Introduction to Sportics
How shall I combine the words ‘sport’ and ‘politics’? Hmm… Spolitics? No. Portics? Don’t be daft.
Sportics? Yeah, that’ll do.
In a nutshell, that’s how much effort went into the name of my blog, but it has a ring to it, which I like. There’s not much else to it, really. What is more important is the content, hence why we have this nice little introduction to explain what on Earth this is all about.
Don’t be confused by the name, first of all. I’m not going to be talking about the Champions League on Monday, and then the Queen’s Privy Council on Tuesday.
The politics I’m talking about is the politics OF sport, not alongside it.
I’ll be discussing the usual news within my favourite sports but, on top of that, I’ll also be diving into their deeper, darker crevices: government, policy, conflict, lies, scandal and more.
So if we were to rephrase what was said three paragraphs previously, I would more likely be discussing the Champions League on Monday, followed by a debate about player wages on Tuesday.
Another important thing to cover: why I chose to write about this.
It’s a fairly simple answer primarily, and one which all sports writers have in common, and that’s the passion for sport.
But secondly, and more importantly, it fascinates me how sport and politics intertwine. In a sporting world as deep and complex as today’s, political issues naturally come to play ball. For example, it’s intriguing to wonder how Brexit will affect the Premier League, English Football League, the Scottish Premier League and so on. What will the policy on foreign players be? How will work permits fit in? Will we see the England football team’s reputation reborn?
When you really think about it, it’s obviously a misconception to assume that politics has no place in sport. They are bound together as an inseparable couple. Representatives, governing bodies, constitutions, elections and laws all exist in sport, and that’s just scratching the surface of this rather large layer cake.
There’s a vast array of socioeconomic issues too — racism, homophobia, sexism and the women’s game, class issues, the price of sport…
The style in which I aim to write is of a relaxed fashion. I’m not going to pretend that my opinion is Gospel, and you shouldn’t either, but what I alternatively aim for is to open up discussion about the topics of sport which are usually swept under the carpet, or simply not thought about enough. And as I mentioned before, discussion about regular sporting news will also be present.
Why is it important to do this? If we want the future of sport to be fair for all walks of life, then keeping the debate alive and healthy is crucial. Whatever the issue is — gender equity, inclusivity, corruption, and so on — it cannot be solved without persistent discussion and promotion. This year’s celebration of the centenary of women’s suffrage is a timely reminder of what it really takes to enforce permanent change.
What I write in this blog will be little more than a drop in this vast ocean but, in the words of David Mitchell, what is any ocean, but a multitude of drops?
So to summarise what’s been said: this is a blog for discussion about sport and its political aspects, and specifically one meant to get the dialogue flowing about a range of issues. I hope you enjoy this blog, and please feel free to engage both with me and in the discussion.
Oliver Mooney
Blogger and owner, Sportics
