With over 10.4 million viewers across the US and Canada, the US-Canada hockey game shattered viewership records this week as the most watched non-olympic hockey game in history.
What would have otherwise been a glorious night for hockey instead became a reflection of the world’s polarized state after Canadian fans loudly booed the US national anthem prior to the start of the game.
For decades, sports have been more than a source of entertainment. For those who tune in every weekend, swelling with pride upon their team’s victory, instilling within themselves a distinct sense of identity, it is a lifestyle. For others, it offers an escape, a chance to become a part of something much greater than themselves.
For all who watch, sports unite people together under the homogenous idea that there is more to life than individual success.
It is easy, then, for politics to weave its way into the sporting world, given their analogous nature; just like sports, politics provides people the means through which they can unite in support of a common goal.
Sporting institutions worldwide have recently embraced this inherent correlation between politics and sports, particularly in relation to human rights.
The Spanish soccer league, La Liga, had, until recently, displayed by the scoreboard “End the Invasion” in support of Ukraine. Likewise, the NFL inscribed “End racism” onto the ends of the field until they removed it prior to the 2025 Super Bowl.
American athletes are also famous for their vocality. In 2016, Colin Kaepernick’s kneel instigated ongoing discussions pertaining to the presence of politics in sports. Currently, 49% of Americans disapprove of athletes who bring politics into sports – up from 38% in 2020. Although less than half, the issue is still widely controversial amongst Americans.
For Physical Education teacher and Girls Cross Country Coach Jane Wheeler the decision rests with the athlete. “I think it is totally up to them. If they want to use their visibility as an athlete to speak up on political issues, they should be able to,” Wheeler continued. “But I don’t think an athlete HAS to speak out. They can choose to keep their views to themselves.”
Avid hockey player Maia Katragada disagrees with Wheeler. “Most athletes get paid a lot of money and they have a lot of influence with what they say. They should actually do something with their influence to change things,” Katragada explained.
Since Kaepernick’s act of protest, over 100 athletes have willingly joined him in kneeling during the national anthem – a trend indicative of the increase in athletes’ vocality on worldwide issues.
Recently, Brazilian soccer star and Real Madrid player Vinicius Jr. led a campaign against racism after being the subject of constant racial attacks from opposing fans and players. “Everyone should fight against this and I can’t fight alone,” Vinicuis said in an interview with ESPN.
In the past year, three Valencia fans were sentenced to eight months in prison for their racist comments to the Brazilian during a LaLiga game in 2023. The Spanish Police arrested another four fans for orchestrating a hate campaign against him.
Vinicius’ anti-racism campaign garnered plenty of support amongst the soccer community; it also turned many of his opponents against him. When he controversially came in second to the Ballon D’Or – the most prestigious individual award given to the best soccer player of the year – critics of Vinicius Jr. attributed his loss to bad sportsmanship. They argued that his constant remarks against the Spanish Federation’s handling of racism was unnecessary. “Shut up and play,” his critics reiterated.
The controversy surrounding Vinicus’ efforts are indicative of the public’s lack of enthusiasm for politics in sports, especially when they disagree with the stances taken.
Kaepernick received similar criticism after he kneeled, for 72% of Americans claimed it was unpatriotic and 61% disagreed with his protest. Racial minorities were slightly more generous, however, as only 40% of respondents belonging to a racial minority believed it to be unpatriotic.
To others, the matter at hand should not even matter. “If people can just respect each individual’s right to speak out or stay silent and allow them to have their own personal views, it can be fine,” Wheeler said. “Sports itself should just be fun and joyful, but athletes are humans, so they are allowed to have their views and speak up if they choose to do so.”
Vinicius and Kaepernick’s protest are certainly not the last of their kind. Politics is everywhere, intrinsically intertwined with all aspects of society; its presence in sports is, therefore, inevitable.
