For many, sports are an escape from the real world. But with the heightened political climate and growing tensions across the country, the divide between sports and politics is more blurred than ever.
As professional athletes and sportswriters have used their platforms to communicate their own political opinions, the response from many fans has been “stick to sports,” especially when their ideals do not align.
Professional athletes ignited a political conversation last year, some using social media to express their opinions, and others by making their message known on game-day.
Already this early into the NFL preseason and before the NHL season has even began, there have been politically charged demonstrations – most notably, Marshawn Lynch of the Oakland Raiders sitting during the national anthem, an extension of what Colin Kaepernick inspired last season.