The Most Political Moments in Sports
Throughout history, athletes have always had an impact on society that transcends their actual sport. This was evident with Jack Johnson during the Early 1900s. Intentionally or not, he became a symbol of the tense race relations in America at the time. In light of this, I decided to expand on moments where athletics went beyond the sport.
Drogba Stops a War
Didier Drogba is a former professional soccer player from the Ivory Coast. At the time, 2005, the Ivory Coast was engaged in a grueling civil war. As the talisman of the team, Drogba led Ivory Coast through qualification, gaining them a spot in the 2006 World Cup. Off the back of this, Drogba challenged President Gbagbo to end the civil war. He made a desperate plea to both sides, asking them to lay down their arms, a plea which was answered with a cease fire after five years of civil war. In this case, Drogba was such a prominent athlete, that he held political pull in the Ivory Coast.
Olympics Boycott
1980, the Olympics were held in Moscow. Smack dab in the middle of the cold war. The US government were against the Soviet occupation of Saudi Arabia. In protest, they gave them an ultimatum: back off or the US boycotts the Moscow Olympics. In the United States boycotted the games, along with many other nations. It served as a political symbol of international dissatisfaction with the USSR. On a side note, boxer Muhammad Ali traveled to throughout Africa to convince their leaders to join the boycott, successfully convincing the Kenyan government to do so.
Black Power Salute
In the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, African American sprinter Tommie Smith won the 200-meter race with a world-record time of 19.83 seconds. Just behind him, in third, was fellow African American, John Carlos. At the podium, Smith and Carlos went a political message by receiving the medals shoeless with black socks, representing block poverty. When The Star-Spangled Banner played, the American sprinters performed the black power salute. This was an homage to the injustices the black community in the United States was facing. In the end, it became one of the most famous photographs in sport.
This is my favorite blog post. You use such a strong balance of imagery and vocabulary to emphasize the gravity of Drogba actions. Sport and politics have always been intertwined and it is amazing when athletes use their platform to augment social issues.
ReplyDeleteI think it is great for people with a big influence to use their voice to make a positive lasting impact in this world. Big moments like these where people like Didier Drogba can portray an image of solidarity and peace that others can follow. Apart from publicly standing up for what they believe in, in a big moment such as these examples that you offered, creating funds for people to donate such as what Gronkowski did or charities like David Beckham. I think its outrageous for people to get angry at privileged people for speaking out about what they believe in. Unless its presumptuous, ignorant, or detrimental to society, they have a right to speak out about their beliefs and experiences that shape them as humans just like anyone else.
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