Betsy DeVos donates $50k to De Santis in the name of the Orlando Magic. NBA blows up

[mandrill]

Rachel Nichols discusses Magic players’ opposition to team’s Ron DeSantis donation: “That’s very difficult to stomach.’ (msn.com)




Jim Acosta and Rachel Nichols discussing an Orlando Magic political donation to Ron DeSantis on CNN.© Provided by Awful Announcing
Earlier this week, the NBA’s Orlando Magic made major headlines. That came from Alex Shultz of SFGATE reporting on a $50,000 donation to Florida governor Ron DeSantis’ super political action committee that was attributed to the team, rather than to owners Dick or Betsy DeVos:

That understandably kicked off controversy on a couple of fronts. One was that this was seen by many as the team as an overall entity endorsing DeSantis. Another is that the team then claimed in a statement that “This gift was given before Governor DeSantis entered the presidential race. It was given as a Florida business in support of a Florida governor for the continued prosperity of Central Florida.” Meanwhile, the National Basketball Players Association pushed back:


DeSantis has made headlines for a lot of things, but one of particular note to the NBA is his recent remarks defending a controversial Florida curriculum claiming that enslaved Black people “developed skills, which in some instances, could be used for tehir benefit.” Former NBA player Larry Nance Jr. specifically took aim at that:

That donation has continued to make waves, with DeSantis himself firing back. On Friday, he blasted the NBA on his Twitter account with comments about “protesting our anthem” and “bending the knee to Communist China”:

On Friday, Rachel Nichols went on CNN Tonight with Jim Acosta to discuss this. Nichols, the former ESPN reporter and host now working with Showtime Sports, Monumental Sports Network, and more, had strong comments on why players are upset:

Here’s the key part of those comments from Nichols: “What upsets these players so much is that this donation was not made on behalf of Betsy DeVos or Dick DeVos, it was made on behalf of the team. And you have players and coaches and executives who have come out publicly with very different opinions than DeSantis’, and now their names are being used in association with this donation.”


“And more importantly, as the Players’ Association statement pointed out, it’s their labor. Money for NBA teams, the Orlando Magic’s money that they donated to Ron DeSantis, doesn’t come from a magic tree elf. It comes from the work of players on the court. And that their work has been turned into a contribution to someone running for president who has come out with statements that they think directly oppose who they are as people, that’s very difficult to stomach.”
Beyond that, Acosta and Nichols discuss the Magic response from chief communications officer Joel Glass of claiming this was for DeSantis as governor rather than presidential candidate, with Nichols saying “Joel Glass is really excellent at his job, but his boss put him in a crappy situation here, and as you say, it doesn’t really hold up, right? Everyone knew, everyone’s mother knew, everyone’s pets knew that Ron DeSantis was about to announce for president.”
Those are notable comments indeed, and they do help illustrate why the players think this deserves more attention than the political contributions we more regularly see from team owners. It’s not currently clear why this donation was made by the Magic franchise rather than their ownership. And it will be interesting to see if other teams make donations to political candidates going forward.

 

[y2kmark]

Rachel Nichols discusses Magic players’ opposition to team’s Ron DeSantis donation: “That’s very difficult to stomach.’ (msn.com)



Jim Acosta and Rachel Nichols discussing an Orlando Magic political donation to Ron DeSantis on CNN.© Provided by Awful Announcing
Earlier this week, the NBA’s Orlando Magic made major headlines. That came from Alex Shultz of SFGATE reporting on a $50,000 donation to Florida governor Ron DeSantis’ super political action committee that was attributed to the team, rather than to owners Dick or Betsy DeVos:

That understandably kicked off controversy on a couple of fronts. One was that this was seen by many as the team as an overall entity endorsing DeSantis. Another is that the team then claimed in a statement that “This gift was given before Governor DeSantis entered the presidential race. It was given as a Florida business in support of a Florida governor for the continued prosperity of Central Florida.” Meanwhile, the National Basketball Players Association pushed back:


DeSantis has made headlines for a lot of things, but one of particular note to the NBA is his recent remarks defending a controversial Florida curriculum claiming that enslaved Black people “developed skills, which in some instances, could be used for tehir benefit.” Former NBA player Larry Nance Jr. specifically took aim at that:

That donation has continued to make waves, with DeSantis himself firing back. On Friday, he blasted the NBA on his Twitter account with comments about “protesting our anthem” and “bending the knee to Communist China”:

On Friday, Rachel Nichols went on CNN Tonight with Jim Acosta to discuss this. Nichols, the former ESPN reporter and host now working with Showtime Sports, Monumental Sports Network, and more, had strong comments on why players are upset:

Here’s the key part of those comments from Nichols: “What upsets these players so much is that this donation was not made on behalf of Betsy DeVos or Dick DeVos, it was made on behalf of the team. And you have players and coaches and executives who have come out publicly with very different opinions than DeSantis’, and now their names are being used in association with this donation.”


