"politics have no place in sports" no shut up.
*I'm ranting here because I don't feel like logging into my sports account.
Context matters. Life doesn't exist in a vacuum, and everything is interlinked and not understanding the context of events (or worse yet, blatantly ignoring the context) is not only incredibly stupid but also incredibly damaging. People that ignore the context of an event because they just want to enjoy it without thinking too much are the single worst because they add to the overarching problem that surrounds the issue. There was once a quote about how the only thing needed for evil to prevail is for good people to say silent. By ignoring things, you're adding to the problem. And that's gross and honestly, you should feel bad about it.
But what does that have to do with sports? Well the past few weeks, I've been seeing everyone go on and on about how politics and sports shouldn't mix, and while I agree that athletes themselves should never be punished due to politics that are out of their control and the viewing public shouldn't be punished for politics out of their control, politics and the olympics go hand in hand and always have. And actually, always should. When you have most of the world's country in one area, it's natural that hot topics should be brought up. People act like what's happening in Sochi is the first time such high tensions have happened, but it's not. There was the Munich massacre of 8 Israeli athletes by Palestinian terrorists in 1972, there was the Moscow 1980 boycott due to the Soviet Union invasion of Afghanistan, and then the 1984 Los Angeles boycott by the Eastern Bloc. This is just the Olympics and Politics mixing. Sports in general has a long history of political turmoil. Here's a quick list (with context, which is important!!!):
Another club in La Liga - the world famous, FC Barcelona has long campaigned for Catalan independence. Catalonia is another distinct region in Spain with a different language and culture. Furthermore, Catalonia has long been the center of Sephadi Judaism, Islam, and the Romani diaspora in Spain. Barcelona fans in La Liga often contest against Real Madrid fans. Naturally, Madrid from the capital of Spain have their roots in Spanish nationalism, which often falls on the opposite political spectra from Catalan and Basque independence. Real Madrid's directory have given large amount of cash to the Spanish right wing to keep Spain the way it is. Why is this important? Because La Liga as we know it today wouldn't exist without politics. El Clasico is as big a deal as it is, and as intently contested as it is, because of the opposite political ideals. Madrid want a unified Spain, Barcelona want Catalan independence.
And in England, after Margaret Thatcher's death, the FA voted for clubs to decide whether they want to observe a moment of silence for her death. Historically working class clubs like Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Everton refused to hold a moment of silence and refused to wear black bands honoring Thatcher. This is intrinsically political. Manchester, Liverpool, other Lancashire and Yorkshire cities were the most deeply affected by Thatcher's reign of terror in England, with Scotland and Northern Ireland being affected even more. Furthermore, the recent news about what truly happened in Hillsborough in 1989 came to light. On April 15, 1989, 96 Liverpool fans were crushed to death in Hillsborough Stadium, Sheffield. After the tragedy, the Thatcher administration engulfed on a smear campaign against the dead and injured Liverpool fans. The campaign run by the British tabloid The Sun blamed the football fans for hooliganism and other horrible things. In 2012, after 23 years of waiting for justice, Liverpool fans found out that the Thatcher administration changed police records to help cover up the negligence of the South Yorkshire Police. They found out that the ambulances were denied entry to help victims, resulting in 96 deaths - or 96 murders. As for The Sun, here is their cheap apology.
Sometimes, people forget what football is and why it became what it did. Football started out as a working class sport. It started out as a means to an out for young Scots and Irish folk and young, poor English people. It was, and will always be, a working class sport. The recent deals with Sky and the overwhelming amount of capitalist and commercial changes to the sport is political in nature and it's important to talk about. What recent changes to football in England are doing is taking away what was originally meant for the poor and the disenfranchised and turning it on it's head. Now, it's a rich man's sport. It's a rich London based man's sport. And now fans are treated like royalty. When the sport was for the poor and THE NORTHERNERS, fans were caged off behind barricades. Fans were treated like hooligans. Fans were treated like animals, whose deaths were seen as their own fault. So, when Liverpool football club bravely refused to acknowledge Thatcher's death as a tragedy, they took an important political stand. When they asked for the lies to be exposed, they took a stand.
I'm only talking about football because it's a sport I know well, but even in other sports, political statements are important. Israeli Ashkenazi Jew Shahar Peer playing with Indian Muslim Sania Mirza caused both Jews and Muslims alike to double take and appreciate the friendship between the two. Likewise with the Indo-Pak Express of Indian Rohan Bopanna and Pakistani Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi (one of my favorite pictures), and their subsequent run to the final of the US Open, helped ease decades of tensions between India and Pakistan. Even if it's for a few moments. South Africa, after years of countries boycotting their sports due to apartheid, finally hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup and the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Race and colonialism were hot topics, but post-Apartheid South Africa really changed their ways. Furthermore, South Africa's refused to acknowledge Israeli sports, along with many other countries, due to Israel's own apartheid like regiment. Again, people say politics have no place in sports, but sports do influence politics.
Basically, what I'm saying is that these things are important to talk about because sports don't exist in a vacuum, and sporting decisions do influence world politics.
Context matters. Life doesn't exist in a vacuum, and everything is interlinked and not understanding the context of events (or worse yet, blatantly ignoring the context) is not only incredibly stupid but also incredibly damaging. People that ignore the context of an event because they just want to enjoy it without thinking too much are the single worst because they add to the overarching problem that surrounds the issue. There was once a quote about how the only thing needed for evil to prevail is for good people to say silent. By ignoring things, you're adding to the problem. And that's gross and honestly, you should feel bad about it.
