Gone is the time when Michael Jordan confidently asserted, "Republicans buy sneakers, too." Today, athletes are forced to enter the political fray because of the way Democrats have politicized sports. While the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated Pride Night by honoring anti-religion drag queens who mock God and faith, the Texas Rangers are facing widespread criticism for being the only Major League Baseball (MLB) team that does not host Pride Nights.
This comes at a time when athletes like Riley Gaines are facing backlash for standing up against letting biological males compete in female sports and exposing themselves in female locker rooms. Athletes are out on the field to play, not to talk politics or choose sides. But when they speak against the injustices they face because of it, their security is put at risk.
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Although the Texas Rangers released a statement noting, “Our commitment is to make everyone feel welcome and included in Rangers baseball,” the woke mob feels it's unsettling that the Rangers refuse to participate in rainbow capitalism. The Rangers have been involved in supporting similar causes, which include sponsoring the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance's (NAGAAA) Gay Softball World Series in 2022. But the Democrats and left-wing media feel it is insufficient since they haven’t forced the woke agenda on fans in an outright manner. They are out to criticize the team for sticking to playing baseball over politics.
The Texas Rangers are playing it smart by catering to the personal and political opinions of all their fans and preventing a controversy from stirring. At the same time, they are also maintaining the essence, purpose, and spirit of sports by refusing to get involved in political stunts, unlike the other 29 MLB teams. But the forceful assertion of politics on athletes has been normalized in the nation today, whether that manifests in players across all sports kneeling and disrespecting the national anthem or attacking female sports by making athletes feel uncomfortable in locker rooms.
Sports involve team spirit, loyalty, emotions, and some serious rivalry between fans of opposing teams. So why has there been an increasing trend in recent times that involves a questionable nexus between politics and sports? The Democrats have pushed the woke culture war to infiltrate so many aspects of our daily lives that sports have lost their true meaning. Athletes are not allowed to be athletes, just like kids are not allowed to be kids anymore. And this has set a wrong precedent considering the millions of young kids who look up to athletes as their idols. This was seen when high school and college athletes started following suit and kneeling during the national anthem.
But it goes beyond just setting the wrong examples. It makes fans resent their teams. Players are made to stay silent or face consequences, and their love and dedication toward their team deteriorate. Their performance on the field is affected by their disturbed feelings, and the fun of both watching and playing sports is lost in the middle of political battles.
Athletes must do more to come together and fight against the politicization of sports. The bureaucracy and backlash accompanying this phenomenon negatively affect both athletes and fans. There is no reason for the woke agenda to polarize sports any further than what is considered healthy sports rivalry.
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Max Mallhi is a summer 2023 Washington Examiner fellow.