are you okay to be representing a country that has so
much discrimination against black people in its own borders?
And we saw the Black lives Matter movements over the past few years.
An Iranian reporter confronted us.
Soccer player Tyler Adams during a press conference and
this is part of the ever growing tensions between the United States and Iran.
It's really come to a head at the World Cup in Doha.
And so let's see how Adams responded to the provocative question,
You're pronouncing our country's name wrong.
Our country is named Iran, not Iran, please once and for
all, let's get this clear.
Second of all, are you okay to be representing a country that has so
much discrimination against black people in its own borders?
And we saw the Black Lives Matter movements over the past few years.
Are you okay to be representing the US Meanwhile there's so
much discrimination happening against black people in America.
My apologies on the mispronunciation of your country.
Yeah, that being said, you know, there's discrimination everywhere you go.
You know, one thing that I've learned especially from living abroad in the past
years and having to fit in in different cultures and
kind of assimilate into different cultures.
Is that in the US we're continuing to make progress every single day.
You know, growing up for me, I was I grew up in a in a white family with and
obviously an african american heritage and background as well.
So, I had a little bit of different cultures and I was very,
very easily able to assimilate in different different cultures.
So, you know, not everyone has that, that ease and the ability to do that, and
obviously it takes longer to understand and through education, I think it's it's
super important, like you just educated me now on the pronunciation of your country.
So, yeah, it's a, it's a process I think is as long as you see progress,
that's the most important thing.
Now, I'll just say one thing before I go to you jink.
I just really appreciated how how he handled that because it's easy to
have a knee jerk reaction, especially when someone's like,
that's not how you pronounce our country's name right?
Like it's it's easy to kind of get defensive and he didn't do any of that.
He immediately apologize for, you know, the mispronunciation of Iran.
And then he went on to explain, you know,
how he deals with the discriminatory practices here in the United States, and
he mentions that there's been some progress.
I think the progress element of it could be debated, but
nonetheless, I think in the context of this press conference,
he handled that as well as anyone possibly could.
Yeah, loved it.
Okay, so the part of the reason I love it is because a lot of the questions
posed to athletes on all teams, not just the american team is
a lot of like ha ha and what do you do for your country doing this.
Okay.
And so the reality is it's possible that people within the country don't agree with
what the government, is doing at all.
And so you're asking a biracial player there.
Hey, what do you think about the oppression of blacks in America?
He said, well, not a big fan.
Okay.
Unsurprisingly, but he gives a nuanced answer about, hey,
here's how we're trying to get better.
Here's why it's a problem honestly everywhere, right.
And that we should all go towards solutions towards it.
Man, it's, it's refreshing to see an athlete that is so young,
be so composed and mature and intellectual and give a great answer and
I agree with you what you said 100% and about him not being defensive either.
And so it's, hey, listen, I'm not trying to come at you by pronouncing it wrong.
I just didn't know.
And thanks for correcting me.
Yes. It's like you never hear that everybody's
always so defensive or offensive.
Right? I mean you could tell that he's just so
emotionally mentally mature because of how he didn't get defensive and
like not only apologized but thanked him for
thank you for educating me on the correct pronunciation.
It takes a big person to do that to say that.
And I love seeing it.
The other thing that I'll just mention quickly is, look,
we definitely definitely have issues here in the United States.
We are seeing the brutality that protesters in Iran are being met with but
it wasn't too long ago when there was unrest in our country in the summer
of 2020 and we saw protesters get shoved into unmarked vans you
know by the authorities and not knowing where they were going,
where they were being taken to at the same time to that Iranian reporter
listen bro like 22 year old woman was very likely beaten to death after
she was detained for allegedly wearing her headdress incorrectly.
So like let's have a moment of self reflection on both sides.
Okay like this this need to defend your country in any and
all ways is unnecessary.
You can have a nuanced view.
You could love your country while simultaneously acknowledging where
there are huge flaws that need to be addressed.
So Ricky strum on T.
I. T. Sports makes a really good point.
I mean that's why he's the captain of the team.
You pick the captain based on some level of maturity and
ability to bring people together.
Check out Ricky on T.
I. T. Sports when you get a chance.
And one other thing look some of these countries that have authoritarian
governments have some of the bravest reporters in the world right?
So I can't believe anybody does independent journalism out of Russia.
It's so brave.
I can't even imagine it right and if you do an independent reporting out of Iran
against the wishes of the government incredibly brave.
But understand that sometimes the ones that get sent to cover things
are ones with official backing.
And if the government is sending allowing a reporter to be sent in a completely
authoritarian situation,
that's why you might be seeing what sounds like a nontraditional reporter.
Instead of asking your question in a way that is in some ways neutral or objective.
He comes in red hot with you were pronouncing the name of our country
wrong, right?
I mean he did come in hot but not with toned.
He had like a lovely english sounding accent and
everything was sounded very calm while he was asking.
But let's not kid ourselves like the line of questioning was meant to
be provocative.
Yeah. And sometimes it's the you know,
basically press that's friendly to the government trying to needle americans and
try to start a fight, right?
And that's why he might come in like that.
And don't get fooled by the accent that you grow up anywhere and
still be government lackeys.
We have most of our reporters speak perfectly good english and
their total lackeys.
Okay for our government.
In in different ways, mainly our corporations.
So and then and then finally look, it could just be national pride, right?
So I could see a Turkish reporter being saying like it's not Turkey,
it just Turkey, everybody else being like dude, chill chill.
Right?
Anyway, bottom line is wonderful answer by the american captain.
And and I bet you that the players on Iran and
the players on America probably agree with each other 1000 times more
than the american government and the Iranian government.
If and if they were in charge,
we'd probably have much better countries in both places.