Will Obama Presidency Ease Barriers to Politically Outspoken Black Athletes?

g under p · November 2008

Professional athletes, especially African American athletes, have long been rebuked for speaking out on political issues. Could the Obama presidency herald a change? We speak to sportswriter David Zirin, author of A People’s History of Sports in the United States.

AMY GOODMAN: Dave Zirin, when I opened Juan’s paper yesterday, the New York Daily News, I was surprised to see a column by you, and the headline was this question: “Did Tiger Woods Pave Barack Obama’s Path? Are You Joking?”

DAVE ZIRIN: “Are you joking?” Let me tell you something. The sports world will always try to break its arm patting itself on its back when it comes to progress and trying to say that it reflects the sports world’s progress on issues. A column was written in the Orlando Sentinel by Mike Bianchi that made a very simple argument. It said that because so many millions of white Americans have been cheering for years for people like Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan, that really paved the way for Obama’s victory. And I thought that was rather ridiculous, and let me say why.

First of all, I mean, whites have been cheering for African American athletic achievement, you know, since the times of slavery. I mean, this was something that happened on plantations, and that didn’t necessarily lead to political progress. Second of all, there’s a big difference between cheering for somebody’s athletic achievement and accepting their political leadership. I mean, it’s night and day, apples and oranges, Sarah Palin and Amy Goodman. These are very different worlds.

And then, lastly, the fact that Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and Tony Dungy were held up—Tony Dungy, who’s a very successful African American football coach—was very bizarre to me. I mean, first of all, Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods are two of the most aggressively apolitical athletes that have existed on the sports scene in some time. They’re the exemplars of the apolitical athlete. And Tony Dungy, while being a man of great respect who’s held in high regard, is also somebody with close ties to Focus on the Family and the anti-gay marriage movement. So you think about why people waited on line for so many hours to vote for Barack Obama, I think it was to move away from a lot of the politics that people like Woods, Jordan and Dungy actually represent.

AMY GOODMAN: Do you see a connection between the corporatization of sports and the silencing of dissent, Dave Zirin? I also said we were going to have Etan Thomas on, NBA star, plays for the Washington Wizards, but we can’t seem to get him on the line, so we’ll have him on another day. But Dave?

DAVE ZIRIN: Well, I’ll tell you, I do think that there is a very strong connection. I write for Slam magazine, which is a basketball magazine, and I speak to a lot of NBA players. And what’s interesting is that there are two names that all NBA players seem to know, and those names are Craig Hodges and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. And what those two players have in common is that they both took political stands in the 1990s, and they were both drummed out of the league. And they know those names, because their agents, their managers, they say to them, “Look, you are risking the attendant privileges that come with being a professional athlete if you speak out.”

And that’s why, to me, one of the great quotes of this election season was when Baron Davis, the point guard for the LA Clippers, he was doing organizing in the presidential race, and he was told by his manager, “Look, if you do this, you’re going to risk your endorsement deals.” And Baron Davis’s response was, “Like a give a bleep.” And he didn’t say “bleep.” I mean, I’m just making the point that that’s the only way this is going to change, is that if athletes refuse to be brands, refuse to be empty vessels for product placement and start to say, “You know what? I’m not just a robot with legs. I have a mind, as well as a body. I have this hyper-exalted brought-to-you-by-Nike platform. I’m actually going to do something with it.”

JUAN GONZALEZ: And, Dave, of course, all of these athletes were acting within the realm of a political election, not necessarily a social cause, although obviously many see the election of Barack Obama as part of a social movement. How hard is it for them, when it comes to social causes, to be able to speak out?

DAVE ZIRIN: Well, that’s what’s going to be very interesting about this. I mean, passion, particularly political passion, abhors a vacuum. And you’ve had so many athletes, as well as so many sports fans, for that matter, devote passion into this election season. It’s going to be very interesting to see where that passion goes moving forward. I mean, people get politicized around all kinds of issues. And in this case, it was a movement to elect the first African American president. Is that just going to die right now, or is it going to move forward? I mean, that is really, to me, an unanswered question. And whether people stay on the frontlines and don’t just say, “Yeah, we elected Obama,” but we actually want results on bringing the troops home from Iraq, on having real aid for working families, and if Obama drags his feet on these issues, if people actually stand up and say, “Wait a minute. You made promises. You promised us hope and change. We’re going to stand for that,” and if that really gets into the world of sports and athletes, that could be a fascinating development.

