Sports personalities, including players, coaches and media, are often told to “stick to sports.” It’s as if we shouldn’t have an opinion on anything other than the outcome of a game — or voice it like every other citizen.
Remember “shut up and dribble?”
Frankly, America would be a better place if there were more sports personalities involved in politics.
Not vice versa, mind you. The mixture of politics and sports, when it involves current government officials sticking their noses into the business of sports, has never ever turned out well. Sports are far better off if politicians stay out of it.
But the country would be better off if more former athletes became politicians.
Jack Kemp. Bill Bradley. Jim Bunning. Steve Largent. JC Watts. This list is reasonably long, including current Congressman Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio, a former Buckeye football player. It needs to get longer.
Why? Because in this time of unprecedented polarization, we need people in decision making positions who have the ability to work with others – even those others don’t see things exactly as they do – in pursuit of a common goal. That’s badly lacking in our elected officials right now, as we are reminded every day.
Successful team-sport athletes have the proven ability to work with people of other races, religions and political perspectives to come up with game plans that are designed to produce an outcome that’s best for the collective.
It’s not necessarily an easy thing to do, either. Take the current situation with New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees. The future Hall of Famer made some untimely comments recently on the subject of the controversial “take a knee” protests made famous by former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Those protests are front page news again in the wake of civil unrest currently griping the country following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed African-American man, at the hands of a police officer in Minneapolis. Many of Brees own teammates have taken him to task, especially the African-American players. Brees has since apologized.
Yet when NFL teams return to the field, does anyone believe Brees and his currently unhappy teammates will not have worked things out, and that they’ll take the field (hopefully) this fall and be united in their ongoing efforts to try to win the Super Bowl? Successful athletes overcome their differences and flourish in a setting that includes players and coaches with very diverse points of view. They put their differences aside and learn how to focus on the common goal. Why couldn’t – and shouldn’t – they do the same in the service of their country?
Of course, it takes some special qualities to make successful politician out of a retired professional athlete. Most former jocks will not be up to the task. It’s proven to be extremely difficult to start at the very top and be good at the job. Ex-athletes like Gonzalez, who represents Ohio’s 16th district in the House of Representatives, can and should start in the lower ranks and work their way up the political ladder – the same as they did when they were players.
In recent years, we’ve seen numerous standout players step out of their comfort zone and take a stand on social issues. Most recently, the Boston Celtics Jaylen Brown drove 15 hours to his hometown of Atlanta so, he could lead a peaceful protest following Floyd’s death. Brown is just 23 years old and is already the Vice President of the NBA Players Association.
“First and foremost, I’m a black man and I’m a member of this community,” Brown posted on his Instagram account. “As a young person, you’ve got to listen to our perspective. Our voices need to be heard. I’m 23 years old. I don’t know all of the answers. But I feel how everybody else is feeling, for sure. No question.”
Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons did much the same thing in Stuart, Florida, leading a rally and taking a stand for social change.
Athletes who’ve been around a little longer, like LeBron James and Megan Rapinoe have been strong advocates for social justice for many years and have shown the kind of leadership ability that the country needs during a time of crisis.
Might they be getting ready, a little at a time, for a post-playing days career in politics? Rapinoe, a two-time World Cup soccer champion, has already worked with Michelle Obama on voter participation issues, talked politics on TV news shows, and been asked about a future running for office.
“I don’t have plans for policies and how to implement them,” she told Sports Illustrated, who named her 2019’s Sportsperson of the Year.
“I’ll just be the jabber.”
For now.
It was James whom a TV news personality once told to “shut up and dribble.” That same broadcaster has now defended Brees right to speak his mind. The irony wasn’t lost on the 16-time NBA All-Star and four-time MVP, who didn’t miss a beat in returning a volley on social media.
“If you still haven’t figured out why the protesting is going on,” he posted. “Why we’re acting as we are…because we are simply F-N tired of this treatment right here! Can we break it down for you any simpler than this right here?”
And in a sign of things to come, James added, “And to my people don’t worry I won’t stop until I see CHANGE!!!”
Champion athletes like these, who won’t be beholden to special interest groups or worried about who’s financing their campaigns, are the kinds of people we should have more of a voice in politics.
Listen to Mark Knudson on Monday’s at 12:30 with Brady Hull on AM 1310 KFKA and on Saturday mornings on “Klahr and Kompany” on AM 1600 ESPN Denver.
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