When I started writing this column, I had one main goal – to get people to think, namely about sports.
Sports are such an engrossing and enormous aspect in our society today, but rarely do we ever think of them as more than a means of entertainment.
Think of all the changes in sports that made people really think about the way things are run in society.
Before desegregation, Jackie Robinson broke the racial barrier in Major League Baseball.
This helped to move our country toward equal rights for all people. This example is clichCB) at this point, but its meaning still rings true. Later, the same thing occurred for women in sports.
With the exception of women’s basketball being added to the Olympics in 1976, women were not represented in team sports in Olympic competition.
Women’s soccer was added to the Olympics in 1996 and hockey in 1998. The WNBA was also created in 1996.
While women’s sports still remain on the outskirts of discussion and media coverage, female athletes have been successful in passing along a message to little girls growing up around the globe that they don’t just have to figure skate or play tennis, they can be members of a non-individual team sport.
“So what else is left then?” you might be asking.
Two specific things to come to mind for me – the internationalism that is now dominating sports like basketball and the existence of homosexuality in athletics.
Whether we want to believe it or not, all countries of the world are increasingly becoming dependant upon each other. This includes commercial products, natural resources and yes, even athletes.
In the NBA, the percentage of non-American athletes has risen to nearly 20 percent for the 2005-06 season.
These include players like 2002 No.1 draft pick Yao Ming of China, reigning league MVP Steve Nash of Canada and more locally of the Denver Nuggets, NenCB* of Brazil.
The NFL is also taking notice of the international element of sports in our world today. Last year, the first regular-season game ever played outside of the United States took place in Mexico in order to promote the sport to our southern neighbor.
And since 1986, the NFL has played one preseason game in Europe or Japan every year in order to build interest in the game overseas as well.
This leads us to the latest and most controversial issue in sports today – homosexuality.
While countless athletes and sports columnists, including myself, have voiced their opinion on this important issue, the fact simply is, it’s not just going to go away – in sports or society.
Until it is addressed and accepted openly, we will continue to have homosexual hate crimes, negative and stereotypical portrayals of gays in the media and unwillingness for toleration of alternate lifestyles in locker rooms and homes alike.
So here it is, coming full circle – sports matter and they are more often than not a means for positive social change in society, our country and the world.
