Politics and Sports: Keep Your Hands Off My Football | 5 Minute Video
Sports has a unique ability to unite our communities and our nation. Until recently, that is. How did sports get so politicized? Clay Travis, host of Outkick the Show, tackles the country’s cultural divide and its effect on our favorite pastime.
Check out Clay’s latest book: Republicans Buy Sneakers Too: How the Left Is Ruining Sports with Politics –https://www.amazon.com/Republicans-Buy-Sneakers-Too-Politics/dp/0062878530/
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Script:
When did sports get so political? When did ESPN become MSNBC? When did Colin Kaepernick become Mahatma Gandhi?
I love sports. I always have. Growing up, I played every sport I could. Michael Jordan and Bo Jackson posters adorned the walls of my bedroom. Sports remains my passion, and for two decades has been my career. I love that sports allows us a break from daily worries, to lose ourselves in the game – where the rules are clear, where talent reigns supreme, and surprise is always possible.
And I love sports not only for my own selfish reasons, but for what it does for the nation. Sports brings together people of all backgrounds to “root, root, root for the home team.” No other form of entertainment does this. Sure, a movie might be great, but you don’t see Democrats and Republicans hugging and high-fiving after watching Tropic Thunder.
I’m not done. Sports are a living civics lesson. Think about it. Every team represents its community—a city, a college, a high school. It is, after all, the New York Yankees. The player who wears the team uniform represents that community.
Now, let’s take it one step further: a soldier, also in uniform, represents his country. He is a member, in effect, of the nation’s team. The flag and the anthem are symbols of that team. That’s why every professional sports event in America begins with the national anthem. When you stand for the anthem you are not only cheering for the home team, but for the nation. In short, we begin every sports contest united. Then, of course, it’s game on. But the lesson has been taught. Unfortunately, the unifying power of sports is being trashed.
Who is responsible? The worst culprits are, ironically, the very people who cover sports in the first place—the sports media. How did this happen? There are, of course, many factors. But a good place to start is with four letters: ESPN. 24/7 sports news and highlights—every fan’s dream.
That is, until a few years ago. That’s when ESPN realized that it was losing its clout. Their answer? A new approach: sports mixed with politics.
ESPN replaced ratings bonuses with diversity bonuses; gave “woke” analysts like Jemele Hill, Max Kellerman, and Bomani Jones their own shows; and an anti-American former backup quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, more airtime than he got playing time. And because ESPN leads the field, much of the sports media followed suit.
The result? When you go to the sports section of USA Today or Yahoo or even Sports Illustrated, you’re as likely to read about players’ thoughts on the president as you are about their thoughts on the game.
For the complete script, visit https://www.prageru.com/videos/politics-and-sports-keep-your-hands-my-football
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Sports or rather sports fans and stupid. They, for some odd reason, become tribalistic for reasons I cannot fathom. Root for the home team? Why? Most sports people have their favorite teams based on where they live, not who's the best. Sometimes they have a favorite team based on where they grew up because they moved somewhere else. What's with the geography? People generally don't drop their favorite team and pick up another based on their record or merit but based on geography. It's stupid and promotes tribalism which ruins everything. Stupid.
Everything is political ever since the Olympics just like the ones 1936, 1980, 1984, 2022
I don’t like politics in sports, because of what has happened with the Arkansas Razorback Football Team over the past few decades. Just look into the history of Arkansas Razorback Football, during the Houston Nutt era and the reaction from “fans” when it came to a spoiled brat of a momma’s boy named Mitch “Skidstain” Mustain, Damian Williams, Ben Cleveland, and the rest of the “Springdale Mafia “, even with the “Greatest High School Football Coach”, who was the offensive coach of Arkansas Razorback football, Gus Mahlzahn, and how one decision made by Houston Nutt to bench Mitch Mustain who threw a total of 9 interceptions, and was taken out during the South Carolina game, started a reaction that was the most extreme reaction to this day from “fans” that’s comparable to the way that the Bud Light controversy is today. No politics in sports!!! Yet, it seems like I have to remind people at ESPN every single year.
30 years 49ers fan…..then Kaepernick started in, he made his point now lets get on with the "game" and it never stopped only got worse look at it now its a political football nightmare, it was nice to forget the daily grind and watch a game…havent seen one since the quarterback of my team started whining instead of playing. Peace 2u and God Bless y'all
This guy spent 20 years in sports and has never heard of Louis vs. Shmeling? Jesse Owens at the Berlin Olympics, the entire career of Muhammad Ali?
colin kaepernick anti-american ? based af
"Sports and politics must be separated from each other" then why ban Russia from international competitions?
Trash
"Anti – American former backup quarterback " BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHABA
you mean leather egg chucking
And it's only getting worse.
The unfortunate side effects are now the only Sports in my house are MMA and tennis
Religion and Politics: keep your Bible out of my government.
Hey, it's the free market. If you don't like it, don't watch it.
I never cared much about sports.
Of course, I do have my favorite teams but I honestly don't think I could tell you 5 current players on any of them. I never cared enough to watch the games or even know when the games are. All I care about is "did they win, yes or no?"
You're not wrong about ESPN, but you're also hypocritical about the anthem at sporting events. Is the anthem and the flag not political? The same people in uproar about the anthem don't even know the words to the song.
Well said Clay. We have the same problem here in NZ and it is happening more and more often: Professional athletes feeling that they need to make comments on society, or politics, or anything that is not the sport they play. To be blunt: No one give a f*@k about what they think – they are celebrated for their sporting achievements so they should just be happy with that.
Get woke, go broke. And they wonder why their ratings are down.
Everybody's fighting for equality….. news flash theres never going to be equality
Sports have always been political. If you don’t see that, read a history book.
https://youtu.be/4lc8aqj9fq0
Why does everything have to be political
0:10 when did Lebron James become Malcolm X?
Wait wait but if ESPN mixed politics and sports and made more money from it doesn’t that mean the Free Market Prevailed?
I blame the media for giving a garbage quarterback a platform.
Colin whines about how racist America is, yet keeps getting paid millions by the racist country he lives in?
He also gets endorsment deals while being trash. Pretty awsome for a racist country. Even though I think he should be allowed to kneel, its amazing the hypocrisy from this guy
Honestly, I don't care about sports, but the same principle applies to marble racing so I can understand. #speediskey
This video is bogus
Excellent video!! After I'd been rooting for the downfall of the NFL, MBA and NBA (NHL is safe) for some time, I realized I was rooting for there to be NO sports, like there are in socialist countries.