Athletes Involved in Politics

           
       Over the past couple years, many athletes have been using their status to state their beliefs on how the US is being run.  The athlete that has made the biggest impact on society and motivated other athletes to speak out recently is Colin Kaepernick.  During the preseason of the 2016 NFL season, Kaepernick sat during the National Anthem.  During the first two games, it went unnoticed because he wasn’t wearing a uniform.  He finally got attention in the third game, when he had his uniform on which shows how much recognition an athlete is given by the media compared to an average person protesting.  Throughout the course of the 2016 and 2017 season, more and more NFL players knelt.  This led to a decline in ticket sales and television ratings because many consider it disrespectful to America and those who have fought for it.
            Many athletes from other sports have supported Kaepernick.  The USA Women’s Soccer Team all knelt during the anthem.  Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, and Lebron James are the most prominent NBA players to support Kaepernick through interviews and tweets.  When the Golden State Warriors won the 2017 NBA title, they declined the White House visit because they don’t agree with President Trump’s leadership.
            A major cause for athletes speaking out recently has been Donald Trump.  Trump has insisted that any NFL player that kneels should be fired.  NBA player, Lebron James, has called Donald Trump racist and his role as president laughable.  NBA coach, Gregg Popovich, has raved that he is soulless and a disgrace to our country.
            Although it has expanded a lot recently, athletes have been making political statements since the 1960s.  In 1967, boxer, Muhammad Ali, refused to fight in the Vietnam War since it was against his religious beliefs.  He was then arrested and stripped of his Heavyweight title belt.  NFL player Pat Tillman enlisted in the army shortly after 9/11.  He explained that he thought that his role as a football player was shallow, and he didn’t like how George Bush was running the country.  He was found dead in battle in 2004.  It was later discovered he was killed by friendly fire.  These are just a few examples of the many times that athletes have spoken out in the past.
            I interviewed student-athletes from around the school and asked them what their opinions were on celebrity athletes using their sport to make political statements.  The majority of those interviewed suggested that it is disrespectful to kneel during the anthem.  Many replied that they think athletes should be allowed to state their beliefs in social media and in interviews, but they shouldn’t be allowed to during game since it’s a job and part of their job is to appease the fans.  The students also believe that making political statements can cause an unnecessary rift between the team.  IJournalism teacher, Mr. Stoll, believes that “team sports are about winning and losing as a team.  Individual players should not do anything to stand out.”

~Edward Gamel