Will politics in sports drive you away from the game?

[uncfootball-]

I don't want to get into any debate about ANY particular political topic, just asking if a protest before/during the game would cause you to lose interest in watching. For me I have always watched sports to get away from "stuff".. when I say stuff... thinking about work, bills I owe, who is sick in the family as examples. It's like getting away from life for a little while.

 

[tarheel0910]

I don't want to get into any debate about ANY particular political topic, just asking if a protest before/during the game would cause you to lose interest in watching. For me I have always watched sports to get away from "stuff".. when I say stuff... thinking about work, bills I owe, who is sick in the family as examples. It's like getting away from life for a little while.

Pro sports did that long ago for me. Not just politics, but the bitching about money and things like that. I'll watch some of the playoffs and the super bowl, but otherwise I've given up on pro sports. College sports are just so much better.

 

[uncfootball-]

Pro sports did that long ago for me. Not just politics, but the bitching about money and things like that. I'll watch some of the playoffs and the super bowl, but otherwise I've given up on pro sports. College sports are just so much better.

I understand your position. College football is definitely my favorite. I enjoy any college football game. Stayed up till 2 a.m watching Hawaii and San Jose State play..lol

My second favorite would be college basketball but not a must see. I like watching the Heels and the NCAA tournament. A random regular season game say between UCLA and Arizona does nothing for me.

 

[uncboy10]

Nope. Athletes and coaches are human beings and they have the right to voice their opinions like everyone else. Those opinions, whether I agree with them or not, don't have a snowball's chance in hell of ruining sports for me.

 

[uncfootball-]

Nope. Athletes and coaches are human beings and they have the right to voice their opinions like everyone else. Those opinions, whether I agree with them or not, don't have a snowball's chance in hell of ruining sports for me.

Ok, thanks for your reply.

 

[uncfootball-]

It is interesting that 125 views as of now and only 2 with an opinion.

 

[tarheel0910]

Nope. Athletes and coaches are human beings and they have the right to voice their opinions like everyone else. Those opinions, whether I agree with them or not, don't have a snowball's chance in hell of ruining sports for me.

I'm not saying they can't have an opinion. They can, but it's just not something I want to listen to while I watch sports. I want to get away from all of that. No politics, no millionaires whining about money. Just want to watch the game and escape life for a little while.

 

[keysersosay#1]

Yep the Brees case is a perfect illustration of the DEMAND that all adhere to THEIR point of view and if you do NOT, then all hell will rain down on you!! How DARE Drew say or even think what he said about the Anthem.
We will all be treated to a continued bout of kneeling for the anthem as a sign of protest The NFL NBa are slowly losing me and many others who long for the days of watching FOOTBALL or basketball without these left wing political views shoved in our faces by players who have no idea how truly lucky they are.

 

[uncboy10]

I'm not saying they can't have an opinion. They can, but it's just not something I want to listen to while I watch sports. I want to get away from all of that. No politics, no millionaires whining about money. Just want to watch the game and escape life for a little while.

Which is also fine. For me though, it’s not going to ruin it. Each player could line up before the game and give a five minute speech about the issue of their choice and I’m still not gonna miss a Carolina basketball or football game.

 

[JimmyinVA]

the issue is presented by the media as a dichotomy: either protest by kneeling during the anthem, or no protest at all. the media loves to oversimplify with either/or thinking because it generates controversy and polarization (i.e. ratings). there must be a more effective form of protest which does not show contempt for the star spangled banner. perhaps black athletes could join together as a group to sing the anthem with great passion and solidarity to say this is OUR country too and we expect equal protections and opportunities. THAT would be a powerful statement! dissing the american flag, which so many patriotic blacks have died for, is not an impressive message.

