I was certainly surprised to read about the requests made by U Texas-Austin football players, asking the university for specific actions to alleviate anti-Black racism. I simply have been accustomed to not expect athletes to be concerned about such matters. And I am quite surprised that this has happened in football-crazy Texas. This event could be a bellwether for college athletics across the country. It’s what college executives and athletic departments feared when the U of Missouri athletes threatened to boycott a game a few years ago, because $$ millions could be at stake.
https://www.hookem.com/2020/06/09/longhorn-confidential-black-lives-matter-and-activism-among-athletes-at-texas/ seems to have some news and opinions on the matter from a more local perspective.
Why do you think college athletes aren’t activists? In my experience, teams volunteer in the community, visit hospitals, tutor, coach local youth teams, ‘adopt’ medically fragile kids and make them team members. My daughter’s team did a Habitat build, ran 5k races to raise money, did coastal clean ups. I don’t think race was ever an issue (daughter was only minority on the team).
A few weeks ago, many U of Missouri athletes did a peaceful protest march from campus to the courthouse, took a knee for 8:45 to honor George Floyd, and then 62 of them went into the courthouse to register to vote. To me, that was the most effective way to protest.
“Why do you think college athletes aren’t activists?”
Because it is a rare event, so much so as to be exceptional. In the main, college athletes at the big-time college programs are encouraged to be silent on matters of controversy. Some of course are inclined to be uninvolved anyway, as is their right. One exception years ago was basketballer Ralph Sampson of U Virginia. During his senior year at UVA Black students initiated protests (rather mild; no violence. No rabid agitation). Sampson arguably was the most notable person on campus at that time. Despite concerns expressed by the athletic department, Sampson stood with the student protesters. Aside from the U Missouri football team planned boycott, and the Northwestern U pro-union demands, I am not familiar with any other episodes of activism at the big-time college sports programs.
The fan demographics are likely a factor. According to https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/02/which-sports-have-the-whitest-richest-oldest-fans/283626/ , the 2013 NCAA basketball tournament had fans that were 80% white and 40% age 55+ (and similar for 2013-2014 NCAA football bowl games).
In the pro leagues, compare the NBA, where the athletes and fans are mostly on the same side, to the NFL, where the athletes faced significant fan backlash the last time they did various protest acts.
If there are issues related to college athletics the athletes want to speak up about I’m all for it.
For wider political and social issues, I am as interested in hearing from the athletes as Ricky Gervais is interested in hearing from entertainers.
How they spend their free time is up to them (although college athletics are exploitive and they don’t have much free time), but on the field of play they can keep their political opinions to themselves.
Same for pro athletes.
Of course, NASCAR drivers’ cars can be ideal billboards for whatever causes they may wish to promote:
https://ftw.usatoday.com/gallery/bubba-wallace-nascar-black-lives-matter-martinsville-photos
https://ftw.usatoday.com/2020/06/nascar-thin-blue-line-homestead-mike-harmon-racing-weatherman-black-lives-matter
This protest is worth paying attention to
https://www.si.com/college/2020/06/15/mike-gundy-oklahoma-state-shirt-chuba-hubbard
It will be interesting how it plays out
Thanks to all for the links. I really am quite encouraged by these students speaking up. The words by the Clemson football players, including white QB Trevor Lawrence, were particularly inspiring. As for the Oklahoma State University football coach…well, let’s just say he is no Coach Dean Smith, an honest and earnest teacher of young men.