As his fellow liberal travelers were being fired all around him, head of Football Outsiders, Aaron Schatz, launched into a Twitter tirade on Wednesday hinting that he thinks it is racist to complain that there is too much left-wing politics in sports reporting these days.
On the same day a large number of ESPN employees were fired — including columnists and on-air personalities — Schatz (pronounced “Shots”) took to Twitter to attack fans responding to the network’s firings. “Reading Twitter responses about ESPN layoffs,” Schatz wrote, “it occurs to me a lot of sports fans really don’t like anyone who stands up for civil rights.”
Reading Twitter responses about ESPN layoffs, it occurs to me a lot of sports fans really don't like anyone who stands up for civil rights.
— Aaron Schatz 🏈 (@FO_ASchatz) April 26, 2017
Unhappy with the responses he began to get from his first tweet, Schatz next slammed people complaining about the network being too liberal by tweeting, “When people complain that ESPN ‘went liberal,’ I don’t think it’s a complaint that anchors are discussing tax rates or regulatory policy.”
When people complain that ESPN "went liberal," I don't think it's a complaint that anchors are discussing tax rates or regulatory policy.
— Aaron Schatz 🏈 (@FO_ASchatz) April 26, 2017
If his hint that he meant that those complaining were racist wasn’t explicit enough, Schatz made his accusation a bit more clear by adding, “See, the issue here is that many of us don’t consider ‘black people are human beings’ to be ‘politics.’ (Also ‘gay people are human beings’).”
See, the issue here is that many of us don't consider "black people are human beings" to be "politics." (Also "gay people are human beings") https://t.co/Q7WwkG2h1l
— Aaron Schatz 🏈 (@FO_ASchatz) April 26, 2017
Schatz next went on to exclaim that the layoffs at ESPN had nothing to do with liberal politics but that the response to the layoffs is all about racism. “No,” he tweeted. “The layoffs have nothing to do with civil rights. It’s the CELEBRATION of the layoffs by conservatives that is related to civil rights.”
No. The layoffs have nothing to do with civil rights. It's the CELEBRATION of the layoffs by conservatives that is related to civil rights. https://t.co/eAXX1BHjaN
— Aaron Schatz 🏈 (@FO_ASchatz) April 26, 2017
So, it appears that as far as Schatz is concerned, anyone sick of sports media being filled with liberal politics is an obvious racist.
Naturally, Schatz was thoroughly slammed by fans on Twitter.
@FO_ASchatz If you feel that civil rights must be discussed, why not find a suitable forum like MSNBC?
— Cranky Gordon (@CrankyGordon) April 26, 2017
@FO_ASchatz You’re way outta your league here buddy…and this is a great example of why ppl are dropping ESPN in droves. @redsteeze @RobProvince
— JonO (@buginmyeye) April 26, 2017
@FO_ASchatz Try “unborn fetuses are human beings” and see what happens.
— Taylor Brown (@ClintonServer) April 26, 2017
@FO_ASchatz Could it be that conservatives want to turn on ESPN to get away from politics and escape with sports, and you deny them that opportunity?
— Tom Royce (@TomRoyce) April 26, 2017
@FO_ASchatz I’m a Conservative who believes in Civil Rights..who believes in Gay Marriages
Still don’t want to see politics every time I put on ESPN.
— Greg Flugaur (@flugempire) April 26, 2017
@FO_ASchatz @charlescwcooke Turning sports stories into social justice stories is what turns us off. If a player is gay good for him but
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) April 26, 2017
@FO_ASchatz @charlescwcooke I don’t watch sports to know who they have sex with I watch to see their talent in the game.
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) April 26, 2017
@FO_ASchatz You seem to have a solid grasp on the views of your political opponents, and you’re definitely not embarrassing yourself.
— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) April 26, 2017
— EducatédHillbilly™ (@RobProvince) April 26, 2017
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.
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