Josh Hawley is Right, Woj's Apology Doesn't Change Anything, It's a Distraction

By now, you are probably aware that it's been a busy day in sports media. ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski sent a "fuck you" to Missouri Senator Josh Hawley’s for an email asking the NBA if it'd allow players to wear “Free Hong Kong” on the back of their jerseys. Wojnarowski has since apologized and ESPN released a statement. 

Hawley responded:

The senator is right to want more. Because the apology means nothing. Hawley didn't send the hypocritical NBA a letter to get an apology from a reporter; he wanted an answer from the NBA. This fiasco has been an unintended distraction from the reason it started.

Hawley, like many others, wants to know if the NBA would allow its player to support change in China. The answer is obvious, it’s a no. But to hear the NBA make an excuse would be amusing. 

Even if the NBA were to respond "Yes," to Hawley's email, no player would be brave enough to do it. They got the message. It was laid out clearly this past fall by Adam Silver and LeBron James: if it doesn’t enhance our relationship with Nike, shut up and stick to sports.

The reaction from James and the NBA in October was a black eye the league hasn't recovered from. You may not know this, of course, because the media, who serves as the NBA's publicists, would never tell you this. The media wouldn't attribute the support of China to the tanking ratings, because the NBA's decline isn't even covered. That’s reserved only for the NFL.

The NBA has questions to answer. Credit to Hawley for asking. But the NBA lucked out today. The attention is solely on Wojnarowski’s email, not its shameful reaction to those who speak out against communist China.