When you watch sports for long enough, you come to regard the most flamboyant athletes as also the least interesting. After all, what do they really do besides make an extra effort to draw attention to themselves? If you have seen enough of it, you probably feel more pity than disgust toward the athlete in question.
Disgust creeps in, however, when woke scolds piously lecture you about how you should — or must — support said athletes.
On Wednesday, ESPN football analyst and former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III irritated many social media users when he suggested in a post on X that fans in Chicago should paint their nails pink in support of former USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams, widely projected to go first overall to the Chicago Bears in the next month’s NFL draft in Detroit.
On Monday, Williams appeared at a USC women’s basketball game to watch freshman JuJu Watkins and the rest of the Trojans advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament with a 73-55 victory over the Kansas Jayhawks.
Cameras caught the presumptive first pick in the NFL draft wearing pink fingernail polish and carrying a matching phone case. Some observers also thought he was wearing pink lipstick.
. @CALEBcsw is having a good time 👋#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/el4ejeKHAF
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) March 26, 2024
Now, Williams might have perfectly good reasons for making those choices.
In fact, according to USA Today, the star quarterback has a history of painting his nails. He does that in part to honor his mother, a lifelong nail technician.
Do you watch the NFL?
He shared the video on X and wrote, “Vibes onlyyyyy supporting our girls.”
Whatever the case might be, most fans probably do not care about Williams’ nails or his phone. Assuming he does get drafted first overall on April 25, Bears fans want to see touchdown passes and victories this fall.
But they probably do care — and have good reason to care — when they see signs of self-absorption.
And they definitely care when commentators tell them they must accept and support whatever purportedly harmless form of expression an athlete chooses.
Griffin, a former quarterback for the Washington Redskins — since rebranded as the Washington Commanders — does not appear to understand that.
“Let Caleb Williams be Caleb Williams. Ain’t nothing wrong with him wearing pink fingernail polish and having a pink phone case,” he said.
How does one not cringe at such phrases? “Let Caleb Williams be Caleb Williams,” as if the pink accessories form part of his identity? And to recoil from those accessories is to recoil from him?
It got worse.
“Quite frankly, if he goes to Chicago then Bears’ fans should be rocking whatever he is. Stop the hate and accept him for who he is. @CALEBcsw,” Griffin said.
Let Caleb Williams be Caleb Williams. Ain’t nothing wrong with him wearing pink fingernail polish and having a pink phone case. Quite frankly, if he goes to Chicago then Bears’ fans should be rocking whatever he is. Stop the hate and accept him for who he is. @CALEBcsw pic.twitter.com/DT1XEbjIs3
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) March 28, 2024
To put it mildly, most X users did not react favorably to the woke lecture.
“Nah, not accepting men wearing nail polish and lipstick. And don’t tell me I have too,” one person wrote.
Nah, not accepting men wearing nail polish and lipstick. And don’t tell me I have too.
— iGGY (@windycityiggy) March 28, 2024
“Nah fam. We NEED MEN for our little boys to look up to. Not whatever this fantasy cos play is,” another said.
Nah fam. We NEED MEN for our little boys to look up to. Not whatever this fantasy cos play is.
— Jay | The Midwest Dad | (@JC_Midwest) March 28, 2024
One X user suggested that Griffin had his eye on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” broadcast booth.
“Working hard for that MNF job i see @RGIII,” the person said.
Working hard for that MNF job i see @RGIII
— Ethanopia (@ethanisweak) March 28, 2024
Another user took a more comedic approach, saying of Williams, “He’s LGBTQB1.”
He’s LGBTQB1
— . (@Dot4PF) March 28, 2024
In sum, one suspects that most sports fans have problems with two things: 1) self-absorbed athletes (of whom Williams might or might not be one) and 2) self-righteous sports commentators and writers.
For instance, sports fans of a certain age will remember the flamboyant Dennis Rodman, Hall of Fame power forward and five-time NBA champion with the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls.
In 1996, Rodman wore a wedding dress to a book signing in New York City.
He looked ridiculous, but I cannot recall anyone hating him for it.
The establishment media’s reflections on the stunt, however, are another matter.
“In short, Rodman inspired people to drop all the pretense and be their authentic selves,” according to CNN.
No, actually, Rodman drew attention to himself in a cheap and silly way. Again, no one hated him for it. But neither must they celebrate it. And when Griffin or CNN tells them that they should celebrate it, that is what they hate.
Williams may wear pink accessories if he chooses. But do not confuse the accessories with the man. Do not tell me I must accept the former as a reflection of the latter’s “authentic self.” And definitely do not tell me that I must call him something other than a man.
In fact, enough about “self” and “identity” altogether. Focus less on the person in the mirror, and you might find yourself part of something incomparably more important.
