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5 infamous political moments in sports you forgot about
Colin Kaepernick’s kneeling protest was one of the most talked-about political moments in sports history. For many, it became a symbol of standing against bigotry and racism, and eight years later, the protest is surprisingly still in effect in English soccer leagues.
To others, it represents an unwanted interruption in a medium that should be void of activism, serving as an escape from reality.
With the sports world now using the election of Donald Trump as an inspiration for dances and celebrations, the simple acts signal that politics in sports isn’t going away any time soon.
‘On the war in Vietnam, I sing this song.’
Muhammad Ali’s fight against the Vietnam War
Iconic boxer Muhammad Ali is often portrayed as not only one of the greatest ever in his sport but also one of the greatest activists of all time.
However, many of his polarizing remarks don’t often make it into recollections of some of his most famous protests.
In 1967-1968, Ali was seeking an exemption from the Vietnam War as a conscientious objector on the basis of being an Islamic leader, USA Today reported.
Ali was sentenced to five years in prison for draft-dodging, but he was freed on bail and never served any time.
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Footage by Getty Images
Ali’s boxing title was revoked by the New York State Athletic Commission, and he was banned from the sport. At the same time, his opinions and even his poetry about his views on the war were widely publicized.Keep asking me, no matter how long,
On the war in Vietnam, I sing this song,
I ain't got no quarrel with the Viet Cong.
However, other remarks, specifically about white people, are not often recited.
"You’re talking to me about some drafts, and all of you white boys are breaking your necks to get to Switzerland and Canada and London. I'm not going to help nobody get something my negroes don't have. If I'm gonna die, I'll die right here fighting you."
"You my enemy,” Ali continued. “My enemy is a white people. Not Vietnam, Chinese, or Japanese. [You’re] my opposer when I want freedom."
In 1971, the Supreme Court ruled in Ali’s favor, saying his beliefs in his faith were sincere.
Before Kaepernick, there was Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf
Image via Brian Bahr/Getty Images
Much like Cassius Clay changing his name to Muhammad Ali, Chris Wayne Jackson changed his name to Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf upon converting to Islam and following black identitarianism.
In 1996, Abdul-Rauf sat during "The Star-Spangled Banner" more than 60 times. When questioned on his decision, he reportedly said Islamism and American nationalism don’t mix.
“Islam is the only way,” he said, according to ESPN.
"It's also a symbol of oppression," Abdul-Rauf said of the American flag. "Of tyranny; it depends on how you look at it. I think that this country has a long history of that."
The player garnered mixed reviews from other NBA players, including Dennis Rodman, who said for the amount of money Abdul-Rauf was being paid, he should be happy to stand for two minutes.
"If you want to do that, why don't you bring your own flag and sing your own national anthem?" Rodman said.
Fellow Muslim player Hakeem Olajuwon said that the flag should be respected, while Magic Johnson simply stated that people shouldn't be mad at others for expressing their beliefs.
Abdul-Rauf eventually agreed to stand, but not until he was suspended two games and started losing money. The trade-off was that the player could stand and say his own private prayer during the anthem.
He was booed during his first appearance after his suspension.
Cold War buzzer-beater
During the 1972 Munich Olympics, with the Cold War in full swing, the Soviet Union and the United States played a heated men’s basketball final in front of a tense audience.
The Americans were poised to win — or face shame upon their return home for losing in the sport they had long dominated.
With just three seconds left in the final, American Doug Collins sank two clutch free throws despite taking a nasty fall just seconds earlier. This gave the American team a 50-49 lead with three seconds remaining.
What followed was a calamity of scoring table errors that transformed the game’s ending from iconic to controversial.
Credit: Bettmann/Getty Images
First, Russian coaches took a time-out, but their team inbounded the ball anyway, and referees blew the whistle with the clock stopped at just one second remaining. Before the clock could be correctly reset to three seconds, the referee handed the ball to the Russians, who then inbounded and threw up a desperate last-second shot that missed.
The elated American squad celebrated for minutes on the court, ecstatic about their victory and relieved of the immense pressure on their shoulders.
However, officials stopped the celebration, reset the clock to three seconds, and gave the USSR yet another chance.
