Sports and Politics

1309 Words3 Pages

"Politics has come to be considered not only inappropriate in the arena of sports, but actually antithetical to it," Zirin says. "We want so much to see sports solely as an arena of play, not seriousness. But here's the thing, this can cheapen not only the greatness and relevance of sports to us as a society, but also the courage of the athletes" . The pursuit of fame, wealth and status can blind the human conscience, which is why it is important for us to encourage athletes to voice their opinions. As a nation, we should not silence our athletes, because it is the truly courageous athletes who have the audacity to stand up when it is socially unacceptable. Sports should be used as a platform for a certain kind of politics such as militarism, nationalism and human rights. A few athletes stand out as political advocates of their time who were not afraid to express their opinions: Muhammad Ali, Jackie Robinson, and Billie-Jean King. There is a rich tradition of resistance to politics in sports, but their actions have been integral to country’s struggle for racial and gender equality; sports are a safe place to discuss these difficult topics and therefore is essential. Muhammad Ali is an example of an athlete who voiced his political ideologies in sports to advocate for the Civil Rights Movement and protest the War. As an Olympic gold medalist, heavy weight titlist, and many other victories, he used the fame to project his humanitarian efforts. Ali refused to serve in Vietnam due to his religion and as a result, he was stripped of his 1967 title . He retired in 1981 with an incredible 59 wins and five losses, but he will always known as symbol of courage, will power and strength, not for his career milestones, but for breaking racia... ... middle of paper ... ...al Museum of American History. 26 Mar. 2012. . Wenn, Stephen. "A Tale of Two Diplomats: George Messersmith and Charles H. Sherrill on Proposed American Participation in the 1936 Olympics." Journal of Sport History 16 (1989): 27-43. Whitaker, Matthew C.. African American icons of sport: triumph, courage, and excellence. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2008. Winslow, Barbara. "The Historians Perspective of Title IX." The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. 25 Mar. 2012. . Stergios, Jim, and Joshua Archambault . "Mixing Sports With Politics." The Washington Times. 26 Mar. 2012. . Zelizer, Julian E. "Sports and Political Oversight Do Mix ." CNN . 26 Mar. 2012. .

Show More
Related

  • Symbols Of Jackie Jackson And Jackie Robinson Vs. Cassius Clay

    1875 Words  | 4 Pages

    Ali proved to be a strong-willed individual that did leave a huge impact on America, but what impact had increased as time continued and his faults have been somewhat forgotten. Those believing that Muhammad was more of a hero than Jackie Robinson most likely feel that Ali’s action of standing up against the United States government, when he was drafted, was an act of courage and bravery. The main reason why Ali didn 't wish to go to war in Vietnam was because he believed he shouldn 't be fighting for a country that ultimately didn 't support his own people within its own borders. Ali has developed into a figure of courage after the time that his happened. In the 1960s when this originally happened, Ali had more enemies as a result of his religious and social views and ideas than fans. Today we see that what he did may be considered heroic, but back when it actually occurred, Ali was seen as a nuisance to America. He was spreading word and influencing people to act against their own country in a time of war. Since Muhammad Ali’s retirement from boxing the course of time has faded criticism of Ali and left mostly just the positive parts of his life and career. As a society we’ve buried the controversial side of Ali’s existence in our minds and history simply remembers his greatness as an athlete. Robinson had an impact on

    Read More

  • Men’s ASUFC Takes on Title IX

    1145 Words  | 3 Pages

    Bryjak, George J. “The Ongoing Controversy Over Title IX.” USA Today Magazine 129.2662 (2000): 62. Academic Search Premier. Web. 30 Oct. 2013.

    Read More

  • Vernonia School District V. Acton (1996)

    1761 Words  | 4 Pages

    Ethical Rules on Sport’s Justice. Dallas: East Dallas Times, page 21. 2008. The 'Standard' of the 'Standard'. Print: Harry, Patrick Hayes.

    Read More

  • Jesse Cleveland Owens

    1111 Words  | 3 Pages

    "Jesse Owens." Notable Black American Men, Book II. Ed. Jessie Carney Smith. Detroit: Gale, 1998. U.S. History in Context. Web. 31 Jan. 2014.

