NFL: Outspoken Controversy
A vast majority of sports fans would almost certainly agree that they'd like to keep sports and politics separate. Although there's a slight variance, I agree, sports and politics should be separated. There isn't anyone on earth who would want to see a filibuster reenacted during a halftime show. However, the glaring issue with that type of rhetoric is the notion that individuals who play sports for a living should keep quiet. Why?
Is there some sort of clause that demands a sports figure forgo their First Amendment right? If you strip away the spotlight, endorsements, material possessions, and jerseys, what's left are the bare essentials that make us all human. Again, a slight variance, but they too are impacted by the direction of this country. And yet, there's an almost authoritarian like mindset that exists among some fans, who insist, athletes should “stick to sports."
I agree with the idea that politics should be kept separate from sports, as much as I agree with keeping certain foods separate on a dinner plate. Simply put, politics and sports don't belong together, nonetheless being aware of one's own surroundings isn't anymore political than it is naive, it's being socially conscious. Athletes have always tried to use their voice to address sociopolitical issues and rightfully so.
They have a platform and following that the average person simply doesn't have access to. During the Civil Rights Era of the 1960's, prominent sports figures such as Muhammad Ali, Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Jim Brown withstood racial tension and spoke openly against injustice and segregation. Racial tensions were at an all-time high, but the reward for speaking out was much greater than silence.
It was through their words that they were able to create dialogue in places dialogue had not previously existed. Demanding justice and equality shouldn't be viewed as a diatribe against justice and equality, and yet it is. Some people are more upset about protesting and speaking out than the actual reason why the gestures exist in the first place. Relegating athletes, coaches, and sports writers to simply “stick to sports,” and demand them to “shut up,” in light of nationwide inequity is as sick as it is inhumane.
That type of belief sets a precedent for the continuation of injustice. At the start of the 2016-17 NFL preseason, Colin Kaepernick decided to use his reach to sit during the national anthem - not as disrespect to the flag or military personnel - but to bring awareness to the routine systemic oppression against minorities in the form of police brutality. Oddly enough, Kaepernick’s actions went wildly unnoticed until the third game of the preseason.
The media attention took off and the nation was seemingly outraged in unison without ever understanding why Kaepernick was ever sitting to begin with. Former Green Beret turned long snapper, Nate Boyer, was initially riddled with angered, but used the moment to listen and understand Colin's reasoning. Boyer suggested kneeling, not sitting, would symbolize respect to the fallen soldiers and act as a silent protest for the deaths of unarmed black men and women.
Kaepernick respected Boyer’s position enough to change his stance from sitting to kneeling for the remainder of the season. Despite the media narrative, disrespect was never the intention. Kaepernick may never play in the NFL again even though he's more than qualified for the position. He sacrificed his career to speak for those who consistently go unnoticed, and for that his actions he should be lauded, not ostracized because he didn't protest the “right way."
Regardless if the majority feels the issues minorities face doesn't directly impact them, it shouldn't make any issue less significant. While sitting in jail for peacefully protesting, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to injustice everywhere.” Hurricane Harvey displaced thousands of Texans and actual Houston Texan, J.J. Watt, didn't stick to sports.
Through his foundation and outpouring generosity across the nation, an initial goal of $220,000 ballooned into over $37 million. Thankfully Watt didn't stay quiet during a time of crisis. Why are Watt's actions more noble than Kaepernick’s and others? Racial injustice does exist and it's not up to anyone to tell minorities they are wrong for seeking change. Kneeling during the anthem represents a nation not upholding the standards it was founded upon and seeking change.
Liberty and justice for all shouldn't have a prerequisite. If a wrong is observed and it's not exposed, then one must take responsibility for its continuation. America is wounded and trying to place a bandage over a laceration isn't going to solve the issue. A conversation needs to be had, no matter how uncomfortable it makes someone. I'd argue uncomfortable conditions breeds change.
The issues we face are much bigger than any sport, or sports figure. If we all “stuck to...” nothing would ever change. The United States would still be apart of Great Britain, slavery would be legal, baseball would be segregated, flying would only exist in imagination, and this world would be stuck in the stone age. We need to think about that collectively when demanding others to stay quiet when they can help start a discussion.
Photo Credit: Ed Hall, Sheneman, & Sports Illustrated.
