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SBD/Issue 39/Sports Media
Blog Hound: Bloggers Discuss Athletes' Expression Of Political Views
Published November 7, 2008
In the wake of the Presidential election, bloggers discuss the active expression of political opinions by professional athletes.
| Daily Sports Herald Posted by: Manish Pandya |
| “Which openly political athletes in history became less interesting as a result of their political activism? That's a more important standard than who became less likable. … Volunteering your opinion is an American tradition. Why should Athletes be left out?” |
| A Series Of Down Endings Posted by: Julian |
| “It's impossible to deny the kind of influence professional athletes have on the minds of their fans. … Professional athletes can be the perfect catalyst for enacting change in the world and it's great to see more and more using their sway for good.” |
| Fan IQ Blog Posted by: Pat |
| “Is there a reason that athletes feel the need to abuse the public stage to express political views? … It's not only an abuse of their celebrity status, it's also a testament to the ignorance of the American voter.” |
| Youth Noise – Play City Blog Posted by: TaraLConley |
| "Many pro athletes still want to protect their most precious interests, paid endorsements. … The U.S.A basketball team quickly turned apathetic upon realizing that their professions could be compromised if they used the global sports stage to speak out politically.” |
| Pacifist Viking Posted by: Pacifist Viking |
| "Personally, I find it difficult to root for an athlete quite so much when I find out he or she has divergent political leanings from my own. … It always disappoints me when a player is tainted for me because of a political leaning.” |
SportsMedia Challenge's Buzz Manager analyzed blog discussion surrounding opinions on athletes publicly expressing their political views. Visit www.SportsBusinessDaily.com for more info on this topic. See more info on this topic.
- The Buzz ranked 4 out of 10, a topic of a medium level of interest among sports bloggers.
- Bloggers in the positive category praised athletes expressing their political views, feeling athletes have as much a right to an opinion as every other voter and should feel free to express it. Many enjoyed hearing athletes' take on the historical significance of Barack Obama being elected. Others said that athletes' opinions can raise awareness among others and serve as a catalyst for conversation. Among athletes receiving praise were Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.
- Bloggers in the negative category disliked athletes expressing their unhappiness with the proposed Obama tax plan that would raise their taxes. Many felt this reflected negatively on the athletes given that they are paid such high salaries to begin with. Some felt that athletes should not express their political views in general, seeing it as an abuse of their celebrity status. Others felt negatively about those athletes that supported political views different from their own, saying it made it harder for them to be a fan of that athlete.
- Bloggers in the neutral category tended to either post quotes or videos of athletes and their political reactions, without any commentary. Some noticed the conflicting feelings some athletes may have faced in this election, due to the relative quickness with which a pro athlete's socioeconomic class changes. Many come from low- or middle-income families and may still identify with those feelings, as opposed to their feelings about protecting their high salaries.
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