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Traina Thoughts: Chris Long Is Not Having Fox News' LeBron James Slander
1. In an interview released yesterday, LeBron James said Donald Trump doesn't give a f--- about the people. Naturally, this got the people at state-run Fox News riled up and host Laura Ingraham went on a completely ignorant rant about James, saying the following:
I’m numb to this commentary. Must they run their mouths like that? Unfortunately, a lot of kids and some adults take these ignorant comments seriously. Look, there might be a cautionary lesson in LeBron for kids. 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 and LeBron and Kevin? 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.
Of course Ingraham went after LeBron's intelligence without mentioning that he's built an empire and has donated more money to charity than most human beings.
Eagles defensive end and two-time Super Bowl champion, Chris Long, another athlete who puts his money where his mouth is, was not thrilled with Ingraham's commentary and took to Twitter to point out her hypocrisy and ignorance in—and I'm going to use an overused term, but it fits here—EPIC fashion.
Take a bow, Chris. Take a bow.
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."
2. Let's give Chris's brother, Kyle, equal time and check in to see what he's been up to.
3. The latest edition of Off The Board features an interview with SI.com's Richard Deitsch about the NFL's decision to let Fox air the NFL draft and what it mean for ESPN, the controversies surrounding Boston radio station WEEI and more. Following Deitsch, ESPN writer Arash Markazi joins the show to talk about his extensive travels and all the cool events he gets to cover. You can listen to the podcast below or download it on iTunes, SoundCloud and Stitcher.
4. Kevin Harlan put forth a truly Hall of Fame-worthy performance while calling Thursday's Lakers-Timberwolves game.
5. Things got a little heated between Shaq and Charles Barkley Thursday night when Barkley said O'Neal should've won more rings with the Lakers.
6. The biggest change in Nick Foles's life since winning the Super Bowl? He told Jimmy Kimmel he can't go to Whole Foods anymore without being recognized.
7.RANDOM WRESTLING VIDEO OF THE DAY: I asked Hot Clicks writer/SI Swimsuit guru/desk neighbor Andy Gray what he wanted to see today for the Random Wrestling Video of the Day. He asked for some British Bulldogs. I think the classic video below will do the trick.
Traina Thoughts is the best of the Internet, plus musings by SI.com writer, Jimmy Traina. Get the link to a new Traina's Thoughts each day by following on Twitter and liking on Facebook. Catch up on previous editions of Traina Thoughts right here. And check out Jimmy Traina's weekly podcast, "Off The Board."
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IN CLOSING: Is it wrong that I couldn't care less about any potential college basketball coaches' "scandal?" We all know college hoops is filthy.
