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Megan Kinner
IM/6/12AP

The Complicated Relationship Between Sports and Politics

Sports is an important and large part of American culture; as is evident by children

required to play sports in their physical education classes and the millions of people who watch

the super bowl every year. Athletes, businesses, and politicians use people’s love for sports to

further their own agendas. Many companies will use athletes in their commercials because of

their celebrity status and they know that athletes can influence their fans to buy their product.

Politicians will tweet their opinions about how their favorite football team is playing. Athletes

will represent America in games across the world in the Olympics. Sports are and always will be

a large part of American culture because athletes use their platform to advocate for social

injustices, politicians use sports to improve their approval rating, and the Olympics use athletes

to represent their countries in sporting events.

Throughout history, American athletes have used their platform to advocate for social

change. Legendary boxer, Muhammad Ali, refused to fight in the Vietnam war even though he

was drafted. Ali said he “got no quarrel with them Viet Cong” so he did not want to go to war

with them (Cohen). As a result, Ali received a lot of backlash from fans, along with a five-year

prison sentence, finned $10,000, and banned from boxing for three years for draft evasion. So, to

support Ali’s protest, top US black athletes, like Jim Brown, Bill Russel, and Kareem Abdul-

Jabbar held a news conference (Wright). At the time, many American’s despised Ali for this, but

today people consider him a hero. Around the same time Ali was protesting the Vietnam War,

sprinters, John Carlos and Tommie Smith were protesting racial inequalities at the 1968

Olympics by raising a first in the air during the playing of The Star Spangled Banner as a Black
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Power Salute (Cohen). These are just a few of the many examples of how athletes have used

their platform to advocate for social change.

In efforts to protest racial injustice and police brutality, Colin Kaepernick kneeled as the Star

Spangled Banner plays before his game on August 26th 2016. Refereeing to the unjust deaths of

innocent African Americans like Brown and Garner, Colin said “there are bodies in the street and

people getting away with murder” so he will not “show pride in a flag for a country that

oppresses black people and people of color” and he will not stay silent because… “it is bigger

than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way” (Refusing to Stand for the

National Anthem: Top 3 Pros and Cons). Because thousands of people watch each NFL football

game, Kaepernick’s protest did not go unnoticed; it grew in popularity and in controversy.

Opinions were formed and arguments were made.

The popularity of playing of the National Anthem before sporting events grew after it was

played before the 1918 World Series. America had just drafted soldiers, including some

professional athletes, to fight in World War I, so the playing of the National Anthem brought

people hope and united the country. The anthem is an “affirmation of, something else—the

United States, the flag, and their underlying ideals,’ Wasserman explained. ‘By participating,

individuals adhere to and adopt the ideas symbolized in the song itself; by not participating, they

send a different, contrary message” (Bomboy). To many, kneeling during the National Anthem is

wrong not because they do not want to see politics in sports, but because they believe it is

disrespectful and unpatriotic. Like many, Carole Isham, great-great-great-granddaughter of

Francis Scott Key, was shocked to see someone “dishonor the flag of this country and the

national anthem when we have young men and women overseas fighting for this country, people

that have died for this country” (Refusing to Stand for the National Anthem: Top 3 Pros and
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Cons). Supporters of the protest likes that it shocks people because it “generates conversation”

about the issue at hand (Refusing to Stand for the National Anthem: Top 3 Pros and Cons).

Former President, Barack Obama, and current New Orleans quarterback, Drew Brees,

understand where the players were coming from but thought that kneeling during the anthem

could distract people from the real message that athletes are trying to send. Drew Brees called

the protest an “oxymoron” because athletes are “disrespecting that flag that has given you the

freedom to speak out.” Obama expressed his concerns that “the National Anthem and the

meaning it holds for our men and women in uniform and those who’ve fought for us – that is a

tough thing for them to get past to then hear the athlete’s deeper concerns” (Refusing to Stand

for the National Anthem: Top 3 Pros and Cons). When athletes kneel during the national anthem,

it may appear that they are disagreeing with all that America represents. However, supporters of

the protest, like Broncos linebacker, Brandon Marshall, said that they are “not against the

military or police or America at all.” (Refusing to Stand for the National Anthem: Top 3 Pros

and Cons). They are protesting the oppression of black people not American democracy.

