Sports and Politics
Sports and politics are both a part of everyday life and can be intertwined. Politics play a role in sports and this is especially prominent today. A specific example is NFL player, Colin Kaepernick and the new Nike campaign. Kaepernick’s political view on inequality in the United States prompted him to kneel during the National Anthem, which resulted in him losing the opportunity to play on a team as he was seen as a liability. Kaepernick believed in something and sacrificed playing in the NFL for it because of how strongly he felt about his political view. This is just one example of an athlete who holds a political view and uses sports as a platform to show his beliefs. Many athletes and coaches use their platforms to advocate for political change in their everyday lives which shows the relationship between sports, politics, and everyday life.
Sports journalists can help us make sense of sports and their importance as they are able to get closer to teams and give their audience inside information that they would not have access to otherwise. Journalists are also able to explain specific plays in a game that we might have been confused about. Additionally, journalists conduct interviews with players that can help us understand the player and their sport better. Journalists are the middlemen between sports and the public as they relay important information and updates that keep the public in the know. This information includes potential lawsuits against players along with allegations and accusations against them.
The extent to which journalists, athletes, and coaches advocate for social causes depends on the cause, time, and place. Journalists who work for larger companies usually sign contracts that prohibit them from posting and talking about their political views publically. This could make it difficult for them to advocate for some social causes, but if a journalist is passionate about a cause, they should be able to advocate what they want unless it is in a story they are reporting on as they need to remain unbiased. Journalists must remain neutral and advocating for a specific issue in their work means they have a specific stance on that issue. Journalists should be allowed to advocate for what they want outside of their work if it is an issue they are passionate about. Athletes and coaches should be able to advocate for social causes as long as they are aware of the risks and consequences. Some athletes and coaches reach celebrity status which can be used as a platform to advocate for change. If an athlete or coach is passionate about a specific cause, they have a lot of power to raise awareness, as many people watch sports and care what athletes and coaches have to say. Sometimes advocating for social causes can be tough, as there can be backlash against these athletes and coaches which could result in termination from a team, so they should always consider the consequences. Sometimes silence is okay to keep your job if staying silent does not harm anyone and if the risks of losing your job outweigh being able to speak out.
Steve Kerr is a coach who advocates about gun control because his father was shot and killed in Lebanon. People should care about people like Kerr and his family’s legacy as it helps us understand why some coaches and players teach and learn the way they do. Kerr, for example, was influenced by his father and would not be the coach he is today without him. Kerr’s ability to be patient with his players and let them learn from their mistakes was influenced by the way his father was patient with him when he played sports as a kid. Caring about people like Kerr and his family legacy is important now as it is a controversial time in sports and America and understanding stories like his can help us understand why some coaches and athletes act the way they do in regards to responding to issues and standing up for what they believe in.