 

[Deezheelz]

Yep the Brees case is a perfect illustration of the DEMAND that all adhere to THEIR point of view and if you do NOT, then all hell will rain down on you!! How DARE Drew say or even think what he said about the Anthem.
We will all be treated to a continued bout of kneeling for the anthem as a sign of protest The NFL NBa are slowly losing me and many others who long for the days of watching FOOTBALL or basketball without these left wing political views shoved in our faces by players who have no idea how truly lucky they are.

Damn!!! Well said!

 

[Archer2]

Nope. Athletes and coaches are human beings and they have the right to voice their opinions like everyone else. Those opinions, whether I agree with them or not, don't have a snowball's chance in hell of ruining sports for me.

Sure they do. But do it on your own time and not during an athletic event. Just as I can't use a company speaking event to espouse my political opinions, athletes and coaches should not be allowed to espouse their political or social views on sports' platforms. On your own time, say whatever you want within reason. But when you're in uniform and representing your university, I don't want to hear them.

So yes, as to athletes using a game to further their political/social views, I say no. Do it on your own personal time. If this continues to become more prevalent, I'll give sports up altogether. I don't watch sports to hear about politics or social concerns. There untold numbers of media outlets dedicated to that already.

 

[uncfootball-]

Thanks for the replies.. just curious how folks felt mixing sports and protests.

 

[uncfootball-]

Which is also fine. For me though, it’s not going to ruin it. Each player could line up before the game and give a five minute speech about the issue of their choice and I’m still not gonna miss a Carolina basketball or football game.

Better schedule a 7 a.m. kick because each player speaking will make for a long day.. 14 hours worth of speeches..lol

 

[uncboy10]

Sure they do. But do it on your own time and not during an athletic event. Just as I can't use a company speaking event to espouse my political opinions, athletes and coaches should not be allowed to espouse their political or social views on sports' platforms. On your own time, say whatever you want within reason. But when you're in uniform and representing your university, I don't want to hear them.

So yes, as to athletes using a game to further their political/social views, I say no. Do it on your own personal time. If this continues to become more prevalent, I'll give sports up altogether.

You can say no all you want, but you can’t stop them from voicing their opinions anytime they want. You can actually use a company event to espouse your opinions. And your employer can react as they see fit. What people don’t like is the fact that the ‘employer’ in this case is on the side of the opinions that you don’t like hearing. Mack or Roy aren’t going to bench a player for taking a stand for what they believe in, because they respect their players enough to not try and silence them. Also kinda odd to hold them to professional standards, unless you believe they should be compensated as professionals as well...

If a player wants to take a knee during the anthem (for example), they have the freedom to do so. That’s what it means to be an American. You have the right not to watch, or to take to social media and attack them for it. But sports has never been divorced from politics and it never will be.

Arguing that they shouldn’t be allowed to voice those opinions during a sporting event is essentially an argument for restricting free speech in a certain time and place because it cuts into your entertainment value. That’s a dangerous precedent to set. You have the right to voice your opinions, and others have the right to respond in kind.

Personally, I watch for the sports. Not the political views. If I disagree with a political statement made by an athlete then I just shrug it off. There’s no reason to try and make rules against protesting in sports. Most of the time it’s a brief statement that has no impact on the game itself anyways.

Just my .02

 

[uncboy10]

Better schedule a 7 a.m. kick because each player speaking will make for a long day.. 14 hours worth of speeches..lol

Sounds like graduation... yuck.

But I’d still tune in at kickoff

 

[uncfootball-]

You can say no all you want, but you can’t stop them from voicing their opinions anytime they want. You can actually use a company event to espouse your opinions. And your employer can react as they see fit. What people don’t like is the fact that the ‘employer’ in this case is on the side of the opinions that you don’t like hearing. Mack or Roy aren’t going to bench a player for taking a stand for what they believe in, because they respect their players enough to not try and silence them. Also kinda odd to hold them to professional standards, unless you believe they should be compensated as professionals as well...

If a player wants to take a knee during the anthem (for example), they have the freedom to do so. That’s what it means to be an American. You have the right not to watch, or to take to social media and attack them for it. But sports has never been divorced from politics and it never will be.

