Charles Pierce goes where few sportswriters dare in an article comparing LeBron James to MJ:
Jordan wrote the book on how to become a wildly popular and successful athlete without demonstrating even the sliver of a public conscience. More to the point, he created a new template for risk-free stardom, whereby involvement in the unruly hurly-burly of the real world is something that a star is not expected to do. Do the public-service ads for the safe issues, but go no deeper into the forces that create those issues in the first place.
I don’t expect athletes to be activists, but Jordan was beyond programmed. Same with Tiger Woods.
Brought to you by Nike.
