Jump to content

  • Welcome!

    Register and log in easily with Twitter or Google accounts!

    Or simply create a new Huddle account. 

    Members receive fewer ads , access our dark theme, and the ability to join the discussion!

     

Shaq Thompson's interview cut off by Panther PR

PhillyB

By PhillyB,
in Carolina Panthers

Recommended Posts

PhillyB Grand Master

PhillyB

Posted
Posted

Evidently Shaq Thompson focused on ethnic identity and issues at Washington, and one of his senior-year essays was on police brutality. David Newton reports that after the final OTA session yesterday, a reporter asked him follow-up questions about police brutality issues in society today, and the Panthers PR guys jumped in and cut off the interview.

It's only a small blurb on ESPN:

 

More Shaq: One of Thompson’s final essays at Washington was on police brutality. His post-practice interview was cut off by Carolina public relations during follow-up questions.

 

It seems pretty obvious that a high-profile organization would be hesitant to allow a new employee to speak on their behalf about an explosive social issue, especially with the way social media makes these things instantaneously known, so I can't blame them for enforcing an overarching policy that probably exists for any sensitive questions not directly related to football topics.

That said, it's disappointing that in any forum, not addressing the problem at all is preferable to possibly causing a kerfuffle by addressing it. This is the beguiling power of institutions, after all; they are sources of power that maintain the status quo. Their power is cultural as well as legal, and as a controlling mechanism, it's perpetuated when other organizations or individuals refuse to address what exactly it is they're controlling. Fear of backlash is just another tool in the pocket of institutions that don't want to change.

 

On a more directly football-related note, Shaq was roundly named in the top 3 safeties in the nation by draft organizations (as well as by his performances in college) and I can't help but hope we give him snaps at strong safety in camp. We're fairly deep at OLB and there's nothing more I'd love to see than our number one pick be able to come in and replace Roman Harper's production at the position. We'd be set for a decade.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
t96 Grand Master

t96

Posted
Posted

That said, it's disappointing that in any forum, not addressing the problem at all is preferable to possibly causing a kerfuffle by addressing it.  

​It's not a football team's job to be addressing it at all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
PntherPryd Rookie

PntherPryd

Posted
Posted

Every interview is cut off at some point. Every day follow up questions are stopped short. Not sure the subject matter had anything to do with it. Sounds speculative.

​Considering the deep issues surrounding the Rams players and either side of the Ferguson issue, I'm sure every PR employee in the league is briefed and briefed again on watching where interviews lead.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
PhillyB Grand Master

PhillyB

Posted
  • Author
Posted

invocation and all of the jingoistic salute our troops poo is very political and athletes mixing sport with politics has led to some extremely powerful moments in american history. hopefully thompson gets an opportunity to say whatever it is that he has to say while off the clock at the very least

​yep. if shaq thompson was asked about supporting the troops, he'd have not been cut off and no one would've considered it political. again, institutions regulate and maintain the status quo. it's not that they don't want politics involved in sport, they don't want inconvenient politics involved in sport. nature of the beast.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • PMH4OWPW7JD2TDGWZKTOYL2T3E.jpg

  • Topics

  • Posts

    • tukafan21
      Bryce Young 5th year option exercised

      By tukafan21 · Posted

      Except it takes those QB's a few years to develop because they needed to learn the mental side of the game and have it catch up to their physical attributes. Bryce was supposed to be a QB savant who already had a fully developed mental side of the game and that was going to make up for his lack of physical ability.  And his lack of NFL level QB physical traits has been clear as day to anyone who has watched him the last 3 years, mainly, he just doesn't have an NFL arm, he can't zip the ball into tight spaces or throw on a line down the field like is needed at this level.
    • Pejorative Miscreant
      Moton Meets the Press

      By Pejorative Miscreant · Posted

      Don’t recall seeing many of his interviews but what strikes me is that he engages and goes in depth. Even with the cliche answers as referenced by OP come across somewhat thoughtful.  Very likable personality despite being someone who can crush an average person like I can crush a paper cup. I knew Motons mother had a career at MSU but was looking on the google and found that Mushin Muhammad personally knew Motons grandfather.   His late grandfather was a professor at MSU.   Cool guy.  Interesting family and small world.      
    • rmoneyg35
      Bryce Young 5th year option exercised

      By rmoneyg35 · Posted

      I think people aren’t patient enough with Young. It can take a few years for a QB to develop. Look at Darnold, Baker and most recently Daniel Jones.   he hasn’t been able to put up big passing numbers either cause of how much we run the ball. You can tell our coaching staff still hasn’t took the training wheels off Bryce and let him go all out. We’ve had some pretty bad receivers as well. We finally got a true number one last year and look how much Bryce improved. Still we didn’t really have any depth behind TMac. Coker was hurt for a lot of the year and XL was our #2. How many big plays or TDs has XL dropped? I think this year can be the year we see Bryce able to hit his stride. If not then we can start looking for another qb but I just ask people to be patient.
×
×
  • Create New...