Let athletes reclaim their political voice

Such discord extends to the world of sports, highlighted particularly this year in the NFL. Bleacher Report detailed the fallout Buffalo Bills Head Coach Rex Ryan faced after he introduced Donald J. Trump at a rally in New York during the Republican primary.

In the aftermath of Ryan’s appearance at the Trump rally, several of his players, mostly African-American, privately expressed their dismay at his decision. Outside Buffalo, a white offensive lineman supporting Mr. Trump and an African-American linebacker voting for Hillary Clinton reported a major falling out over the election.

Ryan is far from the only Trump supporter in the NFL, and his players are not the only ones divided over the election. Bleacher Report conducted an informal survey of NFL players and found that out of the 21 white NFL players interviewed, all were voting for Mr. Trump, and among African-Americans, 20 of 22 players said they were voting for Secretary Clinton.

The NFL is not the only sport in which players and owners express their opinions. Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James recently announced his support for Secretary Clinton

2016 is also not the first time the world of professional sports has been divided by politics. Take the 2012 election as an example. Governor Mitt Romney enjoyed significant support from NFL owners, garnering nearly 75 percent of the $1.5m that the owners donated, according to a study by the Washington Examiner.

There are many fans that loathe athletes who make a political statement. One just needs to look at the most recent threats by fans to boycott San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who inspired protests of the national anthem across the country.

Meanwhile, a look at the opinions section in any Boston newspaper will show frustration with Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s continued embrace of his friend, Mr. Trump.

Fans express frustration with athletes’ political views and even criticize athletes for making their political beliefs at all public. These fans believe sports should be a sanctuary from the problems of the real world.

However, to criticize athletes for making political statements is to ignore the tremendous historical intersection between sports and politics. The fight for civil rights in the 20th century was contended in the world of sports long before it was waged within the larger American society. While Jackie Robinson made his Major League Debut in 1947, becoming the first African-American to play in the MLB, the Civil Rights movement did not begin in full force for another decade. The political battles forged by athletes made their way to civic society and eventually created substantial change.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, sports have provided a forum to make impactful statements that transcend the athletic world. Whether it was track phenomenon Jesse Owens, who emphatically disproved Hitler’s idea of a “master race” in the 1936 Olympics held in Nazi-era Germany, or Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising their fists at the podium in protest of the mistreatment of African-Americans during the 1968 Olympics, sports have often sparked major social change in society as a whole.

With millions of followers, there is a reason that politicians welcome endorsements from professional athletes and sports figures. It is no coincidence that they bring them to rallies and fundraisers and feature them in campaign ads. Professional athletes have the ability to carry out a message to people all across the country, including those who might not be politically engaged.

Professional athletes play sports for a living, but that does not strip them of their rights. The Constitution guarantees the right of everyone to speak freely, and it is wrong to silence athletes and deprive them of this right. Disagreements will always exist and a society that is not tolerant of differing viewpoints is one that cannot stand.

And while it is understandable to want to escape the divisiveness of politics in sports, it is wrong to ask athletes to give up the rights any other American has in order to satisfy the desires of the fans.

Professional athletes are blessed with a platform that allows them to speak to millions of people, more so than the average citizen. As such, they are able to create greater awareness and influence opinion on the issues that they care about. I would go so far as to argue that it is not just an athlete’s right to speak out politically; It is their civic duty.