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Tuesday, October 04, 2016

Stadium protests violate America’s last remaining safe space

People enjoy sports as a way to forget their problems, 
not to be reminded of them

This election season has lasted far longer than any I can remember. Even for professional politicians, the constant emotional theater of controversy, fear and anger during the election has grown quite wearying. Undoubtedly many Americans feel the same way – weary of the constant fighting and media natter, and yearning for a neutral ground where we can forget about our troubles for a while and enjoy the passionate distraction.

Many people find a brief respite in their favorite sports contests, an arena that is supposedly America’s ultimate safe space.

That is, it was considered so until recently. The controversy surrounding San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has decided to kneel instead of stand during the singing of the national anthem before games, represents for some a gross violation of that sacred place. In many ways, sports stars and entertainers transcend America’s social dynamics. Basketball great Michael Jordan is considered a god among many, his racial identity all but forgotten amidst his towering legend. Golf phenom Tiger Woods – at least before his fall from grace – was viewed in the same light by many. Sports stars enjoy the lofty, if somewhat precarious esteem of being those in whom we invest our collective fantasies about our most powerful achievements.

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12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Joe these guys are supposed to be playing football not doing there own thing on company time they should be fired but the dummocrat owners r to scared bc of Pc.

Anonymous said...

No more NFL for me.

Anonymous said...

Let the sponsors & companies that advertise during a NFL game know that until this crap stops, I and millions more like me will not be seeing thier ads. Fire all of these traitors and start over. Don't pay them after they are fired and let the lawsuits begin and drag on for 10 years or more.

Steve said...

RE: The caption under the picture.

40 years ago, I had a friend who was a HUGE sports fan. All sports, it didn't matter. When I asked him why he spent so much time and energy on sports, he told me that it's the only thing in the news that had no politics, mayhem, or ANY BAD NEWS! It was all just good news about raw human competition.

I got it!

Now, we're here, and these punks are changing this last corner of happiness into a political battleground.

Goodbye, professional sports. You had a good run. Sorry to see the end came so soon.

Anonymous said...

Private own company's. Memo:: zero political theater on my team. If so contract terminated sue me. I'm a billionaire and your unemployed see how it works out.

Anonymous said...

I love football but when a fist is raised to represent BLACK POWER I'm done. As a white man it's insulting. I will not watch anymore and it sucks.

Anonymous said...

Haven't watched a game this year. I am done with it.
Don't need the ignorance being displayed.
Hope the stadiums are empty

Anonymous said...

Yes, and we can thank our first Black president for all this racial turmoil.

Anonymous said...

"They" ruin everything!

Anonymous said...

Seems to me they are getting exactly what they intended; awareness. We may not like it but it has been effective.

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately, there are way too many blind sports fans still attending the games. I would not watch any NFL nor NCAA college football games if you paid me to do so. Too many criminals.

Anonymous said...

Pro sports have taken the low road, with sex, doping, race baiting and cheating. It's time to clean house.