Introduction The world of sports has long been intertwined with political and social issues. From the civil rights movement to recent protests against racial injustice, athletes have used their platforms to advocate for change. However, there is a recurring sentiment that athletes should "stick to sports" and avoid expressing political opinions. This essay explores whether this expectation privileges certain athletes and marginalizes others, and whether certain political opinions are more welcomed in sports. By examining historical and contemporary examples, the essay will argue that the "stick to sports" sentiment often reflects broader societal power dynamics and biases, privileging certain voices while silencing others. Historical Context …show more content…
Women's National Team, has been a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. As an openly gay athlete, Rapinoe uses her platform to promote equality and inclusivity both within and beyond the sports world. Her advocacy is not just about visibility, but also about challenging systemic issues that affect LGBTQ+ individuals. Rapinoe's activism became particularly prominent when she publicly came out in 2012, a bold move in a sporting world where many athletes still felt compelled to keep their sexual orientation private. Her openness has inspired many and brought attention to the challenges LGBTQ+ athletes face. In an interview with the Harvard Business Review, Rapinoe discussed her motivation, saying, "I just think that’s sort of my natural inclination. If something feels wrong, or I feel like people are being treated unfairly or not being treated with the compassion or the respect or the love that they deserve, then I’m going to speak up about it." Her influence extends beyond her words. Rapinoe has taken concrete actions to support LGBTQ+ rights, including working with organizations like Athlete Ally and the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN). She has also been a prominent figure in the fight for equal pay in sports, tying the struggle for gender equality to broader issues of social justice, including LGBTQ+ rights. This intersectional approach highlights the interconnectedness of various forms of discrimination and the need for comprehensive advocacy efforts. Moreover, Rapinoe's activism has been recognized and celebrated by various entities, further amplifying her impact. In 2020, she was named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People, a testament to her significant role in advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and equality in sports and society. Her efforts have not only provided a voice for LGBTQ+ athletes but have also encouraged broader societal change
...ennis, basketball, soccer, and martial arts—have come from the days of cheerleading and synchronized swimming when she was growing up in the ’70s.” Disparities in media coverage and over-sexualized female athletes on magazine covers is something that needs to come to an end because of its effects on both male and female viewers, young and old, athletes and non-athletes. Both female and male athletics influence young people and shape their personality and morals as they mature. Retired WNBA player, Lisa Leslie credits her participation in basketball with shaping her character, as well as her career. “Sports can also help teenagers during an awkward time in their development.” (“Women’s Athletics: A Battle For Respect”). The solution is to come together as a society and identify how to balance the respect for female and male athletes in the media.
Promoting Women’s Sports “It doesn’t matter if you are a woman or a man, the important thing is your determination,” race car driver Milka Duno proudly stated when being represented as a CNN woman. As women recognition continues to grow since the past, it still does not appear to be promoted enough. The promotion of women’s sports needs to be focused on due to inspiration passed on, gender equality, and the gratitude of women and their dedication to sports.
In America today athletic events play an important role in the reflective perception and financial standing of any given community. It is for this reason that the individuals involved in these events are also of significance to the community. Due to the esteemed and very influential role placed on athletes they are often times given privileges that would not normally be given to them if they were not athletes. These privileges are given in order to recruit the athletes, and once recruited to maintain their status on the team so that, in turn, the team's status is not adversely affected. To understand the importance of the role of an athlete one must first examine the role of the athletic event in which the athlete participates and the level of importance placed on this event.
Sports have served as a platform on which the subject of race has been highlighted. Sports have unfailingly been considered the microcosm of society. This is because the playing fields have revealed the dominant culture’s attitudes and beliefs that people held about race relations throughout history in the United States. Many racial barriers were broken in the world of sports long before they were crossed in the realm of mainstream society as a whole. From Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball during the year of 1947 to Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising their fists clad in black gloves during the 1968 Mexico City Summer Olympics, sports have started conversations about race in the United States that have undeniably changed the course of race relations in the United States.
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...
