A protest platform: athletes playing a different game

The beginning of the NFL season saw a new trend. San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick was caught sitting on the bench during the National Anthem before a preseason game against the Green Bay Packers on Aug. 26. Later Kaepernick and a teammate decided to kneel during the National Anthem. Since then, many athletes from around the country have joined in on the protest from professional to high school level.

These athletes have faced harsh criticism for just displaying their basic right to freedom of speech and protest. Despite such criticism, they continue to stand up, or kneel in this case, for their right to fight for justice. However, this is not the first time that athletes have used their sport to make a political statement.

In the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, Jesse Owens competed in track and field. Hitler and the Nazis bashed the U.S. for allowing African Americans to compete in the games. Despite this, Jesse Owens and the other African American athletes continued to participate. Owens broke world records and was on the top of the podium to accept four gold medals. Each time he stepped up to the podium, he was standing in defiance of the Aryan supremacy of the Nazis.

During the medal ceremony for the 200-meter event at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic games, African American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos conducted a political demonstration. They both raised a black-gloved fist in the air when the national anthem played. Smith later acknowledged that the statement was not a “Black Power” salute, but rather a “humans right” salute. This is remembered as the most politicized movement in the modern Olympic games.

Billie Jean King, a female tennis player, was challenged by Bobby Riggs in what is known as the Battle of the Sexes. Riggs made many chauvinistic comments, claiming that women tennis players could never beat a man. Well, in 1973, King took up the challenge and absolutely crushed Riggs 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. King said “I thought it would set us back 50 years if I didn’t win that match. It would ruin the women’s tour and affect all women’s self esteem.” This match was and is still seen as turning point not just for only women’s tennis, but female athletes in general, while also helping to establish Title IX.

More recently, at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Moscow, the Russian team medaled for the 4X400 meters relay. Two women on the team kissed on the podium after receiving their medals. It is not known if it was meant to be a political statement, but it certainly was controversial for Russia, who has some of the strictest anti-gay laws. Russia had passed an anti-gay propaganda law, prohibiting public discussion of gay rights and public display of relationships. Intentional or not, this moment definitely was a statement.

Some members of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer team (USWNT) have used their position to fight for income equality between sexes. The slogan “equal pay for equal play” became the statement of the movement. After winning the 2015 Women’s World Cup, they argued that the USWNT makes more profit and draws bigger crowds as compared the men’s team. The women threatened to boycott the 2016 Rio Olympic games if they didn’t receive equal pay. Still not receiving fair compensation, they attended the event anyway. It will be interesting to see where this movement will lead in the future, and if any agreement will be made.

Looking back at the history of sports as a platform for protest, it is not surprising that a protest in the NFL has emerged. These protests have been successful in facilitating discussion, but people need to focus less on the idea of disrespecting America and the national anthem and more on the issue of basic human rights, because that is the real issue at hand. Today’s protest is no different and no less important than the ones mentioned above, and it is time for change.

Sporting events have always been used as a platform to make a political statement. Athletes aren’t just throwing a ball or scoring, they play a different game. A more important game.