Any truth to this about our atheletes? I can remember Michael Jordan and to some extent Tigers Woods stayed away from ANYTHING political. Can an Obama Presidency change this atmosphere I think so why I'm not exactly sure?

I do like what Baron Davis had to say though during this election season......he was told by his manager, “Look, if you do this, you’re going to risk your endorsement deals.” And Baron Davis’s response was, “Like a give a bleep.”

Peace

MrBrian · November 2008

It's an interesting subject.
----
In a series of recent stories, beginning with a piece in the Toronto Star, Delgado has discussed the fact that for some time now he has made his way into the dugout, out of sight, rather than stand on the field for the playing of "God Bless America." Delgado opposes the war in Iraq, an opinion buttressed by his longstanding disagreement with the Navy's presence on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques, which the Navy used as a weapons testing ground for 60 years.

"I never stay outside for 'God Bless America,' " Delgado told the Toronto newspaper. "I actually don't think people have noticed it. I don't [stand] because I don't believe it's right -- I don't believe in the war."

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=kreidler_mark&id=1845388

http://www.vibe.com/news/online_exclusives/2006/02/carlos_delgado_the_silent_protester/

Dirtie_Frank · November 2008

Though they have the right to their own opinion I think athletes as well as actors need to keep the opinion to themselves whether they are white, black or whatever. Most are so rich that they are so out of touch with the common person. That is just my opinion though.

g under p · November 2008

MrBrian wrote:

It's an interesting subject.
----
In a series of recent stories, beginning with a piece in the Toronto Star, Delgado has discussed the fact that for some time now he has made his way into the dugout, out of sight, rather than stand on the field for the playing of "God Bless America." Delgado opposes the war in Iraq, an opinion buttressed by his longstanding disagreement with the Navy's presence on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques, which the Navy used as a weapons testing ground for 60 years.

"I never stay outside for 'God Bless America,' " Delgado told the Toronto newspaper. "I actually don't think people have noticed it. I don't [stand] because I don't believe it's right -- I don't believe in the war."

[/url]

I didn't know that but I certainly can understand why he would do that. I once had a woman ask me to take off my hat during the national anthem at pro game...I told her.....certainly I'll take it off when we get the hell out of Iraq.

She left me alone after that.

Peace

g under p · November 2008

Dirtie_Frank wrote:

Though they have the right to their own opinion I think athletes as well as actors need to keep the opinion to themselves whether they are white, black or whatever. Most are so rich that they are so out of touch with the common person. That is just my opinion though.

They don't have the right to protest something if they feel strongly about it whether they are rich or not? We as ordinary citizens can protest in whatever legal fashion we want.

Why can't these atheletes do the same?

Peace

PJ_Saluki · November 2008

g under p wrote:

Professional athletes, especially African American athletes, have long been rebuked for speaking out on political issues. Could the Obama presidency herald a change? We speak to sportswriter David Zirin, author of A People’s History of Sports in the United States.

Any truth to this about our atheletes? I can remember Michael Jordan and to some extent Tigers Woods stayed away from ANYTHING political. Can an Obama Presidency change this atmosphere I think so why I'm not exactly sure?

I do like what Baron Davis had to say though during this election season......he was told by his manager, “Look, if you do this, you’re going to risk your endorsement deals.” And Baron Davis’s response was, “Like a give a bleep.”

Peace

Jordan's policy went something like this: "Republicans buy sneakers too."

Hey, I don't want to suck up to athletes too much. They get enough glorification. But, I also think that Jordan did have an effect on people's perception of blacks, as did O.J. Simpson before he became known for chopping off heads. These were two good-looking, well-spoken (dare I say "articulate"?) black dudes who cut through racial barriers when it came to national endorsements.

People my age grew up idolizing, for lack of a better word, Michael Jordan. Our parents bought us his shoes, his clothes, his posters, whatever food or beverage product he was pimping (McDonald's, Coke, Gatorade). He was in America's collective household. Bill Cosby was the same way. The guy had the No. 1 TV show in America.

None of those cats started it. People decades -- even a century -- before got the ball rolling. But, those guys also put black America (or at least a family-friendly representation of it) out front and broke down barriers.

I think of it as "branding" black people into the mainstream. They weren't the sole reason, obviously, that Obama is now the President-elect, but they didn't hurt Obama's cause.