“And more importantly, as the Players’ Association statement pointed out, it’s their labor. Money for NBA teams, the Orlando Magic’s money that they donated to Ron DeSantis, doesn’t come from a magic tree elf. It comes from the work of players on the court. And that their work has been turned into a contribution to someone running for president who has come out with statements that they think directly oppose who they are as people, that’s very difficult to stomach.”
Beyond that, Acosta and Nichols discuss the Magic response from chief communications officer Joel Glass of claiming this was for DeSantis as governor rather than presidential candidate, with Nichols saying “Joel Glass is really excellent at his job, but his boss put him in a crappy situation here, and as you say, it doesn’t really hold up, right? Everyone knew, everyone’s mother knew, everyone’s pets knew that Ron DeSantis was about to announce for president.”
Those are notable comments indeed, and they do help illustrate why the players think this deserves more attention than the political contributions we more regularly see from team owners. It’s not currently clear why this donation was made by the Magic franchise rather than their ownership. And it will be interesting to see if other teams make donations to political candidates going forward.

Any team greasing any politician should be looked at closely. The Repugs destroyed any meaningful campaign finance rules except for transparency...

 

[Dutch Oven]

Rachel Nichols discusses Magic players’ opposition to team’s Ron DeSantis donation: “That’s very difficult to stomach.’ (msn.com)



Jim Acosta and Rachel Nichols discussing an Orlando Magic political donation to Ron DeSantis on CNN.© Provided by Awful Announcing
Earlier this week, the NBA’s Orlando Magic made major headlines. That came from Alex Shultz of SFGATE reporting on a $50,000 donation to Florida governor Ron DeSantis’ super political action committee that was attributed to the team, rather than to owners Dick or Betsy DeVos:

That understandably kicked off controversy on a couple of fronts. One was that this was seen by many as the team as an overall entity endorsing DeSantis. Another is that the team then claimed in a statement that “This gift was given before Governor DeSantis entered the presidential race. It was given as a Florida business in support of a Florida governor for the continued prosperity of Central Florida.” Meanwhile, the National Basketball Players Association pushed back:


DeSantis has made headlines for a lot of things, but one of particular note to the NBA is his recent remarks defending a controversial Florida curriculum claiming that enslaved Black people “developed skills, which in some instances, could be used for tehir benefit.” Former NBA player Larry Nance Jr. specifically took aim at that:

That donation has continued to make waves, with DeSantis himself firing back. On Friday, he blasted the NBA on his Twitter account with comments about “protesting our anthem” and “bending the knee to Communist China”:

On Friday, Rachel Nichols went on CNN Tonight with Jim Acosta to discuss this. Nichols, the former ESPN reporter and host now working with Showtime Sports, Monumental Sports Network, and more, had strong comments on why players are upset:

Here’s the key part of those comments from Nichols: “What upsets these players so much is that this donation was not made on behalf of Betsy DeVos or Dick DeVos, it was made on behalf of the team. And you have players and coaches and executives who have come out publicly with very different opinions than DeSantis’, and now their names are being used in association with this donation.”


“And more importantly, as the Players’ Association statement pointed out, it’s their labor. Money for NBA teams, the Orlando Magic’s money that they donated to Ron DeSantis, doesn’t come from a magic tree elf. It comes from the work of players on the court. And that their work has been turned into a contribution to someone running for president who has come out with statements that they think directly oppose who they are as people, that’s very difficult to stomach.”
Beyond that, Acosta and Nichols discuss the Magic response from chief communications officer Joel Glass of claiming this was for DeSantis as governor rather than presidential candidate, with Nichols saying “Joel Glass is really excellent at his job, but his boss put him in a crappy situation here, and as you say, it doesn’t really hold up, right? Everyone knew, everyone’s mother knew, everyone’s pets knew that Ron DeSantis was about to announce for president.”
Those are notable comments indeed, and they do help illustrate why the players think this deserves more attention than the political contributions we more regularly see from team owners. It’s not currently clear why this donation was made by the Magic franchise rather than their ownership. And it will be interesting to see if other teams make donations to political candidates going forward.

