Pro sports players just became my new heroes
For millions, sports figures are heroes. They are models of courage, hard work, and teamwork. They persevere despite pain and keep heart despite defeat.
Confession: I have little interest in sports. While I understand the emotional high fans get from watching their favorite team or player claim a victory, while I admire the physical skills and hard practice it takes to reach sports excellence, sport is a language I don’t speak. It is as foreign and inscrutable to me as Klingon.
But I do understand heartbreak, and the power of using whatever means you have at your disposal to protest senseless tragedy.
In 1967, Muhammad Ali publicly opposed the Vietnam War and refused the draft. He was vilified as a draft dodger, threatened with prison, stripped of his heavyweight boxing title, and his boxing license removed.
At the 1968 Olympics, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, winners of the gold and bronze medals in the 200-meter race, bowed their heads and raised their fists during the US national anthem to support human rights for persons of color. They were expelled from the games and ostracized by the sporting establishment.
In 2016, Colin Kaepernick knelt during the national anthem to protest racial injustice, police brutality against people of color, and systemic racial injustice. He was publicly criticized by many, including the US president, and ostracized from NFL football.
And in 2020, after yet another police shooting of a Black man — Jacob Blake was shot in the back, in front of his children — more athletes have had enough.
Thank you to the players and managers of the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association, Major League Soccer, and Major League Baseball for refusing to play while another Black family mourns.
As NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas has commented: “This is a very proud moment.”
You are my heroes.
#KathrynHoffBooks, #BlackLivesMatter, #SportsBoycott
