No matter who you are, politics is a very sensitive subject and you have to be careful about what you say and who you say it to because the discussion can escalate fast. And yet, it doesn’t feel right to talk about something like the NHL’s plan on returning to action and pretend as though the events that have unfolded in Minneapolis and across the United States in the last few days aren’t happening.
Indeed, sports are a very nice distraction from all the worries that we have as individuals. For three hours a night, longer on weekends, we can remove ourselves from the normal hustle and bustle, and get lost in a game of physical strategy. Much like a movie, except it happens in real-time and nobody knows how it’s going to end, not even the actors. This might help to explain why people are so eager to see live sports. It might also explain why some do not like athletes using sport to bring attention to real-world problems.
But as the late Nelson Mandela suggested in a poignant speech 20 years ago, sports are so much more than the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. Through the work of those who play them, sports have the opportunity to change lives. Listen carefully to his words, and perhaps you’ll find that Colin Kaepernick and other players who take a stand (or a knee) on societal matters understand the true spirit of being an athlete. And they deserve to be heard.