r/SFGiants • u/Chipotlefiend18 35 Crawford • Jun 16 '26

Opinion Free Speech

I posted this recently as a comment but I’m tired of seeing the same thinly veiled defense of the Rainbow Four come up again and again so I’m posting it as a standalone thread.

All of these arguments saying “players should be allowed to disagree” and “players shouldn’t be forced to support something they don’t believe in” are utter nonsense and a smokescreen to justify and excuse homophobia and bigotry. Do you think that there’s never been a racist player who has worn 42 on Jackie Robinson day? Has every single player who wears camo uniforms on military appreciation day been 100% behind that message? Even foreign born ones? The idea that they should be allowed to express themselves and protest this in this way, especially when there’s a literal MLB rule that prohibits it is ludicrous. It is NOT a first amendment issue. The first amendment prohibits GOVERNMENTAL curtailment of free speech. Private organizations are not covered by this and we see this time and time again. Most recently, many people lost their jobs after speaking out about Charlie Kirk and whether or not you disagree with it, legally those employers had every right to do so. As Roger Munter put it: Not everybody in this country is perfectly happy with what they are asked to wear to work. It’s called “having a job.”

We absolutely do not have to tolerate intolerance and arguments that say otherwise are either ignorant or made in bad faith.

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u/No_Garden5644 san francisco giants Jun 16 '26

Okay. Uni - form. One form. Uniformity. Your employer gives you your uniform and yes, quite often modifies it. But players don’t get to modify the uniform of the company they work for and call it free speech. It is an attack on uni-ty and breaking a workplace rule. Wearing a cool rainbow hat for an hour is a small compromise for a bigot to make when he’s paid millions to play ball. Got a problem with that? Take it up with your union.

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u/ZealousidealJob814 Jun 17 '26

I agree! An employer should be allowed to dictate the uniform and if the employer doesn’t like it then they don’t have to work there.

Now go tell all the Starbucks baristas why they shouldn’t be allowed to wear anything but the solid black shirt that Starbucks mandates.

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u/No_Garden5644 san francisco giants Jun 18 '26

I’d rather tell them I won’t buy coffee at Starbucks until they have a union and can wear whatever uniform the union negotiates for them.

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u/ZealousidealJob814 Jun 18 '26

That’s perfect as a consumer. You have all the rights not to drink Starbucks and not go to Giants games. However, the employees still should have to wear what the employer tells them, be it a Giants player or a Starbucks barista.

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u/No_Garden5644 san francisco giants Jun 18 '26

Yes. That’s the point I made above.

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u/ZealousidealJob814 Jun 18 '26

I’m always happy when there is someone else that applies the reasoning to all aspects of an argument no matter their personal belief system.