Jaden Ivey #31, formerly of the Chicago Bulls.
A grotesque double standard has existed in American professional sports for years, whereby violent criminal acts are punished with only a slap on the wrist while expressions of Christian faith or conservative values often result in immediate criticism or even dismissal from the team.
That was the case again this week following comments from Chicago Bulls guard Jaden Ivey, a third-year player out of Purdue University. In a series of Instagram livestreams, Ivey criticized Pride Month and the NBA for promoting what he called “unrighteousness.”
“The world can proclaim LGBTQ, right?” Ivey told viewers. “They proclaim Pride Month. And the NBA, they proclaim it. They show it to the world. They say, ‘Come join us for Pride Month, to celebrate unrighteousness.’ They proclaim it on the billboards. They proclaim it in the streets. Unrighteousness.”
Hours later, the Bulls waived Ivey (effectively, they fired him) for “conduct detrimental to the team.” Coach Billy Donovan later said that there is “a certain level of standards and expectations that are here” and implied that Ivey was not being “professional.”
Following Ivey’s dismissal from the team, running back TreVeyon Henderson of the NFL’s New England Patriots, another outspoken Christian, posted several Bible verses appearing to support Ivey’s comments. New York Jets cornerback Azareye’h Thomas also posted in support of Ivey.
So far, Henderson hasn’t been let go from the team, but he has received thinly veiled criticism from head coach Mike Vrabel. Though Vrabel said he “loves” Henderson, he also said that he wants the team to be “inclusive” and wants his players to be “educated.”
Compare that to how the Patriots responded when Henderson’s former teammate Stefon Diggs was charged with the violent assault of a woman.
According to police reports, Diggs engaged in felony strangulation and misdemeanor assault and battery following a dispute over pay with his personal chef. The chef claims Diggs slapped her, placed her in a chokehold that made it difficult to breathe, and threw her onto a bed. Diggs has pleaded not guilty, and his legal team has denied the allegations, arguing they are financially motivated and tied to the underlying pay dispute. The case is ongoing.
But that isn’t the only alleged crime that Diggs has been involved in. In recent years, he has faced multiple accusations tied to violent or abusive conduct, including a civil lawsuit alleging sexual battery and physical assault stemming from an incident in 2023, as well as a separate dispute with an ex-girlfriend who accused him of assault, causing a concussion.
At no point in this disturbing pattern of allegations did the NFL or Diggs’ coaches or teammates offer anything close to the condemnation Henderson is now facing – much less cut him from the team. Instead, the Patriots simply said they “support Stefon.”
That same story has played out time and again in the NFL and NBA. According to a 2021 study on the NFL, “players who committed ‘general violence’ – that is, violence not specific to women – received, on average, less than a third of the minimum requirement for number of games suspended, according to league policy.” Acts of violence against women specifically resulted in longer suspensions but “still fewer games than the league minimum.” A former NFL manager has alleged that teams ignore “hundreds” of domestic abuse cases.
Recent examples of how the NBA has handled domestic violence cases further highlight the appalling standard for what teams deem “acceptable” from players.
In 2022, rising star Miles Bridges was charged with assaulting his former girlfriend, Mychelle Johnson, in front of the pair’s two children. Photos showed severe bruising on Johnson’s face and body, and she posted on social media that she suffered a fractured nose and wrist, torn eardrum, torn muscles in her neck from being choked, and a severe concussion. Bridges pleaded no contest in the case – an acceptance of punishment without an explicit admission of guilt.
Despite this astonishingly violent attack that very well could have killed Johnson, Bridges received a suspension of just 30 games. Even more shockingly, the NBA then ruled that since Bridges didn’t play for an NBA team in the 2022-2023 season (because he was facing possible imprisonment) he only had to serve 10 games of that suspension in the 2023-2024 season – the league minimum for “unlawful violence.”
