My last post was about how, once the hysteria over the pandemic calms down, sports will eventually get back to normal. When they do return, they'll look different in the short term. But, over time, going to a game will once again be communal experience it has always been.
I've really been thinking about that a lot over the past few days, as protests and demonstrations take place all across the country. It brings me back to the idea of sports as an experience for all. Because it's true. Sports bring people together.
Fans root for their team no matter what. They don't care what the players look like or where they're from. They just care what uniform they're wearing. Everyone has their favorites, sure. And they might not necessarily be a "fan" of a particular player for whatever reason. But the overriding loyalty is to the team and whoever can make the team win.
Likewise, teams don't care who their fans are or where they come from. They all have community relations departments and may do more outreach with particular groups than others, but that's purely done in the interest of building the fan base. It isn't designed to alienate the other fans. And it doesn't. It's simply the team's way of saying everybody's welcome. And everybody is. As long as you have a ticket, you're free to enjoy watching your team play with your fellow fans.
Sadly, there are still issues with racism, both among fans and directed towards players. That's the unfortunate reality of society being too accepting of that behavior for too long in some places. And, try as you might, you may never get those people to change that bigoted mindset. Which is their loss. Fortunately, that's the exception, not the rule. By and large, sports is one of the most welcoming, all-inclusive activities anywhere. A place where everyone is embraced with open arms.
Sports are the great equalizer, too. If you're good enough to get a college scholarship or play professionally, you'll get your chance. If you aren't good enough, you won't. It's that simple. Coaches aren't going to stop recruiting you or draft someone else over you because of your ethnicity. Their livelihood is tied directly to how the team performs on the field. If they don't win, they lose their job. So they're going to get the players that put them in the best position to win.
That's the beauty of sports. They don't discriminate. We're a long way from Jackie Robinson. It's the talent that matters. Nothing else. If you have the talent, you'll get your chance. And if you're the best, you'll win. If you're not, you won't.
Is there work to be done in some areas? Yes. That's the purpose of the NFL's Rooney Rule. The NCAA also has an Immersion Program for minorities who are interested in a career in college athletics. So, even though it's happening more slowly than some people would like, progress is being made in those areas. And those opportunities will only increase over time.
The other great power of sports is their ability bring social issues to the forefront. Colin Kaepernick has obviously been in the news a lot over the past week. This is exactly what he was protesting about when he started taking a knee four years ago. I've, of course, made my thoughts on Kaepernick known on numerous occasions. But there's no denying that his status as an NFL player helped his case. If he didn't have that platform, his protest never would've taken off the way it did. He has his supporters. He has his detractors. Point is, his being in the public eye made people care.
While not nearly as vocal and maybe not as visible, there are plenty of other athletes who've spoken out in support of Kaepernick's cause. Obviously not everyone agrees with them, which doesn't sit well with those who do. But the point remains. Being an athlete is a powerful tool. And it can really help you get your point across.
Earlier this year, the IOC warned athletes not to make any sort of "political demonstration" in Tokyo. The move, while well-intended, was derided in the media and criticized by athletes from all over the world. Because it's the same thing with the Olympics. If an athlete has a point they want to make, they know when their best opportunity to make that point is. And if they want to protest, they're gonna protest. Period.
And, just like every other protest, there'll be those who agree with it and those who think it's not the time or the place. Australian swimmer Mack Horton made headlines last summer at the World Championships for refusing to stand on the podium with the other medalists during the victory ceremony because he didn't think the gold medalist, Sun Yang of China, should've been allowed to compete while appealing a doping suspension.
But it was another Australian who played a supporting role in perhaps the most famous Olympic protest of all-time. Tommie Smith and John Carlos were vilified in Mexico City when they raised their fists covered in a black glove. More than 50 years later, that protest is viewed in a different light and they're seen as heroes. But the other man on the podium, silver medalist Peter Norman, showed solidarity by wearing the same patch as them on the medals stand. The three became lifelong friends after that. At Norman's funeral, both Smith and Carlos were pall bearers.
People will never stop debating whether or not it's the proper time and place. Some fans go to sporting events because they want to get away and avoid the problems of everyday life (including social issues) for a few hours. That position is entirely understandable. But there's no denying that, for those exact same reasons, sports and social issues will always be intertwined.
Which brings me back to the beginning. People like and watch sports for so many different reasons. People like and hate certain teams and players for a variety of reasons. But when the game itself is going on, none of that matters. We're all the same. Just sitting there watching these tremendous athletes get paid to do something we wish we were good enough to do.
Maybe that's the only common ground we have. You know what, though? That's enough to build on. After all, we're all people. And if we take the time to listen to each other, maybe we'll see that we actually aren't all that different.
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