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Dats_Russia t1_ix8i3wp wrote

Reply to comment by Fishflakes24 in England, Germany and other European nations will not wear OneLove armband. by carlosabia

The following athletes were political:

  • Mohammad Ali (Olympic Gold Medalist)
  • Tommie Smith and John Carlos (Olympic Gold and Bronze medalists)
  • Jesse Owens (Olympic Gold Medalist)
  • Jackie Robinson (Broke Baseball color barrier and 6× All-Star (1949–1954) and World Series champion (1955))
  • Bill Russel (11× NBA champion (1957, 1959–1966, 1968, 1969) 5× NBA Most Valuable Player (1958, 1961–1963, 1965), 12× NBA All-Star (1958–1969), and Olympic Gold Medalist)
  • Kareem Abdul Jabar (6× NBA champion (1971, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988), 2× NBA Finals MVP (1971, 1985), 6× NBA Most Valuable Player (1971, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1980), 19× NBA All-Star (1970–1977, 1979–1989))
  • Pat Tillman (quit the NFL to fight in Afghanistan, dude was legit good)

Do I need to go on?

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subliminimalist t1_ix8j74j wrote

These are the exceptions that prove the rule. Yes, there are athletes who put their careers at risk to make a political or cultural statement, but part of what makes them so memorable is that they're exceptional and outside the norm. Would it be good if more followed their examples? Sure, but it's naive to expect it.

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Dats_Russia t1_ix8kryo wrote

The Iran National Wrestling Team and Team USA wrestling are two of the highest caliber wrestling programs in the world and they frequently defy both their countries (team Iran has more to lose) to advance positive relations and make political statements.

Athletics has always been and will always be political. It would be nice if sports could be apolitical escapism BUT since the days of Ancient Greece, sports, especially the international kind have been political! Whether it is Iroquois and Algonquin tribes using lacrosse instead of traditional war or Colin Kaepernick taking a knee.

Some athletes/former athletes care only for money (looking at you David Beckham) but some like Meagan Rapinoe are political. It is up to the athlete to decide if they wanna be political. Taking the decision out of the hands of an athlete is cowardly!

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subliminimalist t1_ix90lng wrote

I don't disagree with anything you've written here, I just think that part of the reason we remember the examples you've given is because they stand out from the crowd.

And I agree that taking the decisions fully out of the hands of the athlete is a bad

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