Ujiri had just spoken candidly and vulnerably about what the fight for Black lives has meant to him personally. To follow that up with “but what about gun violence?” works to discredit the intention of everything Ujiri said before.
Ujiri’s response was measured. He acknowledged there is a problem, saying, “It’s so weird that you said that because, as I was walking out of my room today, my wife was looking at her phone and she said to me, ‘The shootings and the killings are becoming too much here in Toronto.’ And we’ve talked about this a lot. And we need to do something about it.”
You shouldn’t need the grace and tact of an Obama to handle a postseason presser. As the conventional wisdom has it: when they go low, we go high. I just wish it didn’t have to be applied so often. And I wish there were more of us in the room asking the questions.
DrewEbanks donnovanbennett Stay strong we are with you love always
donnovanbennett Lmao I hate ss as much as anyone but this ain’t it chief
donnovanbennett Great article. Thanks.
donnovanbennett Why can't he ask questions? How is It racist please enlighten me
donnovanbennett Whatever sportsnet tsn nfl cfl nhl mlb nba.. bunch of hypocrites, get off your high-horse and stand up to racism of all colours, not just salt/pepper society of NA... Do something about team’s logos.. Time for some reporters(black&white) to walk a mile in natives shoes!!!
donnovanbennett How many times are you going to tweet this same thing? Enough already.
donnovanbennett An excellent article, thank you.
donnovanbennett This was a great read. And 🖕Steve
donnovanbennett People are getting gunned down at will in Toronto. But as imperfect as Simmons asked the question, no reporter or city BLM advocate bothers to talk about the very real and disturbing stats he raised? Mothers are. Black church leaders are. When will you? Kayla_Grey
donnovanbennett The lead into his question may have been more offside than the question
donnovanbennett Steve Simmons not cool....
donnovanbennett So true. No one should ask questions that relate to this shocking Toronto shooting video in case they are not phrased 100% right. Innocent boy died. Bystanders getting injured & killed ALL THE TIME now. But we better hush up. Might offend.
donnovanbennett I hate Steve Simmonds as much as the next guy, but this article basically says “we need to silence people who ask about problems that we don’t want to discuss and promote those who ask about the ones we do” scary shit.
donnovanbennett Steve Simmons is the worst. Period. Reporter. Period. In. Period. The. Period. Country. Period. It’s not a coincidence that athletes from multiple teams won’t speak to him.
donnovanbennett If Simmons thinks it’s such an important issue I hope he poses the same question to the Leafs, Argos, Jays and TFC. Why only ask Masai? No, don’t answer that!
donnovanbennett Also, Why on BlueJays baseball, is there still 5 white guys & Hazel? Absolutely ..Dan, Buck & Pat are excellent in what they do. They’re great.. But I could do w/o the 2 mundane generic white guys- Jamie & Joe in studio.🥱 Or Hazel can host!! Some diversity please sportsnet
donnovanbennett Way to virtue signal Donnovan. Not biased or anything. It was an honest question. Canada is not the US. If you knew anything about the training the TPS goes through and the diversity you'd see that. BLM is a very flawed organization, where protests have hurt more than saved
donnovanbennett No we dont need politics in canadian sports, if he wants he can start a youtube channel and talk all he wants on how he feels oppressed while making lots of money
donnovanbennett Thank you!
MerOutLoud donnovanbennett Come on sportsnet just say it fuck simmonssteve everyone else does.
donnovanbennett 😂😂😂
donnovanbennett Thank you Donnovan, we appreciate the work you do 🙏🏾
donnovanbennett Such drama.
donnovanbennett Só you mean silence a line of question that is uncomfortable while promoting a narrative that is based on misinformation. Yeah...that fits your agenda I guess, but please stop asking for a “conversation” around race, you can’t take it.
Steve_Dangle donnovanbennett Steve Simmons is one of the worst reporters in Toronto sports and the soon he goes the better it would be his work this year has been an exposé on how to be a journalist.
donnovanbennett If sports wants to be a social platform for athletes to speak out then gun violence is a reasonable question to ask.
donnovanbennett donnovanbennett
donnovanbennett Keep politics out of sports.
donnovanbennett Simmons should ask Shanahan the same question!
donnovanbennett Well done! simmonssteve will continue to spin it as a non-race question, like the ignorant hack he is.
donnovanbennett Yes it is clear we need more voices to ask questions that some people don’t want to hear. Silencing people is not the answer
donnovanbennett Tough, tough, tough run for simmonssteve. I can only hope he can learn from this. I'm really disturbed that he doubled-down after being called out publicly. Just once, I wish he would admit he was wrong or made a mistake. Say it ain't so, simmonssteve
donnovanbennett Such a well written article 👌🏼 well done!
donnovanbennett Great job donnovanbennett as usual
donnovanbennett It forever goes back & forth. Those protesting are told they are 'protesting wrong'. BLM say, don't ask us educate yourself then say 'that's not the right question/convo' and it just goes back forth never making progress !
donnovanbennett Great points, well written, keep it up donnovanbennett ! Real fans are here for it...
donnovanbennett I can’t say enough how great this man is. We need to keep him here as long as we can....like forever!
