The unfortunate insertion of politics into sports

[Kamino]

Democrat or republican, socialist or nationalist, or other, i frankly do not care what the message is.

I simply feel most major sports have been ruined by the politics. Some of us...and given the NBA’s ratings vs the low-politics NHL....a good number of others tune IN to sports to tune OUT of the world’s bullshit. The news, the election, the wife and kids, the job, the rusty rear brakes...none of this should matter for three hours of sports-ball. I really don’t care if they’re taking a knee in protest of a serial cat murderer - Or taking a knee in protest of a return to prohibition - I simply don’t Want it in my sports ball.


Is that so tough to understand? It isn’t that their issue is not important. It’s a matter of wrong place, wrong time.

[MetalFRO]

I would tend to agree. I think individual athletes have a right to speak their minds, and use their elevated socio-economic status as a platform to speak out on issues they feel strongly about, but I don't think that works when you're doing so during the game, or while players are on the field. I certainly don't get paid to parrot my political views while on the job. I'm not even much of a sports person, but I tend to think that sports is about skill, not the other trappings. Speak your mind off the field, at the post-game press conference, or when talking to the media outside of the game.