Sports and athletes "do not operate in some separate space from the rest of us," as they are "not little Lego figures you just put in a drawer when you’re not playing with them," according to ESPN's Rachel Nichols. They are affected "by and react to the same world the rest of us do" ("The Jump," ESPN2, 11/9). That was shown by the reaction many athletes had to Donald Trump being elected President. THE DAILY presents a sampling of what players said about the election and their thoughts about what may come next.
* Warriors G Shaun Livingston said, "We can’t do anything about who is sitting in that office, that decision’s been made. That’s disappointing to a lot of people, including myself, that voted the other way, but at the same time, we still have to move forward and understand that we can all try to do our part” (S.F. CHRONICLE, 11/10).
* Packers QB Aaron Rodgers: "I hope as a country we can now come together and work a little better with each other. Obviously, there were some people who were -- rightfully so --worried about the direction of the country now, but I think it’s an important time for us that we come together and figure out how to work with each other” (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE, 11/10).
* NBA Kings F Rudy Gay: "No matter who’s in charge, we still have to go out there and govern ourselves. I think people get away from that. They think a new president’s going to change everything. We have to change our country" (SACRAMENTO BEE, 11/10).
* Knicks F Carmelo Anthony: "It’s our responsibility as men and women to take it into our own hands, be role models and be our own leaders regardless of who’s the commander-in-chief. We have much more responsibility now, especially with the youth, educating them" (N.Y. POST, 11/10).
* Cavaliers F LeBron James on Instagram wrote, "Parents and leaders of our children please let them know they can still change the world for the better! Don't lose a bit of faith! They're our future and we must remain stronger than ever!!" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 11/10).
* Seahawks WR Doug Baldwin: "I thought that a lot of the things that we had seen in the past few months brought up a lot of old emotions and old feelings. ... It resonated with me pretty painfully that that’s what our population wanted. That’s what the country wanted. To move in that direction, it’s disheartening" (ESPN.com, 11/9).
* Warriors F David West: "A lot of the things that [Trump] was saying publicly, a majority of this country feels privately and they proved it through their vote. The things that he said, the things that he represented, that’s the way a majority of this nation feels. I think he just emboldened them because he was willing to say it publicly and he got the platform" (CSNBAYAREA.com, 11/9).
* Raptors F Patrick Patterson: "All of the statements (Trump) said throughout his campaign. Will he uphold to it, will he actually do it? It’s got a lot of people worried about it and a lot of people scared” (OKLAHOMAN, 11/10).
* Eagles S Malcolm Jenkins said, "You look at all the things Trump has done in the entire campaign and the entire process, to now see him in the throne, in the seat, is nerve-racking for me. And I know a lot of the friends I have, just waiting to see what that's like, and if it'll reflect anything of what he's shown already. If so, that's very concerning" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 11/10).
* Nets F Trevor Booker: "To put a sexist, racist, bigot in office like that, it just doesn't make sense to me. I don't understand how somebody could vote for him. Honestly, it's disgusting" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 11/10).
* Jets WR Brandon Marshall: "The thing I like about this whole situation is we have a flawed man leading our country, and I think that's a good thing because we try to put certain people in certain positions on a pedestal and we expect perfection. That's not the case. There's only one perfect man who walked this earth. It gives hope to those who are flawed. People get second chances. I hope he does a great job" (ESPNNY.com, 11/9).
* Heat F Udonis Haslem: "This is the best country in the world. I wouldn't rather be anywhere else" (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 11/10).
WILL ATHLETES BOYCOTT TRUMP? ESPN's Jalen Rose said people should not be "surprised when multiple athletes decline the opportunity to visit the White House" while Trump is in office. He noted that several athletes already have done such, including Patriots QB Tom Brady, when he "exercised his right not to visit the White House ... when his team went to visit when Barack Obama was in office" ("Jalen & Jacoby," ESPN Radio, 11/10).