There may be diverse opinions about kneeling during the anthem, but there are specific rules

on standing during the National Anthem. NFL Spokesman, Brian McCarthy stated that “Players

are encouraged but not required to stand during the playing of the National Anthem” (Maiocco)

Although President Trump suggested the protesting players be fired, “the players wouldn’t

accept it” so it would be an unwise move (Gould). More neutral people in this debate will simply

argue this point, that it is the athletes right to peacefully protest, and they are “justified in using

their celebrity status to bring attention to important issues” (Refusing to Stand for the National

Anthem: Top 3 Pros and Cons). But, the argument is not if athletes have the right to peacefully

protest during the national anthem before sporting events. It is about if athletes should or should
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not exercise their right at that time, causing the debate to become more about freedom of speech

than police brutality (Montanaro). Which was not the objective Colin Kaepernick had in mind

when he first took a knee.

Before the kneeling protest, NBA players wore a shirt with the phrase “I can’t breathe”

during warm ups, to, like Kaepernick, raise awareness about police brutality. Players like Derrick

Rose, LeBron James, and Koybe Bryant have all been seen wearing the shirt during warm ups

before their games. The “I can’t breathe” shirt is a reference to Eric Garner’s final words before

he died of a police officer chocking him (Adande). LeBron feels that this protests is “more of a

shout out to the family, more than anything, because they’re the ones that should be getting all

the energy and effort” (Adande). Koybe said that the Black Lives Matter movement and the

police has reached a “tipping point,” saying that people are losing faith in the justice system and

worry that people, like police officers, are abusing their authority. Both kneeling during the

anthem and wearing the “I can’t breathe shirt” during warm ups, had the same objectives. But,

the kneeling proved to be much more controversial because it took place during the playing of

the Star Spangled Banner.

Some people disagree with kneeling protest because it is during the National Anthem, while

others just disagree with it because they do not like it whenever athletes involve themselves in

politics and the athletes are aware that fans dislike it when they make political statements.

According to Adam Johns, sports figures are “not supposed to talk about race, religion, political

views, or anything that could create ill will, or discomfort among the fan base” and that the

“outside world really doesn’t respect athletes unless they talk about what they want them to talk

about” said Adam Jones (Nightengale). People told baseball player, Dexter Fowler to “shut up

and play” when he voiced his opinion on President Donald Trump’s proposed travel ban
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(Longman). No matter how and where an athlete voices his or her political beliefs, there will be

people who will tell them to “stick to sports.”

A lot of athlete’s political voices become more prominent after their careers. Former Raven’s

player, Anquan Boldin, retired this season because he felt his responsibilities lay elsewhere.

Boldin said in an interview, “It’s amazing, I think, to see how many people will call us ‘athletes’

and will tell us we need to be in the communities and we need to serve in the different

communities that we play in or live in, but as soon as you take a political stand, they tell you,

‘Stick to football.’ You can’t have it both ways. If you’re expecting me to be a role model for

younger kids or for society in general, how is it wrong for me to speak out when I do see

injustices” (Svrluga). Boldin said he’s okay with that ending his football career because he feels

it is his responsibility to speak out. He said, “For me it’s not even about having a long career. It’s

about doing what’s right” (Svrluga). Now out of the NFL, Boldin is meeting with congressman

to create positive change, and advocate for his political beliefs. The reason why more people do

not speak out and voice their opinion is because they’re afraid of the scrutiny they’d likely face.

