During Veterans Day weekend, President Donald Trump attended the Washington Commanders‘ game against the Detroit Lions. Trump’s appearance was met with vociferous dismay and boos.
Much of this stems from the government being shut down at the time and the crowd understanding the Republicans’ role in that happening. But the vitriol that he was met with also cemented for me what many of us already know as Black people — which is that sports and politics will never exist without one another.
As Trump read the “Oath of Enlistment” over the PA system, you could barely make out what he was saying over the sea of disgust that Commanders fans were expressing.
We know the play
Typically, those longing for sports fans to stick to sports and not discuss real-world issues in that medium are typically far-right supporters. They don’t want to be held accountable for the atrocities people experience in this country at the hands of their party’s ignorance. This isn’t limited to just the NFL, but there have been several instances in the league where politics were at the forefront. We have seen this play out in the NBA as well with Laura Ingraham’s desire for their players to “shut up and dribble.”
Athletes bleed the same blood we do
My main ick with these desires are that they strip players in these instances of their humanity. Whether it be on the court, field or ice, athletes are not robots. They inhabit the same world that we do, and they have to follow the same laws as well. So, when there are political happenings that affect common people, it damn sure can affect them as well. These people have families and loved ones who can be primarily impacted.
Who is to say that these athletes’ families won’t ever need assistance with abortions or advocacy regarding police brutality? They should be as invested in this country’s political makeup as the rest of us. There shouldn’t be any entity that encourages turning a blind eye to the happenings in this country or world, simply because we’re at a specific event. That doesn’t push us or the world forward for the better.
Putting it into perspective
So, whether it’s NBA players wearing “I Can’t Breathe” shirts or the Milwaukee Bucks sitting out a game to protest the shooting and subsequent paralysis of Jacob Blake, it should always be in bounds to be that politically engaged. To suggest that we not be would be encouraging us to remain undereducated and misinformed.
Now more than ever, we cannot afford to be oblivious to the negative systems at play that seek to turn all of our worlds upside down. It’s incumbent on us not to be one-trick ponies in today’s society. We have to be more multifaceted. Our zeal should be celebrated and not discounted.
Lastly, we can’t and won’t continue to be fed this lie that there should be a separation between politics and sports. Every decision made in society is a political decision. To quote Senator Nina Turner, “You may not do politics, but politics will do you honey.” And since that is the case, we all need to be as properly informed as ever. The current powers that be and their henchmen want to thrive off of people’s ignorance. But it’s time to take a knee on all of that, run the clock out, and hold each of us to higher standards. It’s the only way.