(DISCLAIMER: For the record, the full title of this column was going to be “Rams Players not Disciplined for Ferguson Display — Nor Should They Have Been, but I have a character limit.)
For as long as I can remember, the intertwining of sports and politics has been constant. Sometimes, sports and athletes send the biggest messages. They’re always in the public eye, and some stars are the biggest names in popular culture.
The year I was born (1980), there was a boycott by many western nations of the Olympics due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. A total of 65 nations — led by the United States — said, “No. We don’t stand for this, and we want to send a message to the international community.” Those nations competed in the Liberty Bell Classic which was held in my hometown of Philadelphia.
In the 1960s, heavyweight boxing champion and overall boxing legend Muhammad Ali famously refused to participate in the Vietnam War. Ali cited horrible civil rights treatment of African-Americans in the 60s as his reasoning and had one of the best quotes of that time:
“I ain’t got no quarrel with those Vietcong … no Vietcong ever called me nigger.”
Two of my personal favorite sports and politics moments happened during Olympic events. When Jesse Owens saluted on top of the podium surrounded by the aura of Nazi Germany in 1936 and when Tommy Smith and John Carlos raised their fists in black power at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, they were seen as defiant acts. They were also seen as powerful political messages, and both are highly recognizable events to this day.
Possibly the most famous protest in the world of sports came in the near fifty years of apartheid in South Africa between 1948 and 1994 where numerous protests and boycotts were displayed on a constant basis in the 1960’s and 70’s. All of which came to a welcoming back to the international sports scene in 1995 when the country hosted the 1995 Rugby Cup.
Politics and sports go hand-and-hand more today than ever because many athletes are more socially aware because of the 24-hour news cycles and social media. In 2012, LeBron James and his teammates with the Miami Heat sent a powerful message via Twitter over the death of Trayvon Martin. Head coach Erik Spolestra called the gesture a “powerful move”. The Miami Heat stood behind their players saying “We support our players and join them in hoping that their images and our logo can be part of the national dialogue and can help in our nation’s healing.”
What St. Louis Rams tight end Jared Cook and receivers Kenny Britt, Stedman Bailey, Chris Givens and Tavon Austin did on Sunday in response to the Ferguson debate before their game against the Oakland Raiders was just that: a powerful move. It was a message to those who are confused and searching for justice in the wake of the shooting of Michael Brown by policeman Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Mo. What these players did is no different than what LeBron James and the Miami Heat did last year. It is no different than what Jesse Owens, Tommy Smith, and John Carlos did in the 1960’s. It is no different than the numerous protests of South African apartheid.
They were all messages. Political messages sparked by social unrest over an issue that has captivated a country and drawn a line between those who support the Ferguson decision and the ones who believe Wilson should be convicted of murder. That is the beauty of living in the United States. You are constitutionally guaranteed the right to voice your opinion on an issue. It’s one of the bases that our country was founded upon. It is something I exercise quite frequently on Facebook, Twitter, and this column page — whether people want me to or not.
It is on that basis where the St. Louis Rams and (more importantly) the National Football League actually got it right. These Rams players should not have been punished for their message regarding the Ferguson decision. I’m not saying these players should be applauded — even if some people believe they should be — but they should not be punished, should not be fined, and should not be harassed in any way. In a season where the NFL handled the Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson scandal wrong, there was a moment where some thought the league would screw this up. When a Deadspin report came out that a St. Louis Police Officers Association found what those Rams players did to be “offensive”, I was a little worried that the NFL would fine or coerce those players into apologizing.
No such thing happened. Those Rams players were not disciplined or fined. In a way, the St. Louis Rams organization backed their players.
“As far as the choice that the players made, no, they were exercising their right to free speech. They will not be disciplined by the club nor will they be disciplined by the National Football League as it was released today.” – St. Louis Rams head coach Jeff Fisher
The NFL came out yesterday and confirmed there will be no disciplinary actions against those Rams players for their exercising of their First Amendment rights. Wide receiver Kenny Britt told reporters that he and his teammates gestures were not meant to believe they had “taken sides”.
“We wanted to show that we are organized for a great cause and something positive comes out of it,” Britt said.
I am not going to judge anyone for being on one side or the other on the Ferguson debate. The First Amendment guarantees everyone’s right to free speech and opinion — within reason. (I still don’t think you can vocally threaten the President of the United States or anything.) What the Rams players did on Sunday in response to the debate was a simple exercise in that. It was a non-violent protest — which is also allowed by the Constitution by the way if those members of the St. Louis Police Officers Association are paying attention.
Sports and politics have been in bed together for decades, and Sunday’s display was just another example. As long as there are social issues in the world that some disagree with, there will always be an athlete or two that shares that disagreement.
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