Arguing that they shouldn’t be allowed to voice those opinions during a sporting event is essentially an argument for restricting free speech in a certain time and place because it cuts into your entertainment value. That’s a dangerous precedent to set. You have the right to voice your opinions, and others have the right to respond in kind.

Personally, I watch for the sports. Not the political views. If I disagree with a political statement made by an athlete then I just shrug it off. There’s no reason to try and make rules against protesting in sports. Most of the time it’s a brief statement that has no impact on the game itself anyways.

Just my .02

I understand your points. The question I have is are the protests productive, if anything they make me NOT SUPPORT what they are protesting. For the sake of discussion suppose 40% of fans are against the protest, does it make sense to tick off 40% of your fans? That part is a mystery to me.

 

[Archer2]

You can say no all you want, but you can’t stop them from voicing their opinions anytime they want. You can actually use a company event to espouse your opinions. And your employer can react as they see fit. What people don’t like is the fact that the ‘employer’ in this case is on the side of the opinions that you don’t like hearing.

Actually, I can't express my political/social opinions on company time without serious repercussions. Even if my employer agrees with my views, political correctness says that is not the correct platform to use in expressing them. I would likely get reprimanded at best, and fired at worse. There is a proper place and time for everything.

Arguing that they shouldn’t be allowed to voice those opinions during a sporting event is essentially an argument for restricting free speech in a certain time and place because it cuts into your entertainment value. That’s a dangerous precedent to set. You have the right to voice your opinions, and others have the right to respond in kind.

No one is arguing that they shouldn't be allowed to express their opinions. It's the where and when that is the issue. Again, there is a proper place and time for everything.

Personally, I watch for the sports. Not the political views. If I disagree with a political statement made by an athlete then I just shrug it off. There’s no reason to try and make rules against protesting in sports. Most of the time it’s a brief statement that has no impact on the game itself anyways.

Just my .02

The OP asked for opinions, I gave mine and you gave yours. Like the OP, I watch sports to get away from political and social debates. I can get that elsewhere. The difference in our ages mean that we're not going to agree on some issues because we were raised differently. I think some of your opinions are crazy and I'm sure you feel the same about some of mine. And that's okay. In fact, it's more than okay, it's good.

 

[uncfootball-]

Yep the Brees case is a perfect illustration of the DEMAND that all adhere to THEIR point of view and if you do NOT, then all hell will rain down on you!! How DARE Drew say or even think what he said about the Anthem.
We will all be treated to a continued bout of kneeling for the anthem as a sign of protest The NFL NBa are slowly losing me and many others who long for the days of watching FOOTBALL or basketball without these left wing political views shoved in our faces by players who have no idea how truly lucky they are.

Probably would have been better if he had just stated in the beginning that he has his beliefs but will keep those to himself. AFTER he put it out there he was bullied into changing his opinion which makes him look like a coward. Would be like if I said I love the Lord then after people attacked me I said I want to apologize I was wrong and now realize that Satan is better.

My analogy is not comparing anything to any protest or anyones religion.. just pointing how how opposite he went after being bullied.

 

[uncboy10]

Actually, I can't express my political/social opinions on company time without serious repercussions. Even if my employer agrees with my views, political correctness says that is not the correct platform to use in expressing them. I would likely get reprimanded at best, and fired at worse. There is a proper place and time for everything.

That's what I meant. You have the first amendment right to express those opinions at any time or place. If you happen to do it on company time and they deem it to be inappropriate then they can fire you, or reprimand you. I'm not arguing for freedom from consequences, just freedom of expression. If sponsors want to drop them, or teams want to cut them, I also think that's their right.

No one is arguing that they shouldn't be allowed to express their opinions. It's the where and when that is the issue. Again, there is a proper place and time for everything.