But what does that have to do with sports? Well the past few weeks, I've been seeing everyone go on and on about how politics and sports shouldn't mix, and while I agree that athletes themselves should never be punished due to politics that are out of their control and the viewing public shouldn't be punished for politics out of their control, politics and the olympics go hand in hand and always have. And actually, always should. When you have most of the world's country in one area, it's natural that hot topics should be brought up. People act like what's happening in Sochi is the first time such high tensions have happened, but it's not. There was the Munich massacre of 8 Israeli athletes by Palestinian terrorists in 1972, there was the Moscow 1980 boycott due to the Soviet Union invasion of Afghanistan, and then the 1984 Los Angeles boycott by the Eastern Bloc. This is just the Olympics and Politics mixing. Sports in general has a long history of political turmoil. Here's a quick list (with context, which is important!!!):
- Athletic Bilbao have long caused "controversy" for only signing Basque players to their cantera (academy) and raising the banned Basque flag after the death of General Francisco Franco.
- Diego Maradona's hand of gold wasn't just the biggest cheating moment in sports but also fueled the tension between Great Britain and Argentina, which was at an all time high in the Mexico 1986 World Cup due to the Falklands War just ending.
- Sectarian violence in Glasgow between Rangers fans (predominantly Protestant Ulster and British Scots) and Celtic fans (predominantly Catholic Irish Scots).
- The Egypt football riot/massacre.
- As the movie Invictus showed, Nelson Mandela played a huge role in Rugby and South Africa's relationship with the sporting community of the world after the end of Apartheid.
- Shahar Peer, Andy Ram, Yoni Elrich, and other Israeli players were refused visas and entry into tennis tournaments in Dubai and Doha due to the political chaos Israel is causing in the region. Furthermore, United States showed it's support for Israel by refusing to air the Dubai tournament on both The Tennis Channel and ESPN, angering many UN countries who have been very against Israel.
- Adolf Hitler banning Jews and Romani people from competing in the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
Another club in La Liga - the world famous, FC Barcelona has long campaigned for Catalan independence. Catalonia is another distinct region in Spain with a different language and culture. Furthermore, Catalonia has long been the center of Sephadi Judaism, Islam, and the Romani diaspora in Spain. Barcelona fans in La Liga often contest against Real Madrid fans. Naturally, Madrid from the capital of Spain have their roots in Spanish nationalism, which often falls on the opposite political spectra from Catalan and Basque independence. Real Madrid's directory have given large amount of cash to the Spanish right wing to keep Spain the way it is. Why is this important? Because La Liga as we know it today wouldn't exist without politics. El Clasico is as big a deal as it is, and as intently contested as it is, because of the opposite political ideals. Madrid want a unified Spain, Barcelona want Catalan independence.
And in England, after Margaret Thatcher's death, the FA voted for clubs to decide whether they want to observe a moment of silence for her death. Historically working class clubs like Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Everton refused to hold a moment of silence and refused to wear black bands honoring Thatcher. This is intrinsically political. Manchester, Liverpool, other Lancashire and Yorkshire cities were the most deeply affected by Thatcher's reign of terror in England, with Scotland and Northern Ireland being affected even more. Furthermore, the recent news about what truly happened in Hillsborough in 1989 came to light. On April 15, 1989, 96 Liverpool fans were crushed to death in Hillsborough Stadium, Sheffield. After the tragedy, the Thatcher administration engulfed on a smear campaign against the dead and injured Liverpool fans. The campaign run by the British tabloid The Sun blamed the football fans for hooliganism and other horrible things. In 2012, after 23 years of waiting for justice, Liverpool fans found out that the Thatcher administration changed police records to help cover up the negligence of the South Yorkshire Police. They found out that the ambulances were denied entry to help victims, resulting in 96 deaths - or 96 murders. As for The Sun, here is their cheap apology.
Sometimes, people forget what football is and why it became what it did. Football started out as a working class sport. It started out as a means to an out for young Scots and Irish folk and young, poor English people. It was, and will always be, a working class sport. The recent deals with Sky and the overwhelming amount of capitalist and commercial changes to the sport is political in nature and it's important to talk about. What recent changes to football in England are doing is taking away what was originally meant for the poor and the disenfranchised and turning it on it's head. Now, it's a rich man's sport. It's a rich London based man's sport. And now fans are treated like royalty. When the sport was for the poor and THE NORTHERNERS, fans were caged off behind barricades. Fans were treated like hooligans. Fans were treated like animals, whose deaths were seen as their own fault. So, when Liverpool football club bravely refused to acknowledge Thatcher's death as a tragedy, they took an important political stand. When they asked for the lies to be exposed, they took a stand.
I'm only talking about football because it's a sport I know well, but even in other sports, political statements are important. Israeli Ashkenazi Jew Shahar Peer playing with Indian Muslim Sania Mirza caused both Jews and Muslims alike to double take and appreciate the friendship between the two. Likewise with the Indo-Pak Express of Indian Rohan Bopanna and Pakistani Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi (one of my favorite pictures), and their subsequent run to the final of the US Open, helped ease decades of tensions between India and Pakistan. Even if it's for a few moments. South Africa, after years of countries boycotting their sports due to apartheid, finally hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup and the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Race and colonialism were hot topics, but post-Apartheid South Africa really changed their ways. Furthermore, South Africa's refused to acknowledge Israeli sports, along with many other countries, due to Israel's own apartheid like regiment. Again, people say politics have no place in sports, but sports do influence politics.
Basically, what I'm saying is that these things are important to talk about because sports don't exist in a vacuum, and sporting decisions do influence world politics.