It's Spreading

New York Knicks center Joakim Noah says he skipped a team dinner at the U.S. Military Academy that featured cadets and a speech by a former colonel because he is against war.

Noah added he had "mixed feelings" about spending time at the academy, where the Knicks are holding training camp this week, because he is opposed to the idea of young troops fighting in wars.

  ESPN

A West Point spokesman said Noah's decision to use the academy to make a statement was inappropriate. If only black men weren't so good at sports, eh?

Of course he did. Fortunately, his coach has said it's Noah's right to do what he did and indicated management would put no pressure on him.

Hornacek was asked if he understood Noah's point of view. "Oh, absolutely," Hornacek said. "Jo's done, in all his stuff that he does against gun violence and all that, he just didn't feel comfortable, so that's plenty fine with us."

The Knicks tweeted pictures of Noah speaking to cadets after Friday's practice.

And Noah got out ahead of the inevitable media and public backlash as best he could.

"I think there's a lot of topics that definitely need to be more than addressed," said Noah, whose foundation, Noah's Arc, is committed to reducing violence in Chicago and elsewhere. "I think it's a very important time right now. I think it's great athletes are taking a stand. But it has to be about more than that. This country's out of control. Kids killing kids. And it has nothing to do with -- people are talking about the anthem but that's not the point. There are things that need to be fixed."

[...]

"I'm very proud of this country. I love America, but I just don't understand kids killing kids around the world."

Noah added: "At the end of the day, I'm not anti-troops. It's just not comfortable for me to see kids going out to war and coming back having seen what they've seen, having done what they've done. It's sad for me. It's sad for me because they're just sent out for things that I don't really want to get into it to be honest with you. It's hard for me."

Well, old son, I'm afraid you're going to have to get into it. And that's a good thing.  Good luck to you. It's an honorable stance. And what was it Glenn Greenwald said about Ed Snowden? Courage is contagious, or something like that.