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The more I learn about the NBA, the more I realize how many smart and engaged people there are in every part of the league. People who read more than the sports section.



Given the big stage they have, it's surprisiing to me that more of them don't try to influence public thought more. Dave Zirin points out that plenty of athletes have indicated they are anti-war, for instance, yet for some reason they don't band together to throw their weight around:

Steve Nash, Etan Thomas, Josh Howard, Adam Morrison, Carlos Delgado, Martina Navratilova, Adonal Foyle, and even Ultimate Fighting Champion Jeff Monson, among others, have all raised their voice. They are also just the beginning. Stories circulate of teammates and coaches who share their views but don't want to go public. Even some referees whisper covert statements of support.



Three years ago, The Nation Magazine writers Peter Dreier & Kelly Candaele asked the question "Where are the Jocks for Justice?" My experience in the Sportsworld is that the "Jocks for Justice" are both everywhere and nowhere. Progressive athletes strain to be heard, but they act as individuals and the media responds with a smothering silence. This does not have to be.



Pro athletes hold claim to a unique and underutilized bully pulpit. Two middle fingers from Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick have sent sports radio and television into a tizzy. Chicago Bulls center Ben Wallace wants to wear a red headband in defiance of team rules and a raucous debate explodes about something last popularized by Olivia Newton-John. The furor over Barry Bonds' place in history has led to a more honest discussion about racism than anything we get in the mainstream press.



Anti-war athletes could use this platform if they just stopped operating in isolation from one another. If the people I cited called a joint press conference to announce a new organization: Athletes United Against War or - what the hell - Jocks for Justice, it would electrify the cultural landscape.