NBA players are so stupid, it's almost incredible. Their positions as players, coaches (or even executives) entitle them to exactly no say in what the team as an organization chooses to support or oppose. They don't want to play for an owner who supports DeSantis? Quit the team and default on their contracts (and live with the legal consequences). New players will be suiting up for the team the next day. The players who quit, on the other hand, will be moving on to their career plan B, which in many cases will be washing cars or bagging groceries.

Also, players DO NOT produce the NBA's income. The sales forces of their employers do. Outside of their salaries, the rest of the teams net income is not theirs to spend. The current players are the best qualified for the job they do, but they are far from the only people qualified to entertain basketball fans.

The NBA is a stupid league and is getting more stupid all the time. They really lost their way when they linked arms with BLM during the lockdown season. Nobody wants to pay for the stupid thoughts of stupid NBA players.

 

[Frankfooter]

NBA players are so stupid, it's almost incredible. Their positions as players, coaches (or even executives) entitle them to exactly no say in what the team as an organization chooses to support or oppose. They don't want to play for an owner who supports DeSantis? Quit the team and default on their contracts (and live with the legal consequences). New players will be suiting up for the team the next day. The players who quit, on the other hand, will be moving on to their career plan B, which in many cases will be washing cars or bagging groceries.

Also, players DO NOT produce the NBA's income. The sales forces of their employers do. Outside of their salaries, the rest of the teams net income is not theirs to spend. The current players are the best qualified for the job they do, but they are far from the only people qualified to entertain basketball fans.

The NBA is a stupid league and is getting more stupid all the time. They really lost their way when they linked arms with BLM during the lockdown season. Nobody wants to pay for the stupid thoughts of stupid NBA players.

Its stupid not to want to play for someone who supports saying that there were good things about slavery?

 

[mandrill]

NBA players are so stupid, it's almost incredible. Their positions as players, coaches (or even executives) entitle them to exactly no say in what the team as an organization chooses to support or oppose. They don't want to play for an owner who supports DeSantis? Quit the team and default on their contracts (and live with the legal consequences). New players will be suiting up for the team the next day. The players who quit, on the other hand, will be moving on to their career plan B, which in many cases will be washing cars or bagging groceries.

Also, players DO NOT produce the NBA's income. The sales forces of their employers do. Outside of their salaries, the rest of the teams net income is not theirs to spend. The current players are the best qualified for the job they do, but they are far from the only people qualified to entertain basketball fans.

The NBA is a stupid league and is getting more stupid all the time. They really lost their way when they linked arms with BLM during the lockdown season. Nobody wants to pay for the stupid thoughts of stupid NBA players.

I think the point made was that DeVos could have donated whatever amount to whatever politician in her own name, but it was offensive to donate in the name of the team to an openly racist politician when your team is 90% Black men who would clearly be uncomfortable with the donation.

And if you think that the HEAT could suit up 10 no names off the street and have anyone come watch them, you're living in your own universe.

It's also noted that you think athletes - largely black in this sport - are unfit for any occupation except menial work, if unable to play sports. A lot of those guys have university degrees and are smarter than you.

 

[dirtyharry555]

It's also noted that you think athletes are unfit for any occupation except menial work, if unable to play sports. A lot of those guys have university degrees and are smarter than you.

You ought to acquaint yourself of statistics regarding most athletes.

It doesn't align with your PC fantasy.

 

[Insidious Von]

The Orlando Magic players don't have much say in the matter, they are owned by the De Vos Family (Amway).

 

[Dutch Oven]

I think the point made was that DeVos could have donated whatever amount to whatever politician in her own name, but it was offensive to donate in the name of the team to an openly racist politician when your team is 90% Black men who would clearly be uncomfortable with the donation.

Which is a stupid point. The team can support whoever they want. It's absurd to think otherwise. If players don't want to sign with a team because of who they support, that's entirely up to the players - don't sign, or abandon your contract. The team doesn't need to canvass the feelings of the players in order to decide who to support politically.

And if you think that the HEAT could suit up 10 no names off the street and have anyone come watch them, you're living in your own universe.