    Read More

  • Essay On Jackie Robinson

    1236 Words  | 3 Pages

    Jackie Robinson’s ability to successfully integrate his sport set the stage for many others to advocate for an end to segregation in their respective environments. His period of trials and triumphs were significant to changing American perception of the Civil Rights revolution. By becoming the first African-American baseball player to play in the major leagues, he brought down an old misconception that black athletes were inferior to white athletes. Successively, his example would inspire those advocating for their civil rights, he lived out a message of nonviolence similar to the one Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lived out. Despite the constant prejudice he faced in his sport, he was able to keep himself composed and never retaliate.

    Read More

  • The Historiography of Race and Discrimination in Baseball and Sports

    3242 Words  | 7 Pages

    Wiggins, David Kenneth, and Patrick B. Miller. 2003. The unlevel playing field: a documentary history of the African American experience in sport. Urbana: University of Illinois Press

    Read More

  • We Should Pay College Athletes

    1292 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...ws. July 1, 1996: 38+. Sports. Eleanor Goldstein. Vol. 5. Boca Raton: SIRS, 1996. Art. 13.

    Read More

  • Black Athletes In Sports

    1133 Words  | 3 Pages

    One of the major stands that were made during a black athlete’s tenure during his or her sport were their statements on racism. Racism in America was an ongoing situation in the 1900’s that seemed to have no resolve before black athletes took a stand. One prime example can be Jackie Robinson who became the first African-American athlete to play baseball in the modern era. Jackie grew up in one of the most racist towns in Pasadena, California and came from a poor family as his parents were sharecroppers and...

    Read More

  • Examples Of Commercialism In Not Just A Game

    804 Words  | 2 Pages

    Another argument would be capitalism with athletes and commercials, Zirin explains how sports was suppose to be pure and untouched by the outside world but have been defile by commercialism. Zirin stated "It seems only commercialism is capable of making sports safe for politics...more than anything else, I 'll argue it is corporate power and fear of a backlash from sponsors that drive the anti political attitude that we find in our sports culture and make athletes afraid to rock the boat." Commercialism involving sports athletes shows how the big corporate power have control over athletes from taking a political stands against something that impact a certain group, which limit their say on a issues but their goals is to present their product and not say a word that involve

    Read More

  • A Comparison Of The Article 'This Person Doesn' T Sound Black?

    1169 Words  | 3 Pages

    Issues of racial injustices have been a problem in the United States throughout generations. Athletes have always had their opinions on racial issues and have never seemed to hesitate to speak their mind. Recently Colin Kaepernick has been sitting out of the National Anthem to protest for “black lives matter.” The representation of race in the Article, Tommie Smith, iconic 1968 Olympics activist, defends Colin Kaepernick’s protest, by Nancy Armour, is a modern way to protest the racial injustices our country has been facing. Colin Kaepernick is simply standing up for what he believes in. It’s easy to say that he’s even following in the shoes of Muhammad Ali, Jackie Robinson, Smith, and Carlos in their stances on racial issues. Critics of Colin

    Read More

  • African American Athlete: Their Role in American Culture

    3732 Words  | 8 Pages

    Miller, Patrick B. Wiggins, David K. Sport and the color line: Black athletes and Race relations in Twentieth-century America. 2004. The Journal of Southern History 70 (4) (Nov 2004): 990.

    Read More

  • Politics and its affect on the olympics

    1561 Words  | 4 Pages

    How did politics affect the Olympic Games in 1936, 1968 and 1972?      In 1934, the death of President Hindenburg of Germany removed the last remaining obstacle for Adolf Hitler to assume power. Soon thereafter, he declared himself President and Fuehrer, which means “supreme leader”. That was just the beginning of what would be almost 12 years of Jewish persecution in Germany, mainly because of Hitler’s hatred towards the Jews. It is difficult to doubt that Hitler genuinely feared and hated Jews. His whole existence was driven by an obsessive loathing of them (Hart-Davis 14).

    Read More

  • Student Athletes and Academics

    1148 Words  | 3 Pages

    Power, Clark. "Athletics vs. Academics." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 14 Jan. 2014. Web. 07 Apr. 2014.

    Read More

  • Sports and Politics

    962 Words  | 2 Pages

    Stergios, Jim, and Joshua Archambault . "Mixing Sports With Politics." The Washington Times. 26 Mar. 2012. .

    Read More

  • How Sports Reflection And Influence On The History Of Sports

    1113 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout history, it is easy to recognize how African Americans have triumphed in sports. It is also enlightening and empowering to see and recognize the challenges that women faced in the past with achieving recognition in sports as compared to that of men.

    Read More

More about Sports and Politics

Open Document