Okay, so you're arguing for when/where they should be allowed to express their opinions. I don't believe those restrictions should exist. But just like you said before, you could lose your job. That's exactly what happened Kaepernick. The owners didn't like his message and they fired him. And nobody else wanted to hire him because of the protest.

I'm in the same boat as you guys for the most part. I'd prefer to just enjoy the game. But I also respect the fact that this is their platform. If they want to make their voice heard, then the best chance they have to do it is in front of millions of people on national tv. f

I think some of your opinions are crazy and I'm sure you feel the same about some of mine. And that's okay. In fact, it's more than okay, it's good.

On this, we completely agree.

 

[uncboy10]

I understand your points. The question I have is are the protests productive, if anything they make me NOT SUPPORT what they are protesting. For the sake of discussion suppose 40% of fans are against the protest, does it make sense to tick off 40% of your fans? That part is a mystery to me.

This is a good question. If you're serious about solving a real problem, then you have to be pragmatic. It's a fine line though. You also have to stand for some kind of principles.

If you only protest for the 60% that agree with you, then nothing is really going to change. If you believe you have a worthy cause, then the goal should be to reach the other 40% and change some minds. That being said, I think you should strive to do so in a manner that doesn't piss people off.

This is not the right board for getting into actual political issues, but I will say this. There are a lot of people arguing for causes that I agree with, who go about it in the wrong way. I think many people on the other side would probably say the same. We have to stop propping up the wrong voices, regardless of which side of the political aisle they come from. Sometimes it feels like we all have to make ridiculously obvious statements just to separate ourselves from the lunatics.

 

[uncfootball-]

This is a good question. If you're serious about solving a real problem, then you have to be pragmatic. It's a fine line though. You also have to stand for some kind of principles.

If you only protest for the 60% that agree with you, then nothing is really going to change. If you believe you have a worthy cause, then the goal should be to reach the other 40% and change some minds. That being said, I think you should strive to do so in a manner that doesn't piss people off.

This is not the right board for getting into actual political issues, but I will say this. There are a lot of people arguing for causes that I agree with, who go about it in the wrong way. I think many people on the other side would probably say the same. We have to stop propping up the wrong voices, regardless of which side of the political aisle they come from. Sometimes it feels like we all have to make ridiculously obvious statements just to separate ourselves from the lunatics.

I understand your point and like you said I dont want to go down the road of debating any protest topic. To me the issue doesn't matter when a sporting event is involved. If any team had a rally at the stadium every Monday at 10 a.m. I would be fine with that. Talk, cheer, make signs, discuss any topic till you get tired.. heck I might go to check it out.

 

[ARC Dog]

I don't want to get into any debate about ANY particular political topic, just asking if a protest before/during the game would cause you to lose interest in watching. For me I have always watched sports to get away from "stuff".. when I say stuff... thinking about work, bills I owe, who is sick in the family as examples. It's like getting away from life for a little while.

Snowflakes will always be snowflakes when faced with even the slightest bit of expression they dont agree with. Its amazing how people who claim to be rugged individualists can freak out over next to nothing.

 

[uncfootball-]

Snowflakes will always be snowflakes when faced with even the slightest bit of expression they dont agree with. Its amazing how people who claim to be rugged individualists can freak out over next to nothing.

I am amazed that you can post 8159 messages and only have 10 likes. That takes talent.. not sure what kind but talent none the less.

 

[TarHeelMark]

I basically only watch college basketball, college football, and NFL these days, so for me... no, it won't affect my sports viewing.

 

[uncfootball-]

I basically only watch college basketball, college football, and NFL these days, so for me... no, it won't affect my sports viewing.

10-4.. thanks for the reply

 

[JimmyinVA]

I basically only watch college basketball, college football, and NFL these days, so for me... no, it won't affect my sports viewing.

i only watch college sports. and when the college kids focus more on marketing their image instead of team spirit and glory for their school i'll give that up as well.

 

[uncfootball-]

i only watch college sports. and when the college kids focus more on marketing their image instead of team spirit and glory for their school i'll give that up as well.

