Why Sports Cannot Exist Without Politics
Tanzanian middle-distance runner, Filbert Bayi, once stated: “To say that politics is not a part of sports is not being realistic. When I run, I am more than a runner. I am a diplomat, an ambassador for my country.” In 1976 — two short years after Bayi set a new world record at the 1974 Commonwealth Games — 28 African countries decided to boycott the Olympics due to political tension with the New Zealand team, rendering their athletes unable to compete. The Olympics, after all, are about uniting the nations by promoting international peace. Believing that sports can exist without politics is ignorance to the wheels that turn within the system.
The realm of sports simply does not exist without politics because the players, the coaches and the fans all make decisions that follow the practice of politics — whether they realize it or not. As Will Leitch states in the Foreword of Field Guide to Covering Sports, “politics is a part of everything, especially sports. When you stand for the anthem? That’s politics… When there’s a Jackie Robinson Day, that’s politics.”.
So, if politics exist within and emanate from most every aspect of life, including sports, how can we trust that any the information we come across is not intended to be divisive or skewed by biases? Leitch believes that along with accessibility, the other three core principles of journalism are being truthful, being honest and being clear. In order to tell an honest story, sports journalists must examine all aspects of the game and what makes the players tick. That way, even someone who has no interest in the Super Bowl can still find important messages in the commercials that are chosen to air, the halftime performance selection and even the players’ decision to kneel during the national anthem.
Scores and stats often drown out the lives of the competing athletes; dehumanizing them and reducing them, in a way, to numbers on a scoreboard or updates on an ESPN phone application. Athletes and coaches, especially in the professional realm, rose to the top through their perseverance in the face of adversity, rightfully earning their platforms and following. Contrary to what the public sometimes wants to believe, these men and women are also mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers and friends who — although glorified through paid sponsorships and television air-time — are essentially just like anyone else. They, too, are shaped by their family values and life experiences, and we must not expect them to leave their authentic selves behind in the arena of their respective sports.
Stories such as the resilient family legacy of Steve Kerr are what make sports so dynamic and multi-dimensional because we are reminded that the figures at the forefront are human, too. It’s easy for fans to scream at the T.V. when the coach of the Golden State Warriors makes a call that they may disagree with. It’s essential for fans to be able to acknowledge the politics behind the game and the lives of the people on the screen in order to understand sports in its entirety, as well as the underlying forces and influences of daily life.
