Mavs fans can be fans again... at least for now.
#MFFL community, along with other voices, seem to have gotten through - at least temporarily - avoiding a very dangerous precedent.
Few things get my blood boiling like the powerful working to silence the little guys and gals. Patrick Dumont, and the Dallas Mavericks muzzled their own fans’ voices. Muzzled, shutdown, and escorted their fans out of the building for - being fans. Can’t do that.
But we stood our ground and backed them off. Last night - nobody was thrown out (to my knowledge) and the above photo makes clear that wearing T-shirts was “ok” again.
We did this. You did this. It got done. So far…
And I bought the 44 tickets to get these folks out. I’ve been a royal pain in the ass - I should think - to Patrick Dumont, and the Dallas Mavericks. That always comes with risk. My name is on this stuff. They can’t like it. But I’ve made my peace. I’m with y’all - regardless. #MFFL
We saw what it looks like up close to be shut up and shut down. It doesn’t look or feel great does it? If you were in the building - it must have felt - in a word - foreign - to be ushered out - or to observe others being taken out of the building by security for simply acting like fans.
In fact, on Twitter - there were tons of you fans - citing the First Amendment. That our free speech was being abridged. That the Mavs couldn’t do this.
Actually - the Mavericks, and other privately owned companies, can set rules, without violating the amendment. The common example is - “you can’t yell fire in movie theater…” (if there’s no fire).
In short - you can say what you want - but that doesn’t mean there won’t be consequences in the private sector.
When the Constitution was drafted - how important was the right to speak freely? Pretty important. In 1789 - nothing was more important than the First Amendment. It led the list. It reads in part:
“Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech.”
SubStack - RalphStack - and YOU
I got to write the attacks I wrote on SubStack (with flames shooting out of my fingers as you found out)- you got to say what you wanted to say on social media - out front of the building (on public property) - and the Mavs heard you.
Your Voices have been heard.
We stopped em. You stopped em. You won.
I mean you’d figure it was a no brainer to allow fans to boo, chant and wear t shirts at games - but all of sudden - it wasn’t.
And if the MAVS could do this - with the NBA signs that blessed this bullshit- it would have been fair game, and in all likelihood would have proliferated.
It was very important to shut this down and fast. And you did. Bravo. Really.
Now we gotta keep paying attention. Hope they don’t try and slip this back in. Or worse.
It’s fine until it isn’t. They lose a few - things get frayed again in there - you keep booing and chanting and who knows?
So let’s stay Rowdy, Proud and Loud. #MMFL
Ralph Strangis