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
-It has been previously discovered that through a series of discriminating and normalizing “techniques,” the American media covertly disparage and subordinate sportswomen. To what extent does the media participate in the discrimination of female athletes today, moreover, how does discrimination in sports media translate into and affect the social and athletic lives of female athletes.
The plight of athletes of color in American sports has been a well-documented and heavily conversed issue throughout society. Our treatment of these athletes was unwarranted, unfair and unacceptable, but all of that seemed to be over with pioneers such as Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in the early 20th century and finally bringing athletes of color to the same playing field as their white counterparts. Today, we proudly proclaim that our major American sports are completely void of all stereotyping and racism that plagued them in their infancy. It is obvious that this is not true with various examples such as the Donald Sterling incident showing that there are some whimpers of outright racism remaining, but there also may be be an issue that is much more widespread than we realize. A phenomenon we now call “unconscious racism” explains that in modern society we have effectively internalized our racist rhetoric to the point where it is now subtle and almost second nature. This is especially clear in the National Football League in the treatment of black quarterbacks. These quarterbacks are subjected to harsher and often more unfair scrutiny than their white counterparts, despite their similar production, as a result this new breed of subconscious racism.
COAKLEY, J. (2004). SPORTS IN SOCIETY: ISSUES AND CONTROVERSIES (8TH ED). NEW YORK: MCGRAW HILL
Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream, but so Cassius Clay, Jackie Robinson, and Bill Russell. Long before King’s famous “I Had a Dream” speech or Rosa Parks famous stand came something much simpler: sports. Sports have always had the ability to open people’s eyes in a way that is more impactful than words or actions. The way that athletics can shape a persons mind, or open their eyes to something beyond what they already believe, is incredible. They can get everyone to root for a common purpose, a common goal. And for some, that was freedom. The integration of professional and collegiate athletics not only changed sports history, but helped shape American history.
Sports provide a multitude of subtleties when it comes to the augmentation by improving the physical and mental health of individuals and the incorporation of social classes. The idea of “winning” in sports serves as a prime example of success. A highly valued commodity which often results in elitism and superiority is often displayed during the long and grinding seasons of multiple sports. The world of sports affords us the opportunity to gain vital insight into the sensitive issues of racism, sexism, and classism. Throughout history there have been multiple examples of how the sports world has changed micro to macro societies to change the ways of their lives.
In today’s modern world, professional sports have evolved into one of the most influential aspects of human culture. The unscripted nature of competition, combined with larger than life athletic figures, has inevitably prompted fans to associate sportspeople with being superhuman. However, this unintended consequence is the where the controversy surrounding professional athletes arises. Fans, who confuse athletic superiority with a sense of righteousness, have subjected professional athletes to unreasonable moral and physical expectations. Consequently, this has led sportspeople, who fail to meet these unrealistic standards, to come under tremendous public scrutiny.
Women’s participation in sport is at an all-time high and has almost become equal to men’s, however. Sports media does not fail to show this equality and skews the way we look at these athletes. Through the disciplines of sociology and gender studies, it can be seen that despite the many gains of women in sports since the enactment of Title IX, “traditional” notions of masculinity and femininity still dominate media coverage of males and females in sports, which is observed in Olympic programming and sports news broadcasts. Sociology is a growing discipline and is an important factor in the understanding of different parts of society. Sociology is “a social science that studies human societies, their interactions, and the processes that preserve and change them” (Faris and Form P1).
Society's characteristics are often reflected through sports. This also serves as a method to create attitudes and behaviors. In America, sports are extremely significant for a few reasons. One being that the public is subject to have ethics, morals, and values be redefined and impacted drastically by sports. Some might even argue that sports define lives. The society has established principals, which are sometimes reinforced by sports. For instance, the concept of winning is often times instilled by the elite. However, this issue touches upon classism, racism, and sexism. In many cases the athlete serves as a symbol. He or she holds a value that defines the athlete and the sport, which is what ultimately distinguished one sport from another, and determine which of the sports is preferred. Each competitor is labeled with certain values, which in term, are a reflection of the fans. These spectators often express personal principles by holding standards, expectations, and norms to the athletes. Which ultimately empowers American sports.
"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.