ZLATAN

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is not a household name in the world of sports in America.  However, internationally, Zlatan is a renowned Swedish footballer who headed the Swedish national soccer team for many years, and has enjoyed a spectacular club soccer career with Juventus, Barcelona, PSG, Manchester United, L.A. Galaxy, and currently A.C. Milan in the Italian top flight.   He is known for his prolific goal-scoring proficiency (570 club goals over 4 decades) and, some would say, his dashing verbal self-promotion.  He is without a doubt one of the most cocky, outlandish, arrogant, vain athletes the world of sport has seen.   Some notable quotes over the years include, “I can’t believe how perfect I am”; “Zlatan doesn’t do auditions”; “When you buy me, you’re buying a Ferrari”, and finally , “What do you mean, present, she got Zlatan ( on his ex-girlfriend’s engagement gift”.   In other words, Zlatan is an athlete many love to hate.zlatan-ibrahimovic-ac-mailand-1603008323-49388

But last week, in a rare interlude of wisdom, Zlatan decided to verbally attack another aging prominent athlete, our own LeBron James.   At a news conference, when  asked about the tendency of prominent athletes to wax poetic on political topics of the day, singling out LeBron James of the NBA, Zlatan had this to say; “Athletes unite the world, politics divide it.   Athletes should be athletes, and politicians should do politics.  LeBron is phenomenal at what he’s doing, but I don’t like when people have some kind of status, they go and do politics at the same time.  Do what you’re good at.  I play football because I’m the best at playing football.  I don’t do politics.  That is the first mistake people do when they become famous like LeBron.   Stay out of it.  Just do what you do best.”    Of course, this criticism drew a scathing retort from LeBron (“from a very educated mind”) and his people.   Zlatan doubled down on his comments a few days later.

I say hooray for Zlatan, and I wish entertainers of all kinds would heed his call, and just shut up !                                  WHAT THE HECK!

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