No-names become names once they play. The teams and the league CREATE stars. Whoever is currently playing the best, regardless of opposition, is next big thing. If you think the next men up for the job are so different than the current starters that fans wouldn't come to the games, you're living in your own universe. Maybe the fans would insist on paying less, which would be more than offset by the reduction in payroll to the club.

It's also noted that you think athletes - largely black in this sport - are unfit for any occupation except menial work, if unable to play sports. A lot of those guys have university degrees and are smarter than you.

Only because most of them either came straight from high school, or were playing through college on BS scholarships and didn't get a real degree, or are too messed up with drugs to work in a high intellect workplace. There are probably a few truly bright players. I suspect they are the ones keeping their thoughts to themselves about this issue.

 

[shack]

Which is a stupid point. The team can support whoever they want. It's absurd to think otherwise. If players don't want to sign with a team because of who they support, that's entirely up to the players - don't sign, or abandon your contract. The team doesn't need to canvass the feelings of the players in order to decide who to support politically.

So if all the players on a team decide to kneel for the anthem and the owner supports them, everybody else should shut up.

 

[mandrill]

Which is a stupid point. The team can support whoever they want. It's absurd to think otherwise. If players don't want to sign with a team because of who they support, that's entirely up to the players - don't sign, or abandon your contract. The team doesn't need to canvass the feelings of the players in order to decide who to support politically.

Ok, the corporation which owns the team could support Hitler or Paul Bernardo - technically. But in a society where the corporation is in the entertainment business and the players, their personalities and their w-l record are its product, that's not the reality. You want to sell the Leafs, you have a video of Austen Matthews scoring a goal, not a photo of the tax accountant's desk at the corporate offices.

You want to make a corporation donation that makes your entire team puke up their lunch on the b-ball court and which contradicts the team image, see what happens.

No-names become names once they play. The teams and the league CREATE stars. Whoever is currently playing the best, regardless of opposition, is next big thing. If you think the next men up for the job are so different than the current starters that fans wouldn't come to the games, you're living in your own universe. Maybe the fans would insist on paying less, which would be more than offset by the reduction in payroll to the club.

Yeah, okay. You go bat fourth for the Blue Jays tonight and see how well you do and how many people come to watch you. Pro athletes are FAR better than anyone else at what they do. That's why they're pro athletes. You got any doubts about that, substitute Austen Matthews or Vladdy Guerrero with some guy from the minors and see the difference in quality of play.

Only because most of them either came straight from high school, or were playing through college on BS scholarships and didn't get a real degree, or are too messed up with drugs to work in a high intellect workplace. There are probably a few truly bright players. I suspect they are the ones keeping their thoughts to themselves about this issue.

Sure, a higher proportion of dumb guys make major money in the sports field than in law or physics. But are you actually saying all athletes are dumb?... Seriously?...

Why? Because they're athletes?

 

[Dutch Oven]

Ok, the corporation which owns the team could support Hitler or Paul Bernardo - technically. But in a society where the corporation is in the entertainment business and the players, their personalities and their w-l record are its product, that's not the reality. You want to sell the Leafs, you have a video of Austen Matthews scoring a goal, not a photo of the tax accountant's desk at the corporate offices.

Fans will vote on the Leafs entertainment value with their feet and wallets. However, Leaf ownership is entitled to make whatever lawful decisions they want, including where they want to throw their political support, and how they want to market the team. However, hockey is the product, not the players. Winning and losing matter to the fans. Who the players are, not so much. Mathews will eventually be gone. So will everyone else on the current roster. The Leafs will go on (unfortunately).

You want to make a corporation donation that makes your entire team puke up their lunch on the b-ball court and which contradicts the team image, see what happens.

I thought you were making the argument a minute ago that athletes were real adults and could cope with the real world? I guess you're not so sure. An mature adult can cope with differences of political opinion between himself and his boss.

Yeah, okay. You go bat fourth for the Blue Jays tonight and see how well you do and how many people come to watch you. Pro athletes are FAR better than anyone else at what they do. That's why they're pro athletes. You got any doubts about that, substitute Austen Matthews or Vladdy Guerrero with some guy from the minors and see the difference in quality of play.

Disingenuous argument. The correct comparison is between the current starters and the NEXT man down the depth chart (who is not me). It's not nearly as vast a difference as you pretend. That's how Guerrero got into the lineup in the first place.

Sure, a higher proportion of dumb guys make major money in the sports field than in law or physics. But are you actually saying all athletes are dumb?... Seriously?...

