Sports Stories Uncertainties in Sports: Black Lives Matter Written by: Meghan Samples Activism A poll taken by Gallup revealed that “Americans who have a positive view of sports dropped from 45 percent positive in August 2019 to 30 percent last month... The number of citizens who had a negative view shot up from 25 percent last year to 40 percent in August 2020” (Campanile). While Corona Virus is also a contributing factor to the drop in interest, it is the protests that have really caused outrage among fans across all sports.
Despite these numbers, players continue their protests by putting their full support into the causes. One Lynx player, Rebekkah Brunson, expresses her fears saying, "Racism and unjust phobic fear of black males and disregard of black females is very real... "When we look at the facts, it's hard to deny that there's a real problem in our society. I'm scared for my brothers and sisters, my nieces and nephews, my future son or daughter” (Shoichet, Martin). The players have a constitutional right to express their opinions under the first amendment. Where they do so, whether personally or professionally, can sometimes lead to controversy. The real-world consequences that come from expressing personal viewpoints in a professional setting can be difficult when rights could be infringed upon. However, protests ensure that no voice goes unheard and thereby, allow society to work towards positive change. “About.” Black Lives Matter, 22 May 2020, blacklivesmatter.com/about/. Campanile, Carl. “Public Support for Sports Plummets amid BLM Protests, Pandemic: Survey.” New York Post, New York Post, 8 Sept. 2020, nypost.com/2020/09/08/public-support-for-sports-plummets-amid-blm-protests-survey/. Goldman, Tom. “'Tired Of The Killings': Pro Athletes Refuse To Play To Protest Racial Injustice.” NPR, NPR, 27 Aug. 2020, www.npr.org/sections/live-updates-protests-for-racial-justice/2020/08/26/906496470/a-dramatic-day-inpro-sports-where-the-action-was-no-action. Shoichet, Catherine E., and Jill Martin. “Off-Duty Cops Walk out over WNBA Players' Black Lives Matter Shirts.” CNN, Cable News Network, 12 July 2016, www.cnn.com/2016/07/12/us/wnba-minnesota-lynx-black-lives-matter- 12 shirts/index.html.
