Rutgers Basketball, Politically Correct and Apolitical

by Michael Leon

Madison, WI—Don Imus’ imbecilic rant about the Rutgers’ women’s basketball team does not merit comment.

The spectacle of the ahistorical, depoliticized and self-absorbed reaction of the team members certainly does.

In the annals of American athletes’ contribution to social justice, Ali, Russell, Brown, B.J. King and Smith and Carlos at the ’68 Olympics are in no danger of being upstaged.

When the Rutgers team bellied up to the mic to state their hurt feelings over the rambling of a talk-show host, the corporate media went happily along for the ride—devoting hours of “breaking” news and lead stories, while other matters, just arguably, were of more moment

Rutgers basketball team, some unsolicited advice: The next time you’re on TV, how about speaking up about something, well, meaningful:

- Erosion of habeas corpus and civil liberties under Bush (the late Prof. Kinoy, that rascal from Rutgers, did devote his life to these affairs; and it’s not unheard of to read about these mattes at college, especially at Rutgers. Maybe you can plug the Center for Constitutional Rights), instead of talking your feelings and Imus?

- Iraqi war; 100,000s dead, millions maimed and traumatized for life (I’m sure you heard about it.)

- Institutional Racism; that thing that SNCC, the Panthers, the Chicago Eight and all those past uppity types used to fight, and it wasn’t a talk show host

Well, that’s a start.

As for your team, your NCAA title hopes, and your hurt feelings…well, try this: Get politicized, study history, get organized, get militant, and get off your anti-intellectual, collective duff.

Absent matters of substance, shooting buckets and narcissistic whining (though in vogue) are inane diversions to the genuine danger and obscene horror going on in all of our names.
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