'Inside The NBA' Moment Demonstrates Stupidity Of Plexiglass

Listen, we can talk about how much LeBron James sucks as a political tool till the cows come home, but at least we all know who he is. Because the NBA has alienated so much of its audience with social justice lecturing in recent years, many potential viewers can't name more than two players on an opposing team, which is reason enough to drop the remote and do something else.

An NBA game itself can put you to sleep, but Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kenny Smith still provide an improvisational, off-the-cuff style of entertainment when they break down a game on Inside the NBA. This 15-time Emmy-award winning program is the kind of show that a casual viewer can mindlessly enjoy and is at least worth the one-month free trial of Sling I'm on.

During a broadcast of the Nuggets vs. Suns playoff game on Wednesday afternoon, the four commentators found themselves in the midst of good fun as they took turns shooting a ball around and even dunking on each other in charming, wholesome fashion. It was reminiscent of better days in sports, sans all the messaging.

However, throughout this whole sequence, I couldn't help but notice a sort of glimmering visual nuisance at the bottom center of the television screen. I finally asked myself:

Why the hell is there plexiglass between these guys?

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Did TNT mandate that plexiglass dividers be set up in the studio as an empty COVID measure, knowing full well that the personalities won't use them and that they're useless in general?

Months of data have proven the inefficacy of face shields and plexiglass against COVID, meaning this measure is nothing more than theater that detracts from the product at hand—deliberately ruining the fun for the sake of irrational caution.

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Not too long ago, businesses were shut down — some permanently — for not setting these up in their shops or restaurants.

As fully recovered or vaccinated Americans make their return to society, it is more important than ever that others take off their masks and return to their normal lives. Millions continue to keep their mask hanging from one ear to avoid getting on a neighbor's bad side, and they may need others to model normal for them.

It's time for America to kick the glass' ass.