Why? Because they're athletes?

Yep, most pro athletes are stupid and useless compared to the general population. Why? Because they spend nearly all of their waking hours working on their physical performance, and almost no time acquiring other skills or knowledge that would be valuable in other workplaces. Same reason that most actors and entertainers are generally useless at any kind of ordinary work.

 

[y2kmark]

Is Hubby gonna let Betsy (DJT Sec of Education till he lost the election - damage still being repaired) drag him down financially? He should wake up...

 

[mandrill]

Fans will vote on the Leafs entertainment value with their feet and wallets. However, Leaf ownership is entitled to make whatever lawful decisions they want, including where they want to throw their political support, and how they want to market the team. However, hockey is the product, not the players. Winning and losing matter to the fans. Who the players are, not so much. Mathews will eventually be gone. So will everyone else on the current roster. The Leafs will go on (unfortunately).

Yup. Just look at that Babe Ruth guy. A hundred years after his MLB career and no one knows who he is. Sort of like that Gordie Howe guy who just got a bridge named after him over the Detroit River.

I thought you were making the argument a minute ago that athletes were real adults and could cope with the real world? I guess you're not so sure. An mature adult can cope with differences of political opinion between himself and his boss.

Depends. If I was a Jewish guy and my boss was a Holocaust denier, I'd have some real issues with him. Ditto if I was a Black NBA player and my boss gave money to a racist. Pretty much the same thing, right?

Disingenuous argument. The correct comparison is between the current starters and the NEXT man down the depth chart (who is not me). It's not nearly as vast a difference as you pretend. That's how Guerrero got into the lineup in the first place.

Not even that, Dutch. There's usually a big jump between a starter and a fringe utility guy.

Yep, most pro athletes are stupid and useless compared to the general population. Why? Because they spend nearly all of their waking hours working on their physical performance, and almost no time acquiring other skills or knowledge that would be valuable in other workplaces. Same reason that most actors and entertainers are generally useless at any kind of ordinary work.

But you can say that about doctors, dentists, lawyers, engineers and computer programmers too. Maybe you can clarify what you meant to say here?

I'm sure you didn't actually mean to say what you just said.

 

[Dutch Oven]

Yup. Just look at that Babe Ruth guy. A hundred years after his MLB career and no one knows who he is. Sort of like that Gordie Howe guy who just got a bridge named after him over the Detroit River.

And who do you suppose would even know who Babe Ruth was if the league/teams didn't keep resurrecting him every year as part of their "tradition" branding that they sell? All you're proving is that their marketing works (at least on you). You're not proving that Babe Ruth, as opposed to any other old-timey hero they care to resurrect, is essential to their marketing strategy.

Depends. If I was a Jewish guy and my boss was a Holocaust denier, I'd have some real issues with him. Ditto if I was a Black NBA player and my boss gave money to a racist. Pretty much the same thing, right?

Although all your premises and comparisons are way off, let's play with your facts. If your boss was a Holocaust denier, assuming that such views are lawful, you might have real issues with him, but that wouldn't give you any say over what he chooses to believe or support, right? Nor would it give you a right to attempt to publicy undermine his business by criticizing your boss while remaining in his employ, right?

Not even that, Dutch. There's usually a big jump between a starter and a fringe utility guy.

Not really. That's why there is so much turnover each year in professional sports lineups. Even the gap between the elite and most bubble of bubble players is not that significant. Baseball is a great example. A "great" hitter bats .300 (and thus is out 7/10 times that he is not walked/hit by pitch). A bubble player hits .200 (out 8/10 at bats). That's not a big difference. In hockey, an elite goalie stops 930 pucks out of 1000 shots on goal. A bubble goalies stops 830. These variances may be the difference between winning and losing (and that's what fans care about), but they are not, objectively, large differences. And the difference between starters and players who are 2nd on the team depth chart is even smaller.

But you can say that about doctors, dentists, lawyers, engineers and computer programmers too. Maybe you can clarify what you meant to say here?

I'm sure you didn't actually mean to say what you just said.

No, what I said about the intellectual development of people who wholly focus on physical performance has no application to any of the professions you offer.

What I said was very clear. That's probably what you found the most confusing.

 

[Dutch Oven]

So if all the players on a team decide to kneel for the anthem and the owner supports them, everybody else should shut up.

The fans are entitled to express their difference of opinion, with their voices and their wallets.

I think you're missing the point of this discussion.