When asked during his playing days if he would comment on social and political issues, Michael Jordan famously said “republicans buy shoes too.”

While Jordan is arguably one of the biggest athletes in US history, he’s always been relatively silent when it comes to giving his opinion on current topics.

But sports now generate more money than ever and athletes like Serena Williams and LeBron James aren’t afraid of losing sponsors for standing up for causes they believe in.

And that’s how it should be.

During Tuesday’s live show, Helmets and Heels polled listeners on if they prefer to have sports and politics intertwined:

The majority leaned towards no. But if you look at historic athletes such as Jackie Robinson and Muhammad Ali, sports have always been a place where societal changes are made.

I get there are fans who look to sports as an escape but we should be encouraging our athletes in powerful positions to drive the ship of social change. Not by simply sending tweets or making anti-violent speeches. But by putting their money where their mouth is and investing in causes for real change.

Because most people aren’t pro-violence and a hashtag never solved anything, today’s athletes can and should do more to better our society.

You can listen to the full show below along with our Greg Hardy debate and how the NFL is marketing to women.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE SHOW

03:54– Debating sports and politics after Michael Jordan’s donation
16:02– Studs and Duds
27:10– Jags bring in the idiot Greg Hardy for a workout
37:05– Who should be inducted into the ‘Pride of the Jaguars’ next?
46:20– Do you choose friends over football with college football’s epic opening weekend?
50:27– Our favorite college football rivalries we can’t wait to watch
58:06– How the NFL can better market their product to women
69:15– Whitesox pitcher Chris Sale freaks out about uniforms so we talk about our biggest freak outs

BONUS TIME

We talked about this early on the show but every year, Dan Hicken of 1010xl records a Jaguars themed song and this year, we were asked to be a part of it.

And we killed it.