Um, What? Race-Obsessed ESPN Reporter Claims Caitlin Clark Must Speak Out For The People Who Have Bullied Her

If you saw a friend getting picked on by a group of bullies, would you tell your friend that he or she had an obligation to speak up for the issues that these bullies may or may not have endured in their lives?

Probably not, because that would be ridiculous.

Well, ESPN talking heads specialize in the ridiculous, and David Dennis Jr. is no exception.

Clark has been the victim of a crazy amount of bullying in her short WNBA career. Photo: Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

On Friday’s edition of "Around The Horn," Dennis and the group were discussing Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and all the struggles she faced in her rookie season. 

Dennis made sure to concede the fact that Clark has faced a lot of harassment in the beginning of her career. He would be ridiculous not to; Clark has been the subject of unnecessary hard fouls, criticism from woke reporters, and was mysteriously left off the Team USA women’s basketball team for the Olympics. Make no mistake, this is a much heavier dose of bullying and harassment than most players should expect to receive in a single season. The worst part? The league and its players are bullying and harassing its first marketable player…ever.

Read: WNBA Mean Girls Won't Accept Caitlin Clark Until She Apologizes For Being White and Straight | Bobby Burack

So on Friday, Dennis Jr. decided to help Clark by offering some wisdom on how to help herself when facing all this backlash. Please know I’m using the word "wisdom" facetiously, because it was the furthest thing from good advice.

Dennis Jr. Thinks Clark Is Obligated To Stick Up For The People Who Have Bullied Her

Despite the fact that Clark is the victim of a tidal wave of hatred from nearly everyone in the WNBA, Dennis Jr. had the unmitigated gall to suggest that Clark has a moral obligation to speak out on behalf of her opponents.

What does Clark need to speak out on? The typical stuff that progressives incessantly draw attention to.

"Any person in privilege has a moral obligation to speak up against racism, homophobia, transphobia, and all those things," Dennis Jr said. "I hope Caitlin  Clark will use this moment to speak out more.

Read: Race-Obsessed ESPN Writer Claims Caitlin Clark Fans Are Using Her To Express 'Disdain' For Black Women

Dennis Jr. then insinuated that all of these outside forces are affecting Clark and the rest of the league, which is why they can’t perform very well. His solution was to speak out more against these issues, and then not only will Clark play better, but her opponents will stop hating her.

"The more that Caitlin Clark speaks up against the racism against the misogyny that her teammates and fellow WNBA players have to face, that she will actually find a community and find it easier to get through all this," he said. "The more she speaks up, the more this will benefit her and the league overall. 

This Line Of Reasoning Makes Zero Sense

I tried to keep track of all the things that were wrong with this rant, but I lost count. 

Let's start with the claim that Clark is a person of privilege. Is she? Dennis Jr. didn’t care to tell us why, because there is no justifiable reason to call her that. Many have tried to claim she’s only popular because she’s white and heterosexual (which is categorically untrue), but that doesn’t make her privileged.

The next idiotic part is claiming that she has a "moral obligation" to speak out against these "issues" that WNBA players face, namely racism, homophobia, and transphobia. I find that troublesome for two reasons.

The first is that sports are at their best when they are not used to promote any kind of political messaging, progressive or otherwise. Constantly using sports as a platform to spread political messaging is both counterproductive and incredibly annoying. 

In Dennis Jr.'s world, Clark (on the ground) would have to stick up for people who have incessantly bullied her, like Chennedy Carter (7). That makes zero sense. (Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Second, if you’re black and or a member of the LGBT community in America (or both), you are not - I repeat, not - oppressed. Both groups have an entire month in the year dedicated to celebrating them. If you get honored and magnified because of your skin color or because of your sex-life choices, you are no longer victims of anything and have no right to claim you are.

Finally, a person who is being bullied for no justifiable reasons has no need to stick up for her tormentors. That is completely illogical. In fact, more WNBA vets should stop fuming with jealousy about the attention Clark gets and thank her for the exposure she’s brought to a previously obscure league.

Clark has no moral obligation to be an advocate for the manufactured and faux issues that people like Dennis Jr. claim her opponents face. That is about as backwards as it gets.