There is a distinct relationship between politics and sports and there are multiple different opinions concerning the situation. Many people believe politics belong in sports and others claim it should not.
Fans don’t want politics brought into sports, it changes the whole perspective of the game. Lee Anderson, an MP for Ashfield in Nottinghamshire had spoken out about the England National Soccer Team that has shown their support for the BLM movement by taking a knee before games.
Anderson stated that by taking a knee, “they are supporting a political movement and can risk alienating traditional supporters.”
Anderson also spoke out claiming that the kneeling in soccer is meaningless after current Crystal Palace forward, Wilfried Zaha who has decided to stand rather than knee because he feels it does no justice.
Anderson doesn’t not condemn the idea of the kneeling but believes that the right message isn’t being sent. He also stated, “If players find it meaningful and important, let them do it.”
Questions have been asked such as what does human rights have to do with the NFL or NBA or what does economic regression have to the World Cup or Olympics and the answer is everything.
Human rights in sports has become a huge debate and influence that rules are being changed to accommodate the previously oppressed and protect those who play the sport.
On February 28, 2022, it was announced that Russia had been suspended from all FIFA and UEFA competitions until further notice due to the attacks Russia had on Ukraine.
This move triggered some angry fans that the players or the clubs had nothing to do with the war and were later demanding to get Politics out of sports.
It is no problem that politics should be in sports but the athletes should not have to pay the price for a crime that they had nothing to do with..
When people talk about politics in sports, it goes both ways because having politics in sports spreads a much bigger message across the world whereas on the other hand, someone else has to deal with the consequences of an irresponsible politician.
Over the past couple of years, politics has played a big role in sports but not as massive as it is today.
On April 28, 1987, former professional boxer Muhammad Ali refused to be inducted into the armed forces claiming, “I ain’t got no quarrel with those Vietcong.” Due to this refusal, Ali was sentenced to five years in prison. He was also fined $10,000 and banned from boxing for three years.
Free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has not thrown a football in the NFL since the 2016 season after his movement sparked a controversial issue.
Kaepernick was a vocal point for a generation of athletes to come. In 2016, Kaepernick began taking a knee during the national anthem before NFL games to protest racial injustice.
His movement is almost as similar to the BLM kneeling in England before kickoff.
He’s decision to take a knee during the national anthem put worries on some people’s faces because it created a debate throughout the country divided on social and political issues.
