Sports and Political Protest - Essay Sample

Introduction

The International Olympic Committee prohibits any demonstration such as political, religious, or cultural in Olympic events. All sporting activities should ban athletes from participating in any demonstration, especially taking a knee, which is dominant in today's sporting activities. Sports events are primarily intended to be a source of entertainment for both participants and spectators as the teams compete for a trophy as a form of reward to their efforts. It is not practical to include political demonstrations in professional sports, considering that such events bring together participants from different backgrounds.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Political Changes

The national anthem played in sporting events signifies the recognition and honor to the participating team or country in the contest. Despite the anthem having some form of political meaning, the main aim of a sporting activity is to compete and not protest against any injustice experienced by a specific section of the society. For instance, the Black protests against police brutality deemed racial. Taking a knee as a political demonstration should be banned since they may have less effect on bringing the needed reform to solve the issue being protested against in the event. Besides, it may coerce athletes to participate in such protests against their will do so. Therefore, sports organizations should encourage athletes to use their influence to bring political changes at their free will but enact rules that prohibit any form of political demonstration in any sports event.

Black National Anthem

Standing for both the Black national anthem and the United States anthem is not an act of protest. A national or team anthem represents the act of patriotism and loyalty demonstrated by sportsperson and their supporters as members of a country or group. The Black national anthem represents a portion of an American citizen, including it in sporting events may create another form of racial subjugation since participants are from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Conceptualizing team and national anthem as a form of protest is inappropriate in professional sporting. Alternatively, sportspersons can use their ability to influence other members of society to protest against social injustices, among other problems affecting the public. Their status quo equip them with the ability to initiate protest by engaging supporters to demonstrate against social injustices existing in the community.

Therefore, it is not appropriate for American sports to play both anthems before starting a game as a form of protest. Doing so may create other ethical and social issues, considering the purpose of sports activity is not political. Instead, only the participating teams' national anthem should be played to foster a diverse citizen population's patriotism and unity to fight social injustices as a unit.

Conclusion

Abad’s conceptualization of sportsmanship eliminates any form of dishonor demonstrated by a sportsperson either before or after an event. As an athlete, sportsmanship is about caring for the welfare of an opponent one is competing within the particular competition. Therefore, it should not be a sporting organizational responsibility, but a sportsperson's obligation to demonstrate morality in sporting activities. According to Abad’s understanding of honorable sportsmanship behavior, taking a knee should be interpreted as athletes showing moral support to brutality victims. Although taking a knee is a mandatory procedure for sportspersons to engage in, it is dishonorable. Athletes should be given the autonomy to decide whether to take a knee or not. Making it mandatory is coercion creating a moral loop to the practice since athletes have the free will to condemn social injustices. Their societies suffer from different forms of discriminatory issues.