It wasn’t until Michael Jordan’s basketball career was over did he talk about politics. He claims

that now he “can no longer stay silent” about the divisive rhetoric and racial tensions (Boren).

Although Michael Jordan faced a lot of critics in his day for not speaking politics, athletes

now a day face much more because of social media, as it provides a form of communication

between sports figures and fans. 54% of journalists use twitter on a regular basis because fans

now rely more on twitter for sports highlights than the newspaper (“Social Media & Sports

Journalism”). Athletes and sports journalists influence has increased in recent years because they

have more direct access to fans through social media. One can no longer turn to sports to get

away from politics; its everywhere (Montanaro). Sports journalist wish that they could just “stick
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to sports” because that is more fun to write about, however they feel like in this climate they

must discuss politics (Gay). Author of the book Game Over: How politicians Has Turned the

Sports World Upside Down, Dave Zirin says, “when people say to me, “You’re trying to

politicize sports,” I say, “Don’t you see that sports is already politicized” (Stromberg).

If they had to choose, American’s tend to prefer politician’s involvement in sports to

athlete’s involvement in politics. Former President Obama may be known for his political career,

but many also refer to him as the sports president. He earned the label by “regularly attending

sporting events of all types, inviting his favorite teams to the White House, showing off his jump

shot during frequent games of pick-up basketball, and sharing his annual video explanation of his

March Madness picks (Green, Kyle, and Doug Hartmann). When the country went through

difficult times, “Obama had a way of creating temporary amnesia through discussing sports”

(Green, Kyle, and Doug Hartmann).

Obama, along with presidents before him knew that by involving themselves in sports, their

approval ratings would increase because sports is a large part of American culture. George W.

Bush once owned the Texas Rangers, Bill Clinton cheered on the Arkansas Razorbacks, George

H.W. Bush played baseball at Yale, Gerald Ford was an all-American center for Michigan,

Richard Nixon played football in college, JFK swam, and Teddy Roosevelt boxed and wrestled

(Green, Kyle, and Doug Hartmann). Sports can increase a politician’s reputation, identity, and

social status because it connects the politicians to people through sharing a common passion.

“Politicians love to be associated with the fun, positive energy associated with modern sports,

not to mention the aura of excellence, excitement, and success” (Green, Kyle, and Doug

Hartmann).
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Although sports and politics are connected through athletes and politicians, the Olympics

may be the biggest example of politics in sports. In the Olympics, rivalry countries face each

other in sporting events, so naturally the results create political statement (Abelson, Donald E.).

An American win is seen as a victory for American democracy. “When boxer Joe Louis avenged

his earlier loss to Max Schmeling with a first-round knockout it was considered a victory for

American democracy over a perverted German nationalism, not just one boxer over another”

(Green, Kyle, and Doug Hartmann). Additionally, “110,000 spectators watched Owens slam the

door on Hitler’s racist theories” when Jesse Owens won 4 gold medals in the 1936 Olympics in

Nazi Germany (“Jesse Owens Wins Long Jump–and Respect–in Germany”).

Perhaps one of the most historic Olympic games was when the US ice hockey team defeated

the Soviet Union in Lake Placid, New York on February 1980 3-4, allowing them to move on to

win the gold medal. The game took place during the heat of the cold war, so it wasn’t surprising

that a hockey game was turned into a “political arena” because “any major event that involved a

matchup between the Soviets and Americans – whether it was a chess tournament or, in this case,

a hockey game – was bound to be viewed as not only a confrontation between the world’s two

superpowers, but as competition between two very different political systems and sets of

ideological beliefs” (Abelson). American Olympic athletes were in college, yet they were “under

pressure not only to win medals, but also to unite the population in celebration of both athletic

and moral superiority” (Abelson). Dave Silk, a forward on the US hockey team said that “For us

it was a hockey game. To the rest of the world, it was a political statement…Heading into the

game against the Russians, the only thing that gave us a feel for what was going on outside were

all the telegrams Herb had put on the wall outside the locker room…One telegram read ‘Kill

those Commie bastards.’ At that point, we began to understand what this game meant to people”
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(Abelson). Coach Brooks would try to calm down his collegiate athletes, telling them to “play

hockey, not politics...We’re going to the Winter Olympics. Not the United Nations Building”