donnovanbennett Maples Leafs, Blue Jays & TO FC are not loudly pushing their voices. Raptors have been. Massai as done countless interviews. The question was asked cause he's the only one out there doing press for TO bigwigs sport. TO violence shouldnt be off limits, gun deaths are high yearly
donnovanbennett What the F did Obama do in 8 years for black people? Nothing, that's what. He's right though. Just because NBA players are black, why should they have to help inner cities with their gang problems? Maybe if Democratic states took care of their cities, things would improve.
donnovanbennett donnovanbennett + Kayla_Grey simmonssteve
donnovanbennett Great article! Thank you for writing this.
donnovanbennett masai and the raptors shouldn't have to worry about gun violence in the very city they represent, but they should be at the forefront of blm and its narrative. Unbelievable hypocrisy right here. Unreal. And 'media diversity' means more non-white people with the same opinions.
donnovanbennett I’ve been incredibly disappointed by how few Toronto sportswriters condemned simmonssteve and spoke up for Kayla Grey. Hoping that Simmons faces actual consequences this time. There’s zero need to give press credentials to someone who behaves this poorly.
donnovanbennett Steve Simmons is an absolute clown. Then again, so is Donovan Bennett so it’s kind of like a brotherhood of media clowns all rolled in to one here
donnovanbennett On point ... great work with this DJ 👌
donnovanbennett What a joke. It’s ok for him to take a stand against the false narrative that police are executing black men in the street yet ignore the true threat to black lives black on black crime because it doesn’t fit the media driven narrative.
donnovanbennett Thank you for going above and beyond to raise your voice! Thank you for writing this! I’m so sorry that you even have to, but very greatful. ❤️
donnovanbennett Stay safe!
donnovanbennett MapleLeafs Raptors what is it going to take for you to pull his press credentials? The Sun can send someone else, this guy doesn't reflect the values of the city and hasnt for a long time, if he ever did.
donnovanbennett Mazal Tov on this epiphany
donnovanbennett Another “Let’s make the world less white” media hot garbage🖕
donnovanbennett This is far too polite. The intention was to ask Masai 'what about black on black crime', which is a bog-standard response of racists who are trying to deflect attention away from the very real societal conditions that result in disadvantaged minority groups.
donnovanbennett donnovanbennett Canada just had there largest mass shooting April 19th 2020. Raptors never relased a statement. They had to Florida & were very loud about violent issues in the States. They love being called, 'Canada's Team's but pick and choice when to use their voice 😶
donnovanbennett Diversity is so important that Donnovan and Sportsnet disable all comments on his articles. His wittle feelings may get hurt. Get woke and go broke. NBA
richarddeitsch donnovanbennett You called out Simmons by name, good for you and well done. It is unfortunate that not a peep has been uttered regarding the silence of the Raptors mainstream beat reporters regarding Simmons disgraceful question. And the purpose of his question.
donnovanbennett I don’t think Simmons being Simmons requires this much concern.
donnovanbennett Simmons is kinda like Cherry. Time for a new voice.
donnovanbennett Is he on an extended contract with the Raptors? Cuz I’m reading overtures of him wanting to leave Toronto.
donnovanbennett Fantastic article!!
donnovanbennett As it says in the article, raptors beat writers converged to spread racial justice issues before every game. I don't think that having one idiot in Toronto media that everybody hates necessarily means that there's some big representation here. Simmons isn't even on the raps beat.
donnovanbennett In the case of NutjobSteveSimmons Yeah! DEFINATELY! PULLEEEASE! Somebody.......put him on the next deep space mission (solo) to NEPTUNE.
FAN590 donnovanbennett Other sports teams in Canada aren’t wearing the names of killers and criminals on their jerseys. Nor are they condining defunding the police or anti police slogans. The NBA took this on and now when the questions get uncomfortable they are being picked on Get real!!!!!!
donnovanbennett Agreed. You & Kayla Grey should stop talking entirely.
donnovanbennett The lack of respect for Black opinion and thoughts is infuriating in Canada.
donnovanbennett Excellent read DJ!! Excellent
donnovanbennett Yes we need to weed out the one voice in media that doesn’t follow all others narrative.
donnovanbennett YES!
richarddeitsch donnovanbennett Great article! What Simmons did wasn’t only whataboutism - it was also a conscious effort, considering Masai, as a black man, was taking about systematic racism - to relate gun violence with being black. That, in it self, is evidence of issues behind BLM.
donnovanbennett Long overdue. BlackLivesMatter
richarddeitsch donnovanbennett So effing true. For decades as taxpayers we paid for some guy between periods of hockey to lecture and berate us on his “folksy/toxic” vision of what it meant it to be Canadian.
donnovanbennett 'Diverse voices' literally means less white people. The question was asked because they are the toronto raptors. They play in toronto. Gun and gang violence is going on in toronto. God forbid the raptors raise awareness to something happening in their very own backyard.
richarddeitsch donnovanbennett What really needs to happen is Steve Simmons should be fired. He’s an idiot. Period.
donnovanbennett Great article DJ.
donnovanbennett Need diversity of thought as well Donnovan. There’s not one way of thinking or doing things. While tone deaf and offensive to some, Simmons has a point in his question.
donnovanbennett What were the racist taunts given to Siakim?
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