A full-court pass to Alelxander Belov resulted in an easy bucket, giving the Soviets a 51-50 gold medal win.
Due to the apparent controversy, the American team refused their silver medals and did not show up for the medal ceremony.
Team captain Kenny Davis said the Americans felt the Soviets “did something” that was illegal, and they didn’t know any other way to protest.
“You're not about to get us to show up to take that silver medal,” he said.
The team appealed, but Olympic judges voted 3:2 in favor of the official result.
"Everything progressed according to strictly Cold War politics," Sports Illustrated writer Gary Smith remarked. "There were three Communist Bloc judges. It's a three-to-two vote. America loses. The Soviet Union wins the gold medal, and at that point the American players are facing a stark reality. Do they accept the silver medal?"
Those silver medals are now kept in a vault. Some of the American team members allegedly wrote into their wills that their beneficiaries cannot claim the medals, either.
World Cup struggle session
In 2010, the North Korean soccer team qualified for its first FIFA World Cup since 1966. Expectations were appropriately low, until the North Korean squad looked impressive in a 2-1 loss to Brazil, which was a juggernaut in the tournament.
Despite the loss, the close score was so unexpected that North Korea decided to run its next game against Portugal live on state-run television, the first time a sporting event had been broadcast live in the country.
This would turn out to be a horrible mistake.
Photo by Alex Livesey - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
Unfortunately for the North Korean players, they lost 7-0 to Portugal in that live broadcast and then 3-0 to Ivory Coast in their final game.
The Portugal game had long-lasting consequences on the players, as when they returned home they were reportedly subjected to a six-hour struggle session.
According to the Telegraph, the entire squad was placed on a stage and subjected to criticism from the sport minister as 400 government officials, students, and journalists looked on.
The event was called a “grand debate” because the team had failed their “ideological struggle.”
The team’s manager was allegedly forced to become a builder while being expelled from the ruling political party.
Only two players avoided the communist display, Jong Tae-se and An Yong-hak, who were both born in Japan and returned there immediately following the World Cup.
Even stranger, North Korea allegedly pumped out videos to the masses in an attempt to change history. In one video allegedly broadcasted, a state television news host not only claimed North Korea had beaten Brazil but was “denied a rightful victory” against Portugal and that the game ended in draw.
The broadcast also dubbed over star Portuguese player Cristiano Ronaldo and pretended that he said he would be willing to play in Pyongyang because of the wonderful fan base.
For the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, North Korean television stated that the North Korea team beat Japan 7-0, the United States 4-0, and China 2-0. The broadcast said North Korea would go on to play Portugal in the semifinal.
North Korea was never actually in the 2014 World Cup. Neither was China.
Helmet Pride humiliation
2023 was a year of reckoning in the NHL when it came to gay pride, Pride Nights, and the ever-present specter of woke ideology.
Teams were seemingly falling over themselves to outdo one another’s Pride Night festivities and pregame gay-pride jerseys.
At least seven players eventually took a stand against the practice during the 2022-2023 season, one of whom was Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov.
Photo by Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images
Did Samsonov make a public statement? Carry a crucifix across the ice? No, the goalie’s crime was simply not wearing a rainbow decal on the back of his helmet during warm-ups.
Samsonov did not even play in goal that night, and the Leafs organization went above and beyond in its tribute to non-heterosexual lifestyles.
Nonetheless, Samsonov was subjected to a humiliation ritual by the Toronto sports media.
Canada’s TSN specifically singled out Samsonov for not wearing the decal in the few minutes he was on the ice, meaning there was likely someone assigned to check for such ethical violations.
Another since-removed report from MSN claimed the Leafs "hid Samsonov away from the media" and called the Russian's actions a "disappointment," along with "foolish and unnecessary."
Eventually, at least seven NHL players refused to participate in Pride activities, leading the league to announce that teams would no longer wear “Pride”-themed jerseys during warm-ups, which bothered some of the league’s most woke players.
Not to worry, though. It took just a week for the league to announce a new Player Inclusion Coalition to help create a "safe space" and educate about the importance of diversity and inclusion.
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