(Abelson). The economy had been worsening, and there was a sense of “powerlessness” in the

country, so the win represented the strength of the US, and gave people a reason to celebrate

(Abelson). Even President Carter was transfixed by the game. He said “We were working on Iran

and economics, but nobody could do business because we were watching TV.” In an HBO

documentary, US Captain, Mike Eruzione said “Winning the gold medal didn’t solve the Iranian

crisis, it didn’t pull the Soviets out of Afghanistan. But people felt better. People were proud.

People felt good about being Americans because they could relate to who we were. We were

working-class, lunch-pail, hard-hat kids who represented them in an athletic event that was far

greater than hockey” (Abelson).

There is a positive and a negative effect of sports and politics relationship to each other. The

positive is its ability make expressing political views as “upstanding qualities” because of its

association with sports figures. This can also help increase “all so important” public opinion

polls (Green, Kyle, and Hartmann). The negative being that the association with sports could

undermine politics, “making it less serious about real issues” (Green, Kyle, and Hartmann)

because after all sports is a game. As a result of the controversy that the relationship between

sports and politics creates, ESPN created new policies to address it. “At ESPN, our reputation

and credibility with viewers, readers and listeners are paramount. Related to political and social

issues, our audiences should be confident our original reporting of news is not influenced by

political pressures or personal agendas” (Brady). Patrick Stiegman, ESPN’s Vice President and

Global Digital content, commented on it saying that “we want to emphasize a direct connection

to sports, understanding that’s the lens through which most fans view ESPN,” he said. “We also
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understand there may occasionally be exceptions that reference important, broader political

topics. We just want to ensure those are thoughtful discussions, and meet the other criteria in the

guidelines” (Brady). ESPN’s Vice President and Director of News at ESPN says that “I don’t

think people are turning us on to hear us talk about social and political issues. When we can

make a connection with sports, we should do so and do it smartly” (Brady). ESPN’s new rules

acknowledge that sports, culture, and politics overlap and that the effectiveness of these new

policies will be related to how intensely it is enforced.

Their new policies include the following: “Original news reports should not include

statements of support, opposition or partisanship related to any social issue, political position,

candidate or office holder. Writers, reporters, producers and editors directly involved in ‘hard’

news reporting, investigative or enterprise assignments and related coverage should refrain in

any public-facing forum from taking positions on political or social issues, candidates or office

holders” (Brady). With this new rule, ESPN news reporters would not be allowed to tweet their

own political beliefs. “Outside of ‘hard’ news reporting, commentary related to political or social

issues, candidates or office holders is appropriate on ESPN platforms consistent with these

guidelines.” The author commented on this policy saying, “put another way, the new policy has

gone from ‘It’s dangerous out there, so probably best to stay home’ to ‘It’s dangerous out there,

so here are some tools to best keep you safe’” (Brady). “All interviews, features, enterprise

efforts or produced pieces involving candidates must first be approved by senior management.

This is to ensure a coordinated and fair effort, and includes considerations as to location,

interviewer, timing and format” (Brady). If ESPN employees do give their opinions on an issue

the “presentation should be thoughtful and respectful. We should offer balance or recognize

opposing views, as warranted. We should avoid personal attacks and inflammatory rhetoric”
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(Brady). ESPN’s recognition of sports and politics connection and effects shows how powerful it

is.

Sports and politics will be connected until sports becomes so unpopular, that the Olympics

end. So, in other words, sports and politics will always be connected because people’s love for

sports will not fade. Athletes have always had influence over their fans; they get paid thousands

of dollars to appear in commercials because advertising companies know that if a well-liked

athlete wears their product, more people will buy it. The same thing holds true for politics.