The Chicago Bulls cut Jaden Ivey for “conduct detrimental to the team” for voicing his sincerely held religious beliefs. But apparently, Bridges’ conduct wasn’t “detrimental” enough to prevent the NBA from only suspending him for 10 games and the Charlotte Hornets from signing him to a $7.9 million contract for the 2023-2024 season. A year later, Charlotte signed him to a three-year, $75 million deal.
Another Hornets player, Jeffrey Taylor, also got away with minimal punishment after he pushed his girlfriend out of a hotel room in 2014, causing her to hit her head on the door across the hall. Taylor pleaded guilty in that case, yet the NBA suspended him for just 24 games.
Apparently, to NBA teams, beating your girlfriend or shoving her so hard she stumbles across a hallway is forgivable, but voicing opposition to LGBTQ+ ideology and publicly professing Christian faith is a bridge too far.
This glaring double standard provides a window into the moral depravity and absurd rules of woke ideology as a whole. Actions matter less than obedience to left-wing dogma, to the point where actual physical violence is excused while dissent from the “approved” set of social views is tantamount to career suicide.
Shane Harris is the Editor-in-Chief of AMAC Newsline. You can follow him on X @shaneharris513.
The professional sports leagues and all of their member teams WILL NEVER CHANGE UNTIL ENOUGH OF US STOP WATCHING/BUYING THE PRODUCT.
I stopped watching the NBA and the NFL because of this nonsense.. College sports and professional golf for me.
I didn’t know how woke the NBA was, I just thought they just promoted and cared about basketball. It appears appears that those in leadership are pushing this one sided agenda and everyone who wants to keep their job, better line up. Unfortunately there is no freedom of speech or religion when it comes to multi-million dollar professional sports, righteous principles be damned. However, whatever the agenda, it’s all about the money and it’s still the only way to hurt those with woke ideology.
Once again, the radical liberals are trying to shut down our freedom of free speech. Many people speak out against this “pride” month ridiculousness. The far left allow their followers to say and do the most despicable things but a Christian is not allowed the same freedom. These Democrats/Communists need to stop degrading Christians and Patriots simply because they do not agree with their beliefs. They are showing us a preview of what our lives will be if they get elected in the upcoming elections. The NBA and NFL are racist organizations.
Why does anyone care about pro sports (or the Hollywierd elite for that matter) anymore? The entire professional sports organization and teams are woke as H$%&. Pro athletes, like actors and actresses have been given a pass on their criminal behavior far to long. Yet the average American still spends money on their junk. Time to vote with your wallet and stop supporting this crap. Maybe, just maybe they will get the message.
However I will not hold my breath on Americans waking up.
Apparently, the NBA is forced to look the other way regarding abuse cases otherwise they wouldn’t have enough players to make more than 5 teams.
Sounds like a great case against the NBA for damages and penalties by Jayden Ivey.
They lost me way back when the “taking a knee” stuff started. I thought sports was supposed to make men out of boys, not punks out of men.
Apply same to NFL too
Being amoral is okay. Being a Christian is not in the dems woke world. You can steal rape and kill and you get a slap on the wrist from the left. But quote the bible that is a capital offense. The Supreme Court and lower courts have been hearing these kind of cases over and over again. Wasting the courts times. But the left is determined to take Christianity out of this country and replace it with Islam. Tampon Timmy on Saturday shouted out his support for the Somalis and predicted they would be here forever. Not support for the American citizens who lost money with the fraud the Somalis perpetrated. No help for their children. Not one word. We all know what their plan is. Can you imagine if Trump hadn’t been elected what our lives would be like living under the Kameltoe tampon Timmy regime? Churches would have been shut down. Raids would be going on every Sunday at the churches. Till people were scared to go anymore. We are not speaking up now would we then? I think then it would be too late. Wake up Americans your future is at stake. To live in freedom, to worship and to carry a gun.
Another reason to boycott professional sports. Demented sex is supported and promoted, but referring to God and decency is never accepted. Sick!! Athletes who play physical games receive millions of dollars for their talent (that they received from God by the way), but if they have the gall to speak against evil, they’re done!
