Tuesday's NBC Sports Pro Football Talk discussion between Mike Florio and Chris Simms fully demonstrated how the sports media's criticism of those who repeat the "stick to sports" refrain is much more of an attack on conservatives than anything else. After it became known that the NFL Players Coalition had drop-kicked Miami Dolphins owner and Trump supporter Stephen Ross out of its social justice club, he and other conservatives would be subject to attack by left-wing echo chambers.

Ross recently hosted a big-money fundraiser for President Donald Trump's re-election campaign, and the reaction from the Left has been swift and brutal. Ross's private businesses have suffered media scorn and boycotts. The NFL Players Coalition removed Ross from its midst. Numerous sports media ran the comments by Players Coalition member Chris Long:

"... The coalition is autonomous. We don't work for the owners. In fact, we just got Steven Ross to agree to be off of our working group. We can make decisions like that."

The most piercing attacks on Ross and conservatives came from the Florio-Simms discussion (see file photo of Florio, at left, and Simms above). They say it's hypocritical of sports fans and conservative media to demand athletes and coaches stick to sports when NFL owners are raising money for the Republican president they detest.

Florio began: "Trust me: I would love to stick to sports. Some times politics gets yanked onto sports. And we hear all the time, players and reporters, stick to sports. Well, is it fair, Chris, to turn it around on the owners and tell them to stick to sports? Stephen Ross isn't sticking to sports when he decided to host a $100,000, up to $250,000 per person fundraiser for the president. That's not sticking to sports. But nobody ever says that he should stick to sports."

Seething mad throughout the discussion with Florio, Simms attacked Fox News's Laura Ingraham indirectly for once advising LeBron James to stick to sports instead of badmouthing President Trump:

"He's (Ross) rich and he's white. That's why. Sugarcoat it. When LeBron James talks, or somethin' like that, yeah. There's a lotta rich, white people in certain news channels that, yeah, they love to say it, but yet they don't ever turn it around on anybody that's that way, or that they're rich or white or if they're established like that. It seems like to be it bothers me. ... Not one thing is said about Stephen Ross should stick to sports, or stick to — what is he — you know, should he stick to real estate. I don't give a damn what you think about politics, Stephen Ross, stick to what you do! ..."

Florio gained full agreement from Simms that when conservatives hear something they disagree with they feel compelled to shout down people by telling them to 'stick to sports!'' The irony is so rich to hear when progressives talk about political opponents trying to shut down discussion when their own network, NBC, ranks right up there with so many other biased media gatekeepers, along with social media tech companies, in attempts to silence free speech.

Those on the right might change their thinking if they would just listen to left-wingers, Florio argued:

"Maybe they're the smart ones! Because let me tell ya, stick to sports may be a lot more effective than trying to have a reasoned conversation where you actually understand the other side's point of view and adjust your thinking. But 'stick to sports' prevents you from ever doing that. It's the equivalent of saying 'I'm not listening, stick to sports.' Because, let me tell you something, Chris. If you and I were espousing the views that are emanating from the oval office on a regular basis, no one who would be inclined to say 'stick to sports' is gonna tell us to stick to sports."

Simms complained that Trump has been the most far-right President ever, and Florio said that if Colin Kaepernick is supposed to stick to sports, then Ross should stick to sports, too. "You can't have it both ways."

Here's the full conservative-bashing transcript of the Pro Football Talk discussion, and by the way, the Pro obviously stands for "Progressive."