Professional athletes have become very exposed to sports media over the past 10 years. The rise in social media and other new technologies has made it increasingly easy to cover athletes’ lives both on and off the court. Some athletes have even joined sports media, becoming analysts and news anchors following their retirement. It’s obvious that most athletes have a fairly high IQ for their respective game, assuming they’ve played a long time in their sport. Therefore, we can conclude that athletes have credibility when it comes to speaking on sports. But what about athletes speaking on social issues? Should we listen to athletes when it comes to politics and the state of our country? I’ve provided three main examples of situations where professional athletes have used their platforms to speak out on topics other than sports:
“Shut Up And Dribble”
LeBron James is considered one of the most well-known and influential athletes in the world. He’s even considered by some to be “the greatest” to ever play basketball. Players and fans alike respect him not only for his basketball prowess, but for his character. Back in February 2018, LeBron James did an interview inside of a car with fellow NBA superstar Kevin Durant. The two talked politics and LeBron called out President Donald Trump for “not giving a f*** about the people” and “not being a good coach.” Fox News reporter Laura Ingraham responded to James’ comments:
It takes quite a bit of moxie to call out one of the most respected athletes to ever play. Laura’s commentary follows an outdated notion that professional athletes should stick to sports and leave politics to the professionals. She even mentions LeBron’s lack of college education. It’s difficult to say whether LeBron has the credibility to give the most informed opinions on politics and social issues. What isn’t up for debate is whether or not he deserves to speak his mind. Athletes are at liberty to speak on issues that they feel passionate about, and while they should be mindful of what they say, we should be able to listen and see what kind of ideas they have.
thank u, next
LeBron James isn’t the only one who speaks on politics and the overall political climate of our country. Golden State Warriors Star Stephen Curry stated that he would not be attending a visit to the White House that was extended to him and his team following the Warriors’ 2017 championship. Steph’s decision was based on his personal feelings and overall lack of respect for President Trump. Trump responded in his usual manner by using his infamous social media account:
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that this was a feeble attempt by Trump to have the last laugh regarding Curry’s invitation to the White House. It’s no secret that Trump dislikes having his authority challenged. However, Trump’s tweet inspired another NBA star’s reaction towards the situation:
Again, we see another instance of LeBron speaking out in the political arena. This time, coming to the defense of his fellow NBA player. This series of tweets created a lot of controversy among fans. Some felt that it was disrespectful for Curry to refuse going to the White House simply because he doesn’t like Trump. Others felt that his decision was justified and is the very essence of our country’s freedom of speech. While this issue is still up for debate, what is indisputable is Curry’s willingness to speak out on what he believes in, and that’s something I think we can all respect.
Bend the Knee
During his time playing on the San Francisco 49ers, Colin Kaepernick gained notoriety for kneeling during the national anthem. This came at a time in where the U.S. was dealing with events such as the deaths of individuals such as Michael Brown and Eric Garner and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. Below I provided a video with more information on Kaepernick’s movement:
Colin Kaepernick has been the subject of a lot of controversy regarding his kneeling protests. Allowing athletes or believing that athletes should speak and act on social issues has always been a touchy subject. While it is not easy to fully decide on whether or not athletes should do this, there is no debating that Kaepernick made sacrifices for a cause that he believed in. He sacrificed his job security, as he is not currently employed by an NFL team despite many people feeling that he should be on a roster and can be a serviceable player to any team. He raised awareness to fans around the country on an ongoing issue that should not be dealt with lightly.
These are two main ways that we can learn from sports media. They are not the only ways, however, and we should continue to seek to gain as much as we can from sports, as relayed by the media. Sports today aren’t just about leisure and pleasure, but can help us become more informed and educated in our everyday lives.
Sources:
- YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/.
- Reid, Jason, et al. “The Undefeated.” The Undefeated, theundefeated.com/.
- Billings, Andrew C. Sports Media: Transformation, Integration, Consumption. Routledge, 2014.
- Zaldivar, Gabe. “15 Sports PR Disasters.” Bleacher Report, Bleacher Report, 3 Oct. 2017, bleacherreport.com/articles/2038398-15-sports-pr-disasters#slide5.
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