LikeAnOpeningBandForTheSun · November 2008

Tiger isnt apolitical. he came out in support of Iraq if i remember correctly. and like the article said, Dungy has often spoken (but what he has said isnt in line with this Zirin guy's politics, so i guess it doesnt count). athletes can speak all they want.

i call bullshit on this. most dont speak because they dont care or , in extreme cases, dont want to lose endorsement deals. they (both athletes and corporations that sponsor them) like their money too much for that.

guy sounds like a douche.

Dirtie_Frank · November 2008

g under p wrote:

They don't have the right to protest something if they feel strongly about it whether they are rich or not? We as ordinary citizens can protest in whatever legal fashion we want.

Why can't these atheletes do the same?

Peace

I am not saying that all I am saying is some of these celebrities believe that what they say is gold. I believe they can do what they want but maybe on their own time. We pay money to watch them play sports not express there political views. If they want to express those views rght ahead.

g under p · November 2008

MrSmith wrote:

Tiger isnt apolitical. he came out in support of Iraq if i remember correctly. and like the article said, Dungy has often(but it isnt in line with this Zirin guy's politics). athletes can speak all they want.

i call bullshit on this. most dont speak because they dont care or , in extreme cases, dont want to lose endorsement deals. they (both athletes and corporations that sponsor them) like their money too much for that.

I gather many have the feeling of make the money while they can and don't want to do or say anything to damage those contracts.

However will Obama in the White House change that?

Peace

LikeAnOpeningBandForTheSun · November 2008

g under p wrote:

I gather many have the feeling of make the money while they can and don't want to do or say anything to damage those contracts.

However will Obama in the White House change that?

Peace

why would it? whatever an athlete could get away with saying before can be said now, and anything they would say that might insult some people (and thus make sponsors nervous) still will. I can't see the leagues really caring, unless they were racist or something.

as for black athletes opening doors for Obama, i think they had some impact. Jordan is well known for being a savvy, smart business type (but shitty NBA owner), and Dungy is well known for being a respectable, morally upright guy. i could see them changing some people's minds a little. he gave two really bad examples to prove his point, since they are known for their off the field/court actions.

jimed14 · November 2008

Intersting that this thread has gone this far and there has been no mention of the single most powerful statement of African Americans in sport ...

Tommy Smith and Juan Carlos

Maybe it wasn't as "risky" as they didn't have a lot of money on the line, after all, they were track stars ... not much money in that, especially in the 60s ... but, from what I've read, they were crucified in the press, by the American Olypmic community, and AMericans in general.

San Jose State put up this statue to comemerate the event ... (both attendede SJSU)

http://www.tommiesmith.com/events/statue.html

As for pro athletes, as long as it doesn't interfere with the sport they are playing (after all, that's what they are paid to do), I don't have an issue with it. While they risk losing money and fan support by doing so (rightly or wrongly) ... damn, if you're given a platform and you've got something to say ... why NOT say it?

Again, it comes with potential consequences, same as any other American that speaks out ... you are putting yourself out there for criticism. Pro athletes, may just have more to lose.

In my opinion, I don't think Obama's election changes anything for African American pro-athletes. They still have the same risks today as they did previously in regards to speaking out about issues.

OffHeGoes29 · November 2008

Who gives a shit...there are more important issues then race right now...lets not turn his four years into a racial issue, hes just as white as he is black. It doesn't matter.

g under p · November 2008

OffHeGoes29 wrote:

Who gives a shit...there are more important issues then race right now...lets not turn his four years into a racial issue, hes just as white as he is black. It doesn't matter.

You are right it doesn't matter and they're more important issues. However as long as Obama is in office these next 4 years race WILL come up as an issue due to the fact that he is black and as much as he is white.

Peace

blondieblue227 · November 2008

Dirtie_Frank wrote:

Though they have the right to their own opinion I think athletes as well as actors need to keep the opinion to themselves whether they are white, black or whatever. Most are so rich that they are so out of touch with the common person. That is just my opinion though.

Rich and uneducated. Especially the young ones. I don’t feel like this about the veteran player thou. The uneducated ones run their mouths about anything and just because they’re famous they put it on ESPN. If anything I think it hurt Obama’s campaign. People don’t want them talking about something they don’t know about. Not to even mention how self-righteous they are about it.