Good post but the main reason I liked it was because your likes received was on a bad number.. that just bothered me..lol

 

[JimmyinVA]

Good post but the main reason I liked it was because your likes received was on a bad number.. that just bothered me..lol

yeah, it was a bad "omen" LOL

 

[deandisciple]

There are several things about sports in 2020 that are turning me away. One example is dspn, another the lack of team loyalty especially in pro sports. The loyalty thing keeps me anchored in college sports. Politics in general is not interesting to me. That being said, I am pretty sure more politics in sports will turn me off.

 

[blazers]

Which is also fine. For me though, it’s not going to ruin it. Each player could line up before the game and give a five minute speech about the issue of their choice and I’m still not gonna miss a Carolina basketball or football game.

I have a mute button. Sam Howell could preach a view that the world actually flat and while I'd think he's dumb, I'd still pull for him.

But if he began preaching about something I really disagree w he might move off my fav player list. Personality counts in fandom.

 

[uncboy10]

I have a mute button.

This is really all you need.

 

[-COUNTRY-CLUB-JOE-]

Politics has actually been a part of Carolina sports for a pretty long time - since Dean Smith.

 

[JimmyinVA]

Politics has actually been a part of Carolina sports for a pretty long time - since Dean Smith.

true, dean smith was active for civil rights off the court, but he never used game time to promote a political message. he respected a fan's right to enjoy the game without politics.

 

[uncfootball-]

I think SOME people's opinion of politics in sports would change based on the topic. Just human nature that some things are more important than others.

edit to add.. I had this discussion with someone a while back and this is a good example.. I expect a protest at games in the near future demanding a change in Carolina's nickname.I dont think anyone on this board would want to see that.

 

[keysersosay#1]

I read where Mrs Brees chimed in with more guilt ridden stuff claiming that "we are the problem" The public shaming and public self flogging on these matters is absurd. Yesterday, I see where Master P, ya know one of the GREAT moral leaders of our time, has Forgiven Drew for what he said. Hey next stop is the confessional to get master P 's forgiveness.

I am sure Drew and his wife sleep better now that the Master has given them the OK.

 

[uncfootball-]

I read where Mrs Brees chimed in with more guilt ridden stuff claiming that "we are the problem" The public shaming and public self flogging on these matters is absurd. Yesterday, I see where Master P, ya know one of the GREAT moral leaders of our time, has Forgiven Drew for what he said. Hey next stop is the confessional to get master P 's forgiveness.

I am sure Drew and his wife sleep better now that the Master has given them the OK.

The Brees situation is definitely interesting. To me it's not about his opinion.. it's more about how his opinion took a 180 in less than 24 hours. That part is amazing.

 

[-COUNTRY-CLUB-JOE-]

true, dean smith was active for civil rights off the court, but he never used game time to promote a political message. he respected a fan's right to enjoy the game without politics.

Yeah, I meant in general; however, I'm still not sure you could make that argument given the racial climate of Chapel Hill when Dean recruited Charlie Scott, and he became the first African American scholarship athlete at Carolina. Scott played as well. He had an impressive collegiate career. While different than kneeling during the national anthem, it was still incredibly controversial at the time.

 

[uncfootball-]

Yeah, I meant in general; however, I'm still not sure you could make that argument given the racial climate of Chapel Hill when Dean recruited Charlie Scott, and he became the first African American scholarship athlete at Carolina. Scott played as well. He had an impressive collegiate career. While different than kneeling during the national anthem, it was still incredibly controversial at the time.

I was not born until 1970 so I have no clue how it all went down when Scott was playing at Carolina. Based on what I have read I understand it was controversial but dont believe he was brought to Carolina to make a political point. Kneeling is to make a political point. In my opinion there is a difference.

 

[uncfootball-]

I do hope the NCAA/ACC/Carolina make a decision soon regarding protests at games. That way I can make adjustments accordingly.