College basketball analyst Seth Davis in a lengthy Facebook post addressed his willingness to "engage in topics that go beyond" sports on social media, as he is "weighing in frequently on the presidential election and other topics that populate the news." Davis writes his Twitter mentions get "inundated with replies that include the same three words: Stick to sports." Davis: "To which I reply: Respectfully, no." He writes he has been "reluctant to speak out like this in the past," as sharing opinions about news and politics over social media "turns some people off, especially when I'm sharing an opinion with which they disagree." The "last thing I need is to tweet something that could get me in hot water" with one of his employers, namely SI, CBS and Campus Insiders. However, he cites "three main reasons" why Davis is "unsticking" himself from sports. Davis writes the main reason is that for "many years, I have been critical of athletes who refuse to speak out on important social issues, arguing that the most privileged among us, the ones who have the biggest megaphones and loftiest platforms, are under a special obligation to be informed and speak out." Davis: "I am no multimillionaire athlete, but I do have a platform. When I realized I was restraining myself for fear of losing Twitter followers, I felt like a hypocrite." He adds, "While I will still have plenty to say about the upcoming college basketball season, I also intend to keep weighing in on the greater topics that occupy our society, and I plan to continue doing so even after the election" (FACEBOOK.com, 10/5).