This is why I don’t watch.
A few years back, the same type of thing was done to an Iraqi immigrant basketball player who was on the NBA Boston Celtics team.
When he became an American citizen, he changed his name to ‘Freedom Kantor’.
Everything was going well for Freedom until it was time for him and everyone else who were forced into getting that jab that the Democrats wanted everyone (but themselves) to get.
Freedom said “”No!””, to the jab.
Next thing that happened to Freedom was the same thing that happened to many other folks who declined….
They were all kicked to the curb. Out of their respective jobs, just like that simply due to an idiotic culture and its utopian dreams of control and servitudes ad nauseum.
The culture has been brainwashed whether by drug usage or propaganda.
The real task is how to undo what has been done since the brainwashing experts of the October 1917 Russian Revolution were turned lose upon the world.
If they can’t shut up and play, they don’t play for me! Not paying to get left wing indoctrinated and proselytized into atheism, and non-intellectual belief into anti science “fluid” genders, or the cult of the church of global warming. Also, not fond of the three- ring circus professional sports, and the Olympics have become, sport and games are supposed to be fun not gladiatorial combat. Add to all that the fact that the intermission clowns now set this circus’ agenda and it’s a complete non-starter. The No Brain Association is just as bad as the National Felons League.
I have stopped watching these overpayed, “woke” sports. Also because there is no real competition. Most have become like the so called professional wrestling, nothing but a phony show.
So Coach Vrabel wants his team to be “inclusive “ and his players to be “educated “. Apparently that inclusiveness and education does not include Christians or those with a knowledge of God’s word, the Bible.
LGBTQ is either insecure or not sure what it is. Why must it be in everyone face all the time, and why are they acting as if they are the first, they are what they are, we know and accept, it’s been around , in sports, in entertainment, Hollywood, not a problem, until they appeared and demanded political seal of approval and now they won’t shut up and there is no one to tell them to either find a psychiatrist or shut the hell up.
Football players, Basketball players, and most other sports are like Modern Day Gladiators. The people that support them are fanatics, no matter what they say or do or the crimes they commit (like Tiger Woods) they still support them and think of them as the victims.
We don’t watch professional basketball because the teams are full of thugs.
Remember it is really professional sports “entertainment”, not actual real competition just acting. It is kind of like WWE, etc. Anyway I chose not to participate as a viewer, fan or whatever of the MLB, NBA, NFL, etc. for a few years now. It is not a good fit for me.
i couldn’t believe what i was hearing when i heard this young athlete was penalized for taking a stand on his beliefs, especially standing against the LGBTQ, pride parade. and yet those who comment violent crimes barely have their wrist slapped. A sad commentary on where our country is headed. i’m praying this young man feels huge amounts of love & support pouring out for him and his Christian faith.
I’ve never been a sports fan myself so this just adds to the reasons why I never watch.
Give me a good movie any day….and preferably one with NO woke actors!
In High School, I loved our team’s basketball! Thankfully neither of our best players joined – or went into Pro Basketball! I never watch pro basketball (or pro Football for that matter) and I never will!!!
Responsible people stopped watching the NBA years ago.
I stopped watching any sports at all because of the depravity and immorality of the people participating in them.
I don’t watch the NBA anyway. It’s glorified street ball. They palm, travel etc. Nothing is called. Then they argue and fight. It got boring.
Jaden Ivey is being denied his First Amendment rights. He should sue the Chicago Bulls. They fired him on the basis of free speech and his right to express his feelings.
Fascism has now the new order in Corporate America.
Rats pervert and destroy everything they touch.
Absolutely unfair. Why should one side be able to shoot their mouths off about everything they do not like, yet when the other side tries to make their views known they get cancelled.
I’ve said for many years that there were two sets of rules,one for Republicans,conservatives and one for democrats,such as liberals,leftists and such.But now I can’t believe how many different rules there are and not many that are believable.Does anyone else feel that all of this rule and woke”CRAP”is destroying the real AMERICA ?
