NFL: Comment on Trump: Never stick to Sports.

The past two days in US sport and especially in the NFL have been remarkable, unusual and hopefully trend-setting.The desolate abuse of President Donald Trump, with whom he is actively trying to curtail freedom of expression and the right to peaceful protest, has triggered a whole wave of protests.And they show the importance and the invaluable role of mature athletes.A commentary by SPOX editor Adrian Franke.

nearby

“Stick to sports.

Stay with the sport, in other words: cobbler, stick to your last.This sentence has been heard and read very often in recent months as soon as Colin Kaepernick’s protest was raised.Whether it was sports journalists or other professionals who took up the subject – many football fans resisted the blending of these two things.Some of them because politics has no place in sport for them.Others, because they were disturbed by the protest themselves and others, because they did not want to hear about the topic in general.

I’m sure that some of you who read these lines here will think that this kind of thing has no place on a sports page.But the statement of Donald Trump has finally – one might almost say at last – removed any basis from these arguments.His statement shows the fundamental importance of responsible athletes.

“Wouldn’t you like to hear one of the National Football League bosses say if someone doesn’t respect our flag,’ Take this son of a bitch off the field right now!This is a total disrespect for our tradition and everything we stand for.”

With Kaepernick, the protest began just over a year ago to demonstrate against inequality, racism and police violence: he knelt during the anthem.Kaepernick himself made mistakes – for example when he was wearing socks with cartoon pigs in police uniform – but the message of his protest was still extremely important and the platform was just right.Even though many did not want to acknowledge that for a long time.

However, his message has lost some of its message over the past weeks and months.Because the protest itself and the possible consequences of it were discussed instead of keeping an eye on the content.This changed at the beginning of the season, because some white players expressed their sympathy for the protests.The spark has only just gone completely out of control.

Trump earned applause for his offensive commentary, which goes so far beyond the fact that he is unworthy of a president, during his speech.It would hardly have been clear to him what kind of stone he would have set in motion with this statement; not that he would then necessarily have done something different.This statement led players who may have had certain views, but kept them private, to position themselves publicly.It was the proverbial drop that overflowed the barrel.

Already in the hours before the first kick-offs on Sunday there was a peculiar, electrifying atmosphere.In several cities, players met spontaneously with their coaches, team owners and other responsible persons to discuss how to deal with the issue.Numerous owners expressed more or less clear criticism of Trump’s statement in open statements, and Commissioner Roger Goodell also expressed his opinion.

It all started with the London game, when the Jaguars and Ravens knelt as many players as in no other game so far.Jag’s owner Shad Khan supported the protest on the sidelines, something that had never been seen before.He then said that “the president’s comments make it more difficult”to unite the diversity that makes up the people of the United States.

This continued with the other games.More players than ever before, on any previous weekend, many more were kneeling on the sidelines with their arms crossed together to express their protest with respect.And the booing of some fans against the kneeling players only shows how important it is that we have finally reached this point.

Trump has united the NFL against himself and his views, and I don’t think that would have been possible in too many other ways.With all the “Stick to Sports”comments, one must not forget two things: NFL players are on the one hand human beings themselves and experience discrimination and racially motivated inequalities in their surroundings and sometimes directly on their own bodies – such as Seattle’s Michael Bennett a few weeks ago.Many experienced this discrimination in person before they became football millionaires.

On the other hand, players are, and this cannot be denied, great role models and opinion leaders within society.Trump has taken a swing at the roundabout and also raged in the NBA, which caused strong reactions there.Meanwhile, the MLB had its first protest during the hymn at the weekend.

These days could mark the turning point, at which what Kaepernick started over a year ago will eventually pass to the masses.A wave of protest that addresses critical issues in the US, which does not allow issues such as racism and inequality to fall under the carpet – and which only arose because players were not afraid to speak out and stand up for equality.By directing the gaze away from sports as well.Even at the risk of losing jobs, reputation in some circles, advertising deals and the like.This requires courage from athletes who could also withdraw into their money.

This courage is more important than ever in today’s political situation.Words such as diversity, respect, freedom of speech and criticism of “divisive comments”, as she called Goodell, are finally shaping conversation.And above all, this is now widespread at the level of team owners, which not only gives the protest itself a completely different legitimacy, but also brings the topic to completely different social circles.

Of course, it is no secret that the flag and the hymn are of great importance to many Americans, and I would like to end by saying this.Quite to the extent that many Europeans find it strange and incomprehensible.

Nevertheless, one has to differentiate here: the protest during the anthem does not mean that the players despise or disrespect the anthem or the flag.Rather, it shows the opposite: the country of unlimited possibilities, from which too many Americans still have a kind of utopian notion far from reality in their minds, is to become just that: the country of unlimited possibilities.For everyone.