Athletes share their political beliefs because they know that they have influence over their fans

beliefs. Politicians know how much American’s value sports and sports figures, and they take

advantage of it by associating themselves with sports. Ironically, the Olympics both unites and

divides the world through sports. Similar to the race to the moon, the Olympics provides an

environment for adversaries to compete against each other in a peaceful way. When athletes

make political statements, they are criticized and when athletes do not, they are criticized.

American’s love sports. Politicians love sports. The whole words love sports, so there won’t be a

time when sports figures do not use politics or politics do not use sports to influence the lives of

many.
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Works Cited

Abelson, Donald E. “Politics on Ice: The United States the Soviet Union, and a Hockey Game in
Lake Placid.” Canadian Review of American Studies, vol. 40, no. 1, 2010, pp. 63-94

Adande, J. A. “Purpose of ‘I Can’t Breathe’ T-Shirts.” ESPN, 10. 2014

Brady, Jim. “New ESPN Guidelines Recognizes Connection between Sports, Politics, ESPN, 4
Apr. 2017.

Bomboy, Scott. "The First Amendment and Restricting Professional Athlete Protests."
Constitution Daily. National Constitution Center, 25 Sept. 2017. Web. 23 Oct. 2017.

Boren, Cindy. “Michael Jordan Isn't Sitting out Any More, Says Protesting Athletes 'Shouldn't
Be Demonized'.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 26 Sept. 2017,

Cohen, Norm. “Athletes, Teams to Effect Social Change through the Years.” Newsday, 30 Aug.
2016

Gay, Jason. “Trump’s Strange, Sports Radio-Style Weekend.” The Wall Street Journal. Dow
Jones & Company, 24 Sept. 2017. Web.02.2017

Green, Kyle, and Doug Hartmann. "Politics and Sports: Strange, Secret Bedfellows - The Society
Pages." The Society Pages Politics and Sports Strange Secret Bedfellows Comments. The
Society Pages, 3 Feb. 2012. Web. 13 Oct. 2017.

Gould IV, William B. “Can Pro Athletes Sit Out the National Anthem?” Stanford Law School, 2
Sept.2017

“Jesse Owens Wins Long Jump–and Respect–in Germany.” History.com, A&E Television
Networks.

Longman, Martin. "Everything Is Political Now, Even Sports." Washington Monthly. N.p. 21
Feb. 2017. Web. 20 Sept. 2017.

Maiocco, Matt. “NFL: Standing for National Anthem 'Not Required'.” NBCS Bay Area, NBC
Sports, 27 Aug. 2016.

Montanaro, Domenico. “Trump, and The NFL and The Powder Keg History of Race, Sports And
Politics.” NPR. NPR, 25 Sept. 2017. Web. 02 Oct. 2017.

Nightengale, Bob. “Adam Jones on MLB’s Lack of Kaepernick Protest: ‘Baseball Is a White
Man’s Sport.” USA Today, Gennett Satellite Information Network, 13 Sept. 2016.

"Refusing to Stand for the National Anthem: Top 3 Pros and Cons." ProConorg Headlines. N.p.,
27 Sept. 2017. Web. 14 Nov. 2017.
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Stromberg, Joseph. "How Politics Has Changed Modern-Day Sports." Smithsonian.com.

Smithsonian Institution, 01 Feb. 2013. Web. 14 Oct. 2017.

“Social Media & Sports Journalism.” University of Florida Online, 14 Feb. 2017

Svrluga, Barry. "Perspective | NFL Players and the Value - and Potential Cost - of Political
Activism." The Washington Post. WP Company, 30 Mar. 2017. Web. 27 Oct. 2017

Wright, Branson. “Remembering Cleveland's Muhammad Ali Summit, 45 Years

Later.” Cleveland, 5 June 2017,