Donald Trump’s dismissal of his “grab them by the p—y” comments as “locker room talk” has taken the internet by storm. Hillary Clinton supporters created the hashtag “Locker Room Talk in 5 Words” on Twitter, which eventually backfired when Bill Clinton was brought up.
There were several professional athletes, who have spent years in locker rooms, and took issue with Trump’s comments and his dismissal of them.
Jamal Crawford of the Los Angeles Clippers:
Locker room?
— Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) October 10, 2016
C.J. McCollum from the Portland Trail Blazers:
I haven’t heard that one in any locker rooms https://t.co/Ci8NXOgFcI
— CJ McCollum (@CJMcCollum) October 10, 2016
Jacob Tamme of the Atlanta Falcons:
Please stop saying “locker room talk”
— Jacob Tamme (@JacobTamme) October 10, 2016
It’s not normal. And even if it were normal, it’s not right. https://t.co/RQUWJJBSTn
— Jacob Tamme (@JacobTamme) October 10, 2016
And Sean Doolittle of the Oakland A’s:
As an athlete, I’ve been in locker rooms my entire adult life and uh, that’s not locker room talk.
— Sean Doolittle (@whatwouldDOOdo) October 10, 2016
While professional athletes have largely stayed apolitical in public during this election, with the notable exception of Colin Kaepernick, Trump’s defense of his comments as “locker room talk” has left many perplexed.
Of course, there are sexual predators in sports, including Lawrence Taylor, Darren Sharper and Mike Tyson, the actual discussion of touching, groping, or trying to have sex with women without their consent is likely not discussed with teammates and friends in locker rooms.
Maybe that shows the strides professional athletes have made in recent years, especially after the Ray Rice incident where footage showed him knocking his then-fiancée (now wife) out.
Despite their outrage, it’s unlikely that their condemnation of Trump will gain any traction with voters, especially after LeBron James’s endorsement of Hillary Clinton last week has barely moved the needle in the polls.
