You don’t have to believe me, but if you’d have asked me before I’d seen this video who I thought was the most intelligent of ESPN’s NBA players-turned-analysts, I’d have named Greg Anthony or Tim Legler. Both of these guy’s have a coach’s knowledge of the game and they can present information in a clear and concise manner. TNT’s Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith are interesting and smart on basketball as well. ESPN’s Jalen Rose understands the street side of the game and can articulate on a lot of the inside hoops type stuff. Magic Johnson* and Chris Webber are full-blown idiots.
There is a weak correlation here between political ideology and intelligence (the only one of those guys who I know for sure is siding with the GOP is Anthony, but Magic Johnson is the most openly liberal, and he’s also the most openly unintelligent**.)
Predictably, Greg Anthony is receiving heavy fire for his support of Mitt Romney.
Jay Z and Samuel L. Jackson can endorse Obama and cite his race as the main reason for their support, but Greg Anthony can’t adopt a non-tribal rationale for his support of the Republican. And Anthony lays out a relatively intelligent critique, given the typical level of celebrity political rhetoric. How many athletes or celebrities even know what “centrist” means?
This is a pretty effective ad partly because of the racial component and also Anthony’s focus on Obama not being a centrist. This is an argument which will appeal to many marginal Obama voters (which I was). It pushes from the center by using the language “he is not a centrist” rather than yelling from the right that “he is a leftist”. That’s a subtle difference in tone which sounds like Frank Lutz ninja stuff.
Greg Anthony was a key leader in the Nevada Young Republicans organization for many years. He did endorse Obama in 2008 though, if I remember correctly, which kinda surprised me.
I guess that he’s changed his mind and come to his sense.
I also remember when Greg Anthony played in the NBA. His game was very workmanlike, and (dare I say it) not typically “black” at all – he was all defense and cerebral play. He couldn’t shoot worth a lick and had very little flare and flash in his game.
I agree about Legler but not Anthony. Anthony comes off as a guy who wants you to constantly know he thinks he’s intelligent. On more than one occasion I’ve heard him say “I’m a thinker.”
This isn’t directly relevant to anything, but I was surprised today to find out that David Blaine is a Republican. I would never have guessed that in a thousand years.
But then I started thinking about it. I remember when he suspended himself above the Thames, and all the worthless British proles stood around throwing things at him. Or the time he stood on that tower in New York City, and the worthless American proles stood around telling him to jump.
They were really, really uncomfortable with the idea of a regular person doing something absolutely extraordinary in their midst.
Greg Anthony was a key leader in the Nevada Young Republicans organization for many years. He did endorse Obama in 2008 though, if I remember correctly, which kinda surprised me.
I guess that he’s changed his mind and come to his sense.
I also remember when Greg Anthony played in the NBA. His game was very workmanlike, and (dare I say it) not typically “black” at all – he was all defense and cerebral play. He couldn’t shoot worth a lick and had very little flare and flash in his game.
I agree about Legler but not Anthony. Anthony comes off as a guy who wants you to constantly know he thinks he’s intelligent. On more than one occasion I’ve heard him say “I’m a thinker.”
Those are the two best footnotes I’ve ever seen.
“Obama is not a centrist.”
i wholeheartedly agree. given his pathetic obeisance to our wall street/pentagon masters, he’s much more of a right-winger than a centrist.
I wonder why the media hasn’t explored the REAL cause of Magic Johnson’s HIV diagnosis and subsequent AIDS? I think I know.
This isn’t directly relevant to anything, but I was surprised today to find out that David Blaine is a Republican. I would never have guessed that in a thousand years.
But then I started thinking about it. I remember when he suspended himself above the Thames, and all the worthless British proles stood around throwing things at him. Or the time he stood on that tower in New York City, and the worthless American proles stood around telling him to jump.
They were really, really uncomfortable with the idea of a regular person doing something absolutely extraordinary in their midst.