Tackling politics: The impact of politics in sports

Taking a knee. Larry Nasser’s infamous sexual abuse scandals. Serena Williams’ tutu. These are just some of the headlines that rocked the nation in the past few years and they all share a common topic — the overlap of politics and sports. Whether it was LeBron James opening an elementary school or Donald Trump cancelling his meeting with the Philadelphia Eagles, the sports scene over the past decade has changed tremendously to make room for the heavy presence of politics. 

With Trump issuing a travel ban, being accused of multiple cases of sexual assault and showing clear discrimination towards people of color, the nation as a whole rose up. People have begun to speak out and fight for their beliefs in the form of protests. Trump’s presidency welcomed the Women’s March and March for Our Lives, through which Americans have expressed their beliefs. With those protests came another one — taking a knee.

Colin Kaepernick, former NFL quarterback, stirred up conversation in the sports media for protesting against the mistreatment of people of color. Kaepernick, since the start of August 2016, has kneeled during the national anthem because of one thing — American politics.

His reasoning behind his actions was the fact that he would not stand up for the flag that oppresses people of color. Kaepernick’s kneeling caused debates across America, as some believed his kneeling was disrespectful towards the nation and the people who fought for it. For junior Rohit Kumar, Kaepernick’s kneeling was a two-sided situation, with people on both sides speaking out strongly for what they believe is right.

“It’s based off what you think politically, I believe,” Kumar said. “Colin Kaepernick, when he [kneeled] was happy because he [was] doing this for a good cause. I still respect him but a lot of people have been against him, so there’s a lot of varied opinions on players.”

Like Kumar, sophomore Daleep Dhami believes that Kaepernick’s action is justified, as he isn’t doing anything harmful and it’s a matter of free speech.

“I think it [kneeling during the anthem] is fine,” Dhami said. “We have the right to protest as long as it’s not harming anyone physically or emotionally. If Kaepernick wants to protest, he can and he shouldn’t be punished for that.”

The country was torn apart with battling views on the topic. High school players across the nation began to take a knee during their games, veterans and celebrities began to spread #TakeAKnee across social media while many also disapproved, labelling the activity as unpatriotic.

Kumar believes one of the reasons kneeling became a widespread movement is because of the media. He comments that numerous events in the past which were similar to Kaepernick’s, like Jesse Owens in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, did not reach the controversial level that kneeling did due to the lack of media coverage at that time.

“It’s the main topic and you hear about things everyday, about Kaepernick and other players standing up in the NFL’s response and that’s because of the media,” Kumar said. “It’s being amplified more because of the media, and [more] people are finding out about it.”

Another major event which was heightened by the media was the Larry Nassar sex abuse scandal. Nassar, the doctor for the U.S. Gymnastics national team, was convicted of child pornography and sexual assault, after renowned Olympian Aly Raisman confronted him in court. With her accusation, other gymnasts began to speak out about his actions. Kumar commended Raisman for using her platform to share her voice and shed light on the situation.

“I think it’s great that people are finally standing up and that Larry Nassar was punished,” Kumar said. “I attribute that to both the media and the change in society these past two years. It’s like the domino effect. Somebody finally came out about this and then everyone started coming out. [Nassar] has been committing these crimes for years and it’s just now that change is happening and it’s great to see.”

However, with the rise of sharing information on social media and using it as a platform to voice political views, Dhami thinks the audience should be careful when confronting information they encounter on the internet, due to potential biases.

“Stuff on social media tends to put a bias on it [things that happen in sports],” Dhami said. “The writers who [share information] on social media [are] always spinning a little political story on to it. So, if they’re a conservative, they’re adding a little conservative spin on it. If they’re Democrat, then they’re adding an anti-Republican spin on it.”

Kumar also considers the president to be a huge influencer when it comes to politics in sports. He believes that his presence has been a significant persuasion tool for his audience and supporters, especially when it came to taking a knee.

“His words have so much power,” Kumar said. “He is very controversial and that’s one of the ways that he won the election — he brought a lot of publicity on himself. Everytime he speaks, even when [it’s] not about sports, it’s always in the news. Being the president, having all that power, anytime he opens his mouth people are going to hear about it.”

Social science department chair Bonnie Belshe says that while the increase in the political movement in sports was not a direct cause of Trump’s election, it has occurred more frequently due to the increase in crimes that have spurred from Trump’s ideals.

“Since Trump [was elected] we’ve seen a rise in hate crimes, we’ve seen a rise in white supremacist groups,” Belshe said. “We are now living within the forthrise of the KKK. We’re seeing this kind of increase in outward racism, hate crimes and more pushback against that. We have more athletes speaking out. Well, they’re speaking out because of what’s happening, they’re speaking out because if you are a black you’re much more likely to be shot by the police.”

Kumar agrees with Belshe and accepts that while many viewers are generally against the idea of involving sports with politics, the field is the best place for them to showcase their political views.

“I think players should be using sports as a platform,” Kumar said. “The concern people have been having is that it is bringing sports away from what it should be — an entertainment source. Use the platform. There’s nowhere better to voice your political opinions. Even Trump has been gaining a lot of political power by using sports as a platform.”

Belshe observes that athletes using their position as a source of influence is a responsibility that they must carry. She refers to a 2015 protest, when predominantly black football players at the University of Missouri protested for weeks, speaking out against racial tensions on their school campus. They provided the school administration with an ultimatum — to have the racist administration resign or the players would quit the team.

“When we have athletes like Colin Kaepernick taking a knee, they’re taking a knee for a larger statement and for a larger purpose,” Belshe said. “It’s really gross when we have this large white ownership of the NFL and white audience of the NFL talking to majority black players that you need to just shut up and play. That’s a larger piece of the racism in American history.”

When it comes to finding a solution or an even ground to preventing sports from dividing their viewers opinions, Kumar suggests that it ultimately lies in the hands of corporate companies.

“Athletes should keep doing what they’re doing,” Kumar said. “NFL owners, they respect their player’s rights, and that’s commendable. They’re also trying to bring more attention back onto the field and I think that that’s the ultimate solution — respect the right of your players and ideally bring the ratings back into the NFL.”