The former Ohio State Buckeye’s latest racist social media fumble, probably won’t deter high NFL draft status.
When it was initially revealed that elite defensive lineman Nick Bosa out of Ohio State had certain questionable opinions about largely black cultural staples, from Beyonce to Black Panther, to praising demagogue president Donald Trump, many in black media spaces recognized the coming conundrum the NFL would be faced with. One that would reveal its privilege and hypocritical mindset simultaneously.
During Colin Kaepernick‘s protest against police brutality and racial oppression in America, many conservative pundits, both politically and in the mainstream media, used the term “Shut up and play” as the slogan to get black players to fall in line and be thankful for the opportunity to destroy their bodies for a million dollar payday.
So, the question was inevitably asked; ‘When will Nick Bosa be asked to simply shut up and play?’
The question was rhetorical in nature for most who uttered it. Being in a space where objectivity is frequently cited but seldom practiced, black journalists were awash in the miasma of side-eye skepticism when it was announced that Bosa had decided he would no longer say or do incendiary things on social media just last week.
So when Nick Bosa’s “questionable” viewpoints and tendencies once against popped up on social media, the black journalistic collective barely batted an eye. We knew it would happen again, but not so quickly. It’s often hard to account for how privilege and stupidity are often in lockstep.
Many outlets are reporting on Bosa’s social media interactions with several posts by friends that most people considered to be racist and homophobic. The tweets have since been deleted, but that doesn’t let Bosa off the hook.
They show that he’s likely a full-on racist and not just contrarian. These aren’t the sincere musings of a young man trying to find his place in the world, but a record of a racist troll.
However, unlike most of this ilk, he’s on his way to being a professional football player in the NFL. He’ll play before millions and his very existence could be a welcoming clarion call for like-minded individuals in the NFL and beyond to show their true colors. Think it can’t happen? Have you looked around lately?
Whenever an influential individual speaks upon anything these days, his talking points are immediately grasped upon, and the effect is exponential. Donald Trump election is a prime example of that. Here’s what San Francisco GM General manager John Lynch said Monday regarding the top draft prospected.
“I think that he’s a great teammate,” Lynch said of the Ohio State defensive end. “I’m not going to get too far because a lot can happen at [No. 1]. He can go one. In general, we spend a lot of time vetting these guys and everything about them. You put something into all of it.”
Here’s how #49ers GM John Lynch answered today when asked about Nick Bosa’s social media activity: pic.twitter.com/zBHTbA6H6C
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) April 22, 2019
So, what he’s saying is, even though Bosa has a history of racism and homophobia that’s researchable by anyone dedicated enough to do so, but that’s not enough to prevent him from being drafted.
Meanwhile, Colin Kaepernick didn’t say anything about disenfranchising or hating anyone, nor has he used racial slurs on social media, beat up a woman or tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. Yet, he can’t get a job. See where we are going with this?
