" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-117266" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/GettyImages-1182900047-864x576.jpg" alt="Colin Kaepernick looks on during a private NFL workout held at Charles R Drew high school on November 16, 2019 in Riverdale, Georgia." width="850" height="567" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/06/GettyImages-1182900047-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/06/GettyImages-1182900047-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/06/GettyImages-1182900047-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/06/GettyImages-1182900047.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px" />Carmen Mandato/Getty Images</div>
4. Tom Brady
Successful, handsome and charming, Brady seems to have everything a politician needs. But far too many people resent his success, making him a non-starter. He should just retire to his mansion and frolic with Gisele in his piles of money, Scrooge McDuck-style.
5. Bill Belichick
Belichick has built a coaching resume that’s beyond compare but tainted with cheating scandals. And talk about prickly — the guy makes Trump seem cuddly.
<div id="attachment_91173" style="width: 860px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-91173" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-91173" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/GettyImages-1093457678-845x576.jpg" alt="Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots talks to head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots after the Patriots defeat the Rams 13-3 during Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on February 3, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia." width="850" height="579" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/02/GettyImages-1093457678-845x576.jpg 845w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/02/GettyImages-1093457678-300x204.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/02/GettyImages-1093457678-768x524.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/02/GettyImages-1093457678.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px" />Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images</div>
The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author&#8217;s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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NCAA Men’s Final Four – National Championship – Villanova v North Carolina

7 Sports Figures Who Should Go Into Politics, and 5 Who Shouldn’t

Now that Donald Trump has emphatically shattered the neon ceiling for celebrities and pop culture icons who might secretly (or not so secretly) desire

https://editorial.dailywire.com/news/7-sports-figures-who-should-go-into-politics-and-5-who-shouldnt/

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Mark Wells