Russian President Vladimir Putin recently expressed his desire for sports without politics, but the most popular sport in America (NFL) has recently embraced politics.
Putin wasn’t referencing American sports, but the intermingling of politics and sports transcends the specific sports themselves. Putin explained his reasoning in an article from Dagens.
“I have stressed this repeatedly and I wish to reiterate: sports must be devoid of any political influence; they should instead serve to unite people. The Games of the Future have attracted participants from over 100 countries, with attendees coming from 104 countries across different continents,” Putin remarked during the meeting according to TASS.
More sports could embrace politics like the NFL, even sports that pertain to Vladimir Putin
Just over a decade ago, the NFL tried to avoid the political discussions brought about by the kneeling of former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick during the national anthem. Kaepernick was unable to find a job in the NFL after protesting police brutality in the mid-2010s.
Since then, the NFL has embraced the “Inspire Change” initiative, which is defined by them as a social justice initiative. The NFL website specifically defines it as:
Inspire Change is the NFL’s social justice initiative, aimed at reducing barriers to opportunity, particularly in communities of color, and showcasing how the NFL family is working together to create positive change. Inspire Change comes to life at all levels of the league — current and former players: NFL teams and ownership; and throughout the league office.
While this description isn’t inherently political, they go on to specify that the “Inspire Change” initiative aims for criminal justice reform as well as community-police relations. The idea of criminal justice reform is inherently political despite how much one may agree with the notion it represents.
The NFL also had moments of silence before every week six game after the Hamas attack on Israel. It is not inherently political to have a moment of silence for lives lost, but it becomes political when those moments of silence aren’t evenly distributed. There weren’t similar moments of silence for other people killed in the same conflict.
The NFL’s stance on politics simply comes down to PR. They came to the realization that it was more financially viable for them to take certain political stances. If the NFL realizes this, it won’t be long before every major sport across the world realizes it as well.
Some fans agree with Vladimir Putin’s desire for sports without politics
The idea of politics and sports has been a highly debated topic in the age of social media. Phrases like “shut up and dribble” have succinctly summed up the perspective of many sports fans. The other side of the spectrum thinks it is crucial for something with such a large platform to discuss important political topics.
Despite the controversy that surrounds Putin, there are still many fans who agree with his idea that sports should be without politics.
What a ridiculous take. The Russian hockey players weren’t in the war room with Putin saying attack hockey. Separate politics from sports. I’m stunned that you actually feel that way and sent out this uneducated tweet.
— Greg Smith (@Smitty6687) February 18, 2024
Why should they? So Putin can threaten his family again? What does that have to do with hockey? Leave politics and global current events out of sports coverage.
— Doug Israel (@DougIsrael6) February 18, 2024
Not fair. Separate politics from sports. https://t.co/2MGqzxjIyX
— Gerald Obinna (@GeraldObinna8) February 21, 2024
As politics become more unavoidable with the growing presence of social media, it is becoming increasingly unlikely that Putin and the people who agree with him will get their way.
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