Throughout 2020, phrases like “unprecedented times” and “new normal”
have been uttered about as much as “Hi, how are you doing?”
The phrases pertain to the laundry list of calamities. In no particular order:
Covid-19 pandemic that has seen people become ill, die and/or lose their
professional livelihood. Civil unrest as it pertains to years of police
brutality against unarmed people and societal racism. That violence has
also translated into demonizing and violence against police officers. If you
live in the Western region of the United States, there are wildfires that
have seemingly become an annual event over the past half-decade. And
by the way, Election Day is on Nov. 3 but I’m not going down that
rabbithole.
The aforementioned issues have spilled into the sports world from
professional athletes kneeling during the National Anthem, speaking out
verbally/symbolically against the social issues and slogans being plastered
on the field/courts, jerseys, etc. The pandemic led to sports being on
pause before returning en masse four months later. The return started with
starved fans longing for live action to casual and even diehard fans
becoming turned off to a point where they have stopped watching
because politics is spilling into an arena that is generally an escape from
these issues rather than a reminder of them.
Before I dive any deeper, I want to establish a few things so you can
understand my perspective. For openers, I was a sports reporter for 18
years before changing careers. Though the former journalist in me knows
the difficulty of the job, the media industry has changed but mostly for
the worse. To make a pitching analogy, I’ll give you a hot take from
time-to-time (high inside fastball) to keep you honest but I generally try
to balance the scale with a changeup (measured takes that balance
intellect with emotion). I can also mix in a curveball in that I have ways
to explain views that you did not ponder. I continue to watch sports
because I’m a creature of habit and I think for myself as opposed to
following how others want me to think.
I’m not here to change your mind if you think differently than I, just hear
me out. In this case, read me out.
Since there are no local sports to cover here in Napa Valley, CA, at least
until January, I have avoided writing columns pertaining to the
aforementioned issues because while I want change, I’m not the most
qualified activist though it will not stop me from making the effort to
bring meaningful change.
I'll be brutally honest, I do not like sports and politics crossing lines but if
you think the two subjects sports and politics crossing lines did started
with former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the
National Anthem in 2016 in protest of societal racism and police brutality,
you've been living under a rock. To name a few, there was Jackie
Robinson, Mohammed Ali and Kareem Abdul-Jabaar. The reason why
mixing sports and political/social activism appears stronger today is
because information is disseminated differently. Everyone has the
avenue for a platform on social media. Robinson, Ali and Jabaar did
not have such.
The influx of this dynamic has led to phrases like “stick to sports” or
“shut up and dribble” which I find is a euphemism for “if I agree with
you, preach on, but if I don’t, shut the hell up.” At which point I say,
“you can’t have it both ways.”
As a first-generation American with immediate and extended family
having come here from Italy from the late 1940s to about mid-1960s,
I will always stand for the National Anthem but I acknowledge that
my perspective is exactly that -- mine. Most people will cite the military
and first responders as their reason for standing. That reason is prudent
and I have utmost respect for them. My grandfather fought in a war but
across the board, the first generation American angle is more personal to me.
My parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles took a leap of faith by
coming to this country. If I wasn’t standing for the National Anthem,
I would feel like I was thumbing my nose at them for coming to
America to make a better life for them and us (siblings, cousins, etc.).
Though I acknowledge that my nationality’s oppression does not remotely
compare to other minority groups (specifically the Black race), at the time
they came here, Italians were not looked at so fondly when arriving on
Ellis Island but that conversation is for another day.
Like most every American, I want Covid-19, societal racism, police
brutality, bad police officers and the wildfires to exit Stage Left and don’t
forget your coat. In case you are wondering, you can have all feelings.
Though I’m an ardent believer in standing for the National Anthem, I
don’t necessarily view kneeling as disrespecting the flag or being
unpatriotic. Disrespecting the flag would be turning it upside down or
desecrating it. However, choosing the National Anthem as the battleground
to convey these messages widens the divide. The same message can be
conveyed by kneeling before or after the anthem and standing during
its playing. If a team chooses to stay in the locker room, I have nary
an issue.
The divide comes because the National Anthem and decisions to watch
sports or not have become such a bone of contention that people dish
out labels and assumptions. What happens when you assume? You make
an ass out of you and me. If you kneel, you are viewed as unamerican or
unpatriotic. If you stand, you are viewed as being against social reform
or even racist. Both may be true in some cases but to suggest they are
true across the board is erroneous thinking. What is even more
disturbing is that there has been meaningful change lately despite the
ugliness the media continues to show. Just an example, I’ve seen more
white people reach out to their minority friends and acquaintances and
have meaningful discussions about race. I have seen more white people
seek out ways to be part of the solution for solidarity. However, when
you choose a venue like the National Anthem that is sacred to many,
you go from great dialogue to “what the hell” like a car going from
0-60 mph.
As it pertains to continuing to watch sports or not, I am a firm believer
in “Do what you feel is right for you.”
a) If you are going to continue watching sporting events with players
kneeling for the National Anthem, that's fine and it's your personal
choice.
b) If you are not watching sporting events because of players kneeling
for the National Anthem, that's fine and it's also your personal choice.
c) I will continue to stand for the National Anthem. No one will ever
change my mind. I have reasons that are personal to me. However, that
does not make me any less in favor of desiring to see sensible social
justice movements.
d) If you continue to watch sports, it does not make you any less patriotic
or immoral. Also, if you are in the category of not watching sporting
events because of players kneeling, that does not make you any more
patriotic and it does not automatically make you racist.
They simply mean you are making a personal choice that you believe is
the right thing to do for you -- and you alone. Just because someone’s
decision is different from yours, respect it and move on with yours. It
ain’t that hard. The games will go on whether you watch or not. If I
suddenly decide not to watch the games, they will still continue.
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