(DISCLAIMER: The thoughts and feelings expressed in this column are that of Adio Bale’ Royster. These thoughts and feelings are not a blanket statement by Total Sports Live, the Bloguin network, or any entity that is in business with the aforementioned sites. To get each individual contributor’s opinion on their feelings regarding Indiana Senate Enrolled Act No. 101, please contact each contributor directly. Thank you.)
It’s very rare that I get to become involved in something that I’ve only read about through my older family’s accounts or from text books. In the 1960s and many decades before that, my relatives — and many others — fought a great struggle to achieve basic human rights and freedoms that were supposedly guaranteed by the Constitution.
“All men are created equal.”
That statement never read all men are created equal unless certain conditions were met.
In 2015, another minority group continues to struggle under the pressure of discrimination and bigotry from the populous. Some Americans are members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Many Americans have at least one friend who is in that community. The argument over homosexuality in this country hits so many homes that you may not even be aware of the sizable scale.
In 2008, I was living in San Diego, California when the topic of California Proposition 8 was on the ballot and creating serious debate among supporters and non-supporters. The prop passed by a 52/47 vote which made same sex marriage illegal in the state of California. That same proposition was lifted in 2013, and same-sex marriages were conducted in the state. Indiana’s Senate Enrolled Act No. 101 isn’t a law that prohibits same-sex marriages — because the state voted to recognize them this past October.
What Indiana’s new law does do is create a harrowing scenario where segregation would rear its ugly, deformed head which we all thought was cut off like the Hydra. Unfortunately much like the Hydra, when you cut off one head, more just pop up. Indiana Governor Mike Pence defends that such a thing won’t happen, but when a law states that businesses have the right to refuse service to a particular group of Americans (for whatever reason), that’s just what is bound to happen.
The business of sports is once again plunged into a political debate, and it would not be the first time this has happened. I’ve written before about how the St. Louis Rams responded to Ferguson this year, and there are numerous examples throughout history in the last 60 years. Sports, once again, must put their thumbprint on a political issue. You cannot ignore one of the two because they are inseparable in this case. Ignoring it only perpetuates the cycle.
The 2015 NCAA Men’s Final Four is being held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis this weekend, and it should be a celebration of the accomplishments of all the players and coaches from this season. Instead, it will be an event mired in controversy and potentially picketed by supporters and non-supporters of S.E. Act 101 — and rightfully so. The NCAA was one of the first sports entities to come out in disappointment and disapproval of the new law.
“We will work diligently to assure student-athletes competing in, and visitors attending, next week’s Men’s Final Four in Indianapolis are not impacted negatively by this bill. Moving forward, we intend to closely examine the implications of this bill and how it might affect future events as well as our workforce.”
NCAA President Mike Emmert said that six days ago. His organization will be the first that will have to navigate through the rough terrain of this issue because one of his organization’s biggest event is this weekend. The NCAA is headquartered in Indianapolis. The 2016 NCAA Women’s Final Four will be held in Indianapolis. The 2021 Men’s Final Four will be held in Indianapolis. One of the conferences he oversees, the Big Ten, will be holding its conference basketball tournaments in Indianapolis.
Emmert did not vehemently come out against the new Indiana law, and who knows what he actually means when he says that he will work diligently, but he had to know that maintaining silence was not the right play.
The NBA and WNBA from an overall standpoint have not said anything about Senate Act 101, but that did not stop Herb Simon (owner of the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever) from voicing his opinion on the matter.
“The Indiana Pacers, Indiana Fever and Bankers Life Fieldhouse have the strongest possible commitment to inclusion and non-discrimination on any basis. Everyone is always welcome at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. That has always been the policy from the very beginning of the Simon family’s involvement and it always will be.”
Maybe NBA Commissioner Adam Silver — who was so brilliant in the handling of Donald Sterling — and WNBA President Laurel J. Richie, felt they did not have to make overall statements for an entire league because Simon’s two clubs are more DIRECTLY affected, but it could not have hurt. Former NBA players have also come out in opposition to the law such as Reggie Miller who said on Twitter that he was “disappointed” and Charles Barkley who said, “As long as anti-gay legislation exists in any state, I strongly believe big events such as the Final Four and Super Bowl should not be held in those states’ cities.”
The largest and most popular sport in this country, without a doubt, is football. The NFL has the most fans, generates the most money, and has the grandest of events. Where is the NFL? Where is Jim Irsay? No one really knows.
Such a situation is funny to me given what happened in Arizona a few years ago when the NFL basically said, “We’ll take our ball and go elsewhere if Arizona Senate Bill 1062 is passed.” Why hasn’t the NFL said something similar in this case? Sure, no Super Bowls are scheduled YET to take place in Indianapolis, but the NFL Combine is held there. A new brand of traveling NFL Draft could be held there. Lucas Oil Stadium has been the site of a Super Bowl, so you have to imagine other possibilities exist.
Given the public relations nightmare that was the 2014-2015 season between Ray Rice, Ray McDonald, and Adrian Peterson, was it foolish to think that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell would get right up on the soap box before anyone and proclaim to the state of Indiana:
“YOU… SHALL NOT… HOLD! NFL sanctioned events like the Combine, Draft, or Super Bowls if this bill is passed.”
Goodell hasn’t said that and Irsay hasn’t said anything. Who knows if they actually will say anything? NASCAR has expressed disappointment in the new Indiana legislation before the NFL. Think about that: NASCAR … before the NFL.
On his television program, Keith Olbermann expressed how the NCAA should pull the Final Four and its headquarters out of the state of Indiana. Now, I’m not going to be naive as to think this may actually happen (this year) because tickets have already been punched, flights have already been arranged, schedules have been finagled, etc. If it takes a mass exodus of sports and sporting events to enact political change in Indiana, then I say “make it happen”.
Move the NCAA out of Indianapolis. There are 36 states that allow inclusion of all that would love to have Final Fours and headquarter the NCAA.
The city of Los Angeles wants a football team, put the Colts there. Move the NFL Combine to Detroit — a city breaking down from economic decline that could use a solid. Decree that no Super Bowl will EVER be held in Indiana so long as that bigoted law is on the books.
Seattle needs a basketball team, slap the Pacers in Key Arena and put the Fever in there, too. Seattle fans will go nuts over a Fever/Storm rivalry similar to Clippers/Lakers.
If this is what it takes to enact social change in America, then I urge sports lead the way because they’ve done it before. I’m very naive to believe this will happen, but segregation of any kind, in any form needs to stop. Let’s not make the same mistakes in 2015 that so many others did prior to July 2, 1964.
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