There's nothing new about athletes and their teams quoting inspirational figures, especially at a time when they've overcome great odds to achieve something. That's been going on for as long as sports have been with us. But a newer phenomenon is coming against it, and that's the hypersensitivity that accompanies almost everything people say, and prompts demands for apologies, retractions and so forth.
You can't refer to Jesus because someone will get offended (although that fortunately doesn't stop a lot of people from doing so anyway). Jesus is too controversial in the sense that people don't want to be held to the standards Jesus came into this world to restore.
And apparently you can't refer to Martin Luther King Jr. for the opposite reason. While Jesus is too controversial, Dr. King is too sacrosanct. That's ironic in a way that surely Dr. King himself would have noted, as he was a Christian man who put Jesus far above himself. But culture is a different animal entirely, and the Seattle Seahawks found out on Monday that if you quote Dr. King in an inspirational manner, people will completely freak out.
Here's what happened: After the Seahawks amazing comeback in the NFC Championship Game, the team tweeted this image: (Below)
There is nothing especially remarkable about this. Teams take inspiration all the time from historical figures like Dr. King. That's how you maintain a belief that you can find a way to win when you're down 19-7 with just over two minutes left in the game. You quote Jesus. You quote General Patton. You quote Martin Luther King. You quote whoever you have to quote to keep yourself believing that you can do it.
And if you do it, you share the quote. Big deal.
But as so often happens these days, it was turned into a big deal - and a huge controversy - by hypersensitive morons who called it "disgusting" and all kinds of other things, claiming the Seahawks had presented their challenge on the football field as the equivalent of what Dr. King himself faced in the civl rights struggle.
Nonsense. They were doing no such thing. They were respectfully citing the thinking of Dr. King as having inspired them. For anyone to find this offensive is so idiotic, it's almost impossible to take it seriously.
But you know how it works these days. Once the hypersensitive start hyperventilating, the high-profile quickly back down because they fear controversy more than anything. So the Seahawks - who wouldn't back down on the football field - folded like a cheap suit on Twitter:
Of course they didn't, which is why it's so ridiculous that they felt the need to apologize.
But these days, no matter what you say, someone will have a conniption fit, and you have to decide whether to indulge their hypersensitive nonsense or tell them to take a hike. We really need more people standing up and doing the latter.
Of course they didn't, which is why it's so ridiculous that they felt the need to apologize.
But these days, no matter what you say, someone will have a conniption fit, and you have to decide whether to indulge their hypersensitive nonsense or tell them to take a hike. We really need more people standing up and doing the latter.
