Prioritize democracy over sports
Amidst the chaos and uncertainty of COVID-19, my younger brother and I have been seeking more ways to keep ourselves occupied. One of our favorite distractions has been “The Last Dance,” ESPN’s documentary series chronicling the Chicago Bulls and their fabled basketball dynasty of the 1990s.
Seeing Michael Jordan navigate throngs of raving fans, Dennis Rodman drunkenly steal the limelight in glitzy Vegas casinos, or the masses of spectators at every game was simultaneously captivating and torturous. I felt excitement at the scenes of athletic triumph and envy toward those who witnessed them in person. But, most of all, I felt disappointment knowing that the same crowds I saw onscreen won’t be forming any time soon.
For sports fans, the lack of professional league play is among the most acute impacts of coronavirus, surprisingly or not. SSRS, a market research firm, found in March polling that over half of Americans watch sports to relax and get away from the news, a desire that has only been sharpened as coronavirus updates inundate us. Clearly, sports are integral to American culture, with the federal government’s efforts to restart professional play and Trump’s meetings with league commissioners emphasizing their institutional importance.
As sports leagues scramble to salvage their seasons, they’ve reached a consensus that any games played in the near future will be done so without fans spectating in person. This is a reasonable concession to make; an NBA or NHL game doesn’t inherently need fans to function. Yet, the prospect of watching games — even on a television broadcast — without fans sitting in the stadium has made many viewers uneasy. Indeed, that same March poll showed that, when asked how leagues should continue, fans were evenly split between resuming games without fans and simply cancelling the season.
We’re coming to the collective realization that our participation in spectator sports is one of their essential components, strengthening their efficacy as an entertainment vehicle and, more broadly, as social institutions. Leagues that sprawl continents and unite millions depend on us and our physical and social mobilization to function properly.
This is an empowering conclusion, and we should see that the lessons it teaches us are relevant for our understanding of an institution far more important than professional sports: our democracy.
It’s no secret that citizen participation in American democracy is among the lowest of all democracies in the world, particularly regarding voting in elections. During the 2018 elections, just 47% of New Mexicans turned out to vote. Unfortunately, that number marked a relatively high level of turnout for a midterm election.
We need to encourage each other to vote and demand each other be invested in our democracy. This is especially true for my generation, as turnout is always the lowest among people in their 20s and 30s, the same people who tend to be the most vocal in their distaste for the status quo. Our society is incredibly flawed, but we can
accelerate the changes we seek by institutionalizing the criticisms we voice on Twitter and Instagram via the ballot box.
So, please, reach out to the young people in your life — the recent high school or college graduate, your nieces and nephews, your students and employees, and remind them to