A wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals driving on his way to Sunday's game against Seattle weaved in and out of a Trump caravan and showed his middle fingers to participants. Yahoo writer Meredith Cash defended him as a "legend" exercising his free speech rights. For acting like a complete buffoon and total jerk.
Twitter photos show DeAndre Hopkins in an open-air convertible with both arms extended upward and both middle fingers on display. No hands on the steering wheel.
Cash wrote that Hopkins enjoyed a brilliant performance against the Seattle Seahawks Sunday night, with 10 pass receptions for 103 yards, "but the Arizona Cardinals' superstar wide receiver had some business to attend to first."
Cash explained that the four-time Pro Bowler Hopkins (appearing in file photo) "reportedly weaved in and out of traffic on I-10 while driving in a sleek Ferrari convertible. Photos posted on social media show Hopkins throwing his hands in the air to flip off those involved in the rally."
Reportedly? Cash posted no less than four Twitter photos displaying Hopkins' pathetic behavior. She apparently couldn't get enough of the sight of Hopkins flipping the bird to Trump supporters.
Twitter critics of Hopkins who appeared to support the President were offended by Hopkins' "antics," Cash continued. "One individual took to Twitter to call Hopkins 'a piece of trash' for purportedly putting his 8-year-old son at risk by weaving through traffic. Another Tweet criticized Hopkins for an 'alleged unwillingness to 'let people exercise their 1st amendment right.'"
"Of course, Hopkins' decision to give Trump supporters the middle finger is an expression of his own first amendment right, a fact the detractor did not acknowledge in his rant," Cash said in Hopkins' defense, adding:
Many others expressed their approval of Hopkins' pregame stunt on social media by calling him a 'legend' and suggesting that they would have acted similarly in that situation. After the star went on to haul in 10 catches for 103 receiving yards and a touchdown in the Cardinals' 37-34 overtime win later in the evening, Huffington Post reporter Ja'han Jones pointed out that the team is "undefeated in games on days when my guy @DeAndreHopkins gives two middle fingers to a caravan of AZ Trump supporters while driving his Ferrari."
Cash also boasted of Hopkins league-leading statistics -- 57 pass receptions and 704 yards -- and how he's helping the Cardinals give chase to the NFC West-leading Seattle Seahawks. As if these numbers justify his trashy behavior.
One need not wonder what the NFL, the Cardinals and the media would have done if a white person had flipped off Obama supporters in this fashion. That player would have been canceled and shamed faster than you can say "First Amendment rights."
And one more thing. Charles Barkley, who's engaged in plenty of boorish, illegal incidents of his own, got it so right when he said athletes are not role models.
