The history of politics in American sports

Jeremy Platt, Staff Writer

Sports are commonly defined only as simple competitions between teams. They are often referred to as an escape from the real world for both players and fans. Watching sports is looked at as a time where you and your friends can sit down on the couch, with a cold beverage in your hand, and forget about work, family issues, politics and real-life problems. However, the idea that sports should be completely separated from societal issues is flawed because it forces athletes to stay silent on their political views. Sports and politics have always been intertwined, and those two subjects originated around racism.

Athletes are some of the most influential people in the world, and in the early 20th century, it was a “political act” for a black athlete to even step on the field. Take track star Jesse Owens as an example. Owens was threatened just because he was going to participate in the 1936 Olympics. Despite the criticism, Owens ended up breaking all sorts of records for the long jump and as a sprinter. His success during the Olympics was revolutionary, especially because it took place in Berlin, Germany during Hitler’s Third Reich.

A similar occurrence happened again just over a decade later when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball. The idea of Robinson lacing up his cleats was political, even though he was just playing the game he loved. The immense pressure carried by Black athletes like Robinson and Owens led to the upbringing of a tradition. The book “The Heritage”, written by Howard Bryant, refers to the idea of heritage as Black athletes who use their platform to be the voice of the unheard across the country.

Since being a professional athlete comes with fame, these trailblazing athletes have a large platform to spread their message. The aforementioned heritage was represented well throughout the 1960s and ’70s. Tommie Smith and John Carlos brought awareness to racism in America by raising a fist on the podium in the 1968 Olympics after placing first and third in the 200-meter race. Both Smith and Carlos wore a black glove and black socks along with no shoes to represent African American Poverty. Another significant Black athlete to make a political statement in the ’60s was Heavyweight boxing champion, Muhammad Ali. Ali refused to serve in the Vietnam War as a way to protest how black people were treated in the United States. The heritage was well represented until the era of Michael Jordan.

Michael Jordan is arguably the greatest athlete of all time. His work ethic and success on the basketball court separates him from the pack, but there was some significance in what he chose not to do. He was corporate-friendly and would not talk politics. An example of this was when he refused to support Harvey Gantt in the 1990 US Senate Race, who was running in his home state of North Carolina. Gantt’s competitor, Jesse Helms, was well-known for being an extremely conservative politician with a history of making racist, sexist and homophobic remarks. In 1990, Jordan spoke on why he chose not to advocate for Gantt.

“Republicans buy sneakers, too,” Jordan said.

While Jordan had the right not to speak on politics, he was the “most popular man in America”, and had the platform that nearly no other black person had in the United States. He had the capabilities to make real change in America, but he chose not to. Since his retirement, Jordan has been more vocal against social injustices.  

​There was an absence of representation all the way up until 2014 when a scandal occurred involving former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling. Sterling made racist comments directed at Lakers Hall of Fame point guard Magic Johnson. The Clippers players threatened their participation in a playoff game but opted to wear their warmup shirts inside out as a way to show that they did not support or represent the Clippers organization under Sterling.

Later that same year came the police shooting of Michael Brown Jr. in Ferguson, Missouri. To protest police brutality, five St. Louis Rams players came out of the tunnel with their hands up just a few days after the shooting. In the NBA, players such as Lebron James and Kobe Bryant warmed up in shirts that read, “I Can’t Breathe”. Those were the last words of Eric Garner, a black man who was killed by police officers in New York. Similar to Jordan, James is one of the most influential athletes in the world. However, unlike Jordan, he has been very active in the political realm. He made a three-part documentary series called, “Shut Up and Dribble” based around the role of Black athletes in today’s political climate. The name of the series is based on FOX News host Laura Ingraham telling James to “shut up and dribble” after he publicly endorsed Hilary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. This led to the rise of political activism in sports as a rebuttal to Ingraham’s comments. 

The athlete who arguably has caused the most political change in the recent history of the United States is former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. In 2016, Kaepernick kneeled for the National Anthem before games as a way to protest police brutality and the oppression of Black people in America.

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses Black people and people of color,” Kaepernick said.

Since his protests in 2016, Kaepernick has not been signed to any NFL teams. It is obvious that he has been blackballed, but he has continued to make his voice heard. While many people viewed his kneeling as a sign of disrespect towards the military, he has made it clear that it has nothing to do with the military. He is exercising his right to protest, which is included in the freedoms that the military fight to defend. Kaepernick is now regarded as one of the most revolutionary people in modern-day activism.

Since the killing of George Floyd in May, athletes have come up with creative initiatives to make their voices heard. Examples include NBA players putting messages on the back of their jerseys to show unity and NFL players putting the names of victims of police brutality on the back of their helmets. NBA players, including Milwaukee Bucks’ small forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, have boycotted games, while other teams have cancelled practices as well.

The increase of player activism has led to political change, higher voter turnout and better education. Sports and politics have always been intertwined, and athletes now more than ever have been able to make their voices heard. Samo football player and Vice President of Black Student Union, Kamau Daniels (’21), appreciates when professional athletes speak out on politics and their personal views.

“Professional athletes are human too, and they have a right to protest and speak on what they believe in,” Daniels said.