Dirtie_Frank · November 2008

blondieblue227 wrote:

Rich and uneducated. Especially the young ones. I don’t feel like this about the veteran player thou. The uneducated ones run their mouths about anything and just because they’re famous they put it on ESPN. If anything I think it hurt Obama’s campaign. People don’t want them talking about something they don’t know about. Not to even mention how self-righteous they are about it.

That is mostly what I am talking about.

Maicojames · November 2008

I can tell you that in my esoteric little sportsworld( Motocross), James Stewart's emergence was initially met with little fanfare( as is most anything motocrss with the mainstream sports media, after all motocrossers are only THE best motorsports athlests in the world, and near the best athletes-period)-then the story of a dominant black mxer got little notice when it was covered by black press( James has a few athletes for friends, Tiger Woods I think for one), and in the past few years he has met with racism...like some cheering the last year Carmichael raced, so a you know what would'nt win......I have friends who say he is a dirty rider...if you look closley-he is one of the cleanest riders( no intentional take outs etc) ever. Well.... he has had to work as hard as anyone, and with the race barrier perhaps harder than anyone. As far as talent, and skill on the bike-he is the best ever.
I would loan him my vintage mx bike, just to seem him fly on it-even if he would break it in half.
Unfortunatley, I d not think his career has brought more non-whites into mx by any great amount. It is expesnsive as hell, and even when a youth rider gets "sponsors", the sponsors back the richest parents. Knowing that, it speaks volumes about his parents commitment to his early career-and they deserve the house he bought them.

Overall, the emergence of many black athletes over the past 50 years has had a social impact, for sure. I am unconvinced it led Obama to the white house. I think many voted upon his capabilities( perceived or otherwise) -and not his skin color. This is a good statement in America, but as a Southern white male, I still cringe when I continue to see racism taught-and it is taught, no black or white babies would turn way from the other..until they are taught to.
'

blondieblue227 · November 2008

Dirtie_Frank wrote:

That is mostly what I am talking about.

see, i get it.

i understood the moment my guy said this is why he didn't vote for barack. the reason that i described. i told him i'm sorry he felt like that. a few loud mouths on ESPN ......well and i guess a few other african americans that behave like that could rub somebody so far the wrong way that it lost barack votes. STUPID.

OffHeGoes29 · November 2008

g under p wrote:

You are right it doesn't matter and they're more important issues. However as long as Obama is in office these next 4 years race WILL come up as an issue due to the fact that he is black and as much as he is white.

Peace

I just hope it doesn't distract people from the important issues.....

A big part of us getting past racism is to let it go. We need to learn from the past and move on.

blackredyellow · November 2008

I don't think Obama's election has anything to do with easing any sort of barriers as far as athletes being political.

I don't have a problem with any athlete, entertainer, etc. speaking their mind on political issues. They do however have to keep in mind that their fanbase probably spreads through all demographics, and speaking out comes with the consequences of backlash from certain groups.

lalalalaaaaaaaa · November 2008

OffHeGoes29 wrote:

Who gives a shit...there are more important issues

I agree...pretty useless story imo....Goodman & DN are disappointing me more and more lately with filler reports like this. Kinda sad...DN used to rule the school for getting worthwhile, relevant stories.

g under p · November 2008

Saturnal wrote:

I agree...pretty useless story imo....Goodman & DN are disappointing me more and more lately with filler reports like this. Kinda sad...DN used to rule the school for getting worthwhile, relevant stories.

On that day Nov, 10 that was DN's last of three stories in which they led with first 100 days of the Obama Presidency and then a story/interview on immigrants in LA. This wasnot a major story or issue but I just felt like posting it.

Peace

lalalalaaaaaaaa · November 2008

g under p wrote:

This wasnot a major story or issue

Exactly: It's not a major issue or story, and DN shouldn't have ran it, and wasted their donators' time and money. This has become a pattern with them recently, and it's disappointing. We have so many more important things to talk about.

g under p · November 2008

Saturnal wrote:

Exactly: It's not a major issue or story, and DN shouldn't have ran it, and wasted their donators' time and money. This has become a pattern with them recently, and it's disappointing. We have so many more important things to talk about.

I'm one that donates yearly and like with other listener supported radio stations some days are slow as to what is reported. Then other days they report on something that hits home that you might find quite interesting.

I've had quite a few of those days.

Peace

Will Obama Presidency Ease Barriers to Politically Outspoken Black Athletes?

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