I pray God blesses Ivey for publicly standing up for his faith. And to the coaches and management:
“Wow to those who call evil good and good evil.” Isaiah 5:20
I am proud of this player who was effectively fired for supporting Christian/Conservative values. I’m also proud of the ones who came out in support of him. I was ashamed of Mike Vrabel for his bigotted opinion and anti-Christian stance. But the Bible tells us in the latter days people will call evil good, and good evil.
We have forgotten God and he is forgetting us. Leviticus 26.
ALL DOUBLE STANDARDS MUST STOP IN SPORTS!!!! OTHERWISE,
HOW CAN THEY BE DEFINED AS A SPORT? OUR CHILDREN ARE LISTENING AND WATCHING!!.
I pray that Jesus rises up in the souls and hearts of all professional players and managers. May they stand up to the owners and officials against the outrageous wrong doing against people of faith. The sinful stance with violence and unholy acts needs to be cast out of professional sports at any level. STOP THE WOKISM!!
God bless!
Is anyone really surprised? It’s the sanctuary City of Chicago.
As a Christian, I have chosen not to watch NFL or NBA games for several years. The players send the wrong message to our young people and I am appalled at the way most of them conduct themselves. We need good role models for our children, and I don’t feel they get that from the example the players set.
Lawsuites can’t come soon enough. The pagan professional sports of the NBA and NFL is shown time and again via half time shows, commercials and slaps on the wrist for potentially deadly acts all playing out on the alter of corrupt corporate greed.
This former sports nut has disavowed all sports at the professional and college level. All they care about is money. The Devil runs them and I will not bow down
Both the NFL and the NBA are full of thugs from the hood.
when will fans discontinue support of pro sports teams?
When you choose to be a SLAVE TO THE MACHINE WHAT DO YOU GET?! I WILL SAY IT…..STOOOOOOPID!!!!!!!!!!!! I can’t remember the last time I saw a professional basketball or football game. Or a college game. The commercialism in these organizations is truly cause for concern. It is wonderful to see this young man stand up to the machine. He will be rewarded MIGHTILY. GOD BLESS YOU JADEN IVEY!!!
“Inclusive”. Is that what it was called when the Dodgers held an event to “honor” the “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence”? This is a group of transvestite “men” who dress in heavy makeup and habits modeled upon those of Roman Catholic nuns. This is not free speech or inclusivity. This is clearly nothing short of a slap in the face of the largest single denomination in the USA, the Roman Catholic Church. Yet MLB allowed this travesty to occur. That’s not “woke”. That’s purposeful discrimination…
So many coaches in the NFL, NBA, and MLB are moral cowards, terrified by all the woke bull$h*t. And they are lead by way overpaid, moral-less spineless cowards at the top of the woke-controlled sports world.
Until they get their priorities straight and their morals back, I won’t be spending a fortune attending anymore games, buying outrageously priced concessions, or even wasting my time watching at home.
Hopefully millions more will do the same. Go woke, go broke.
When people stop supporting these gangsters, and stadiums and arenas have more empty seats than occupied seats, then maybe someone will see a message somewhere. Problem there is that most people who can afford tickets to these events are liberal and woke anyway so it doesn’t matter to them. There are few things more dangerous than a rich gangster. Besides, the pros are nothing more than rich college kids anyway. There are some exceptions, like the people mentioned in the article, and I feel bad for them. “I want my players to be educated”? Well coach, if they were, maybe we wouldn’t have some of these problems.
This is why NBA means nothing to me any longer even woman’s basketball take it all over to CHINA goodbye
How did the Rats take over professional sports?
Violence has become acceptable & even encouraged! These aren’t pedestal driven athletes; they are over-paid thugs who should realize their actions have consequences. Children are looking up to them for how to behave, performing what they’re seeing from professionals. Grow up & become the best sportsman example you can be for kids.
Goes to show, these are not really athletes. They are performers, just like in Hollywood, with he same lack of values. They are worth the time to watch them, football or basketball.