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Sport and politics: An inevitable partnership

8th November, 2015
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James McClean warming up for Ireland (photo: Wiki Commons)
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8th November, 2015
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The belief that politics and sport do not mix is a flawed concept, as can be shown when people in power grace sporting contests in cheap publicity grabs and princes hand out rugby trophies. So what exactly offends people when a sportsperson makes a stand?

The sporting community is more than accustomed to politics creeping into their beloved hobby, they may just not realise it.

Nelson Mandela used rugby to heal a nation, Muhammad Ali stood up for his beliefs and is now heralded for his once derided stance, Peter Norman stood united with Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Olympics, while Nicky Winmar bravely stood up to his tormentors.

Whether you agree with them and their beliefs is irrelevant, though it helps that they were trumpeting worthwhile causes. In retrospect it can be argued that sport provided a necessary platform to assist change.

What matters is that you can distinguish the difference between admiring sportspeople’s on-field exploits and respecting their right to hold personal viewpoints.

The latest incident where a sportsperson was criticised for displaying a political viewpoint concerns footballer Jamie McClean.

Hailing from Derry, a town deeply affected during The Troubles, and the location for the horrific events of Bloody Sunday in 1972, McClean continually refuses to wear a poppy to commemorate Remembrance Day. It is a stance he has explained in detail previously.

While the entire Premier League wore special jerseys with poppies on the weekend, McClean chose to abstain during West Brom’s visit to Old Trafford.

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Manchester United fans reportedly booed him, and vitriol spilled forth over Twitter.

Unfortunately that is not the worst McClean has experienced, receiving death threats a few years ago for his stance, and also copping condemnation earlier this year when he dared to ignore the raising of a English flag during a friendly match in America.

Slowly, however, views are changing towards McClean. Thankfully more fans appeared to support the winger on Twitter following his decision, drowning out some of the negativity. Yet it is a concern that people still feel a need to criticise sportspeople for sticking to their beliefs.

Australia has two sportsmen who were recently given grief for daring to express their opinion on society – David Pocock and Adam Goodes.

Many are sick of the subject, many want it to go away. One reason being that politics and sport should not mix, and that the talk should be reserved for on-field events.

So there is little point going into what Goodes and Pocock have said or done in the past to cause such a widespread division of opinion.

Rather, it must be asked why it is wrong for a sportsperson to have a life outside sport, and to express their personal views.

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Pocock has just come off a stellar World Cup, one where he was a tournament standout both on and off the field. As Andy Bull recently argued in The Guardian: Pocock has shown that sport and politics can mix.

Has public opinion changed since Pocock returned to the field and performed for his country? Or are there those still concerned about whether he will use his celebrity standing to support gay rights and renewable energy?

When Pocock pushed gay rights into the sporting headlines earlier this year, The Australian‘s Wayne Smith argued that his “mere presence in the Wallabies now threatens to have a polarising effect”.

That has surely been debunked following his and the Wallabies’ performances at the World Cup. It seems Pocock’s teammates, just like the rest of us, were able to ignore his personal opinion (if they were even concerned in the first place) to retain a decent working relationship, and most likely an off-field friendship, too.

We do not demand our friends or work colleagues to hold similar political and moral views as our own, and we do not demand that they keep their mouths shut about it either. So we should not demand the same from our sports stars.

Sporting idols do not have to be apolitical, we no longer live in an age where discussing your voting intentions is considered taboo. This is 2015, after all.

As Voltaire once penned: “Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so, too”. That should also be transferred to letting others, anyone, speak out for themselves.

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Pocock is a refreshing change from the cliche-ridden sporting landscape, as is Goodes. McClean should equally be respected for having an opinion and enough guts to stick by his beliefs despite possible derision.

If politics and sport should not mix, then arguably Remembrance Day and Anzac Day commemorations should be separated as well. We cannot accept one side and not the other.

The Australian football community has already seen one respected journalist hounded out of work due to his views on Anzac Day ‘celebrations’. Let us hope we never see a similar example occur on the field – and not just because a player has kept his mouth shut.

Every person deserves to express their beliefs. If an employer thinks that reflects badly on their company, then so be it. They will likely face a date in court, however.

All that should matter for you, as a sports fan, is what players do on the pitch. Their opinion should not offend or disgust you to a point where you call for them to keep quiet. Similarly, no one should demand a sportsperson to wear a poppy, or even a ribbon.

It makes a poorer world when anyone, let alone a sportsperson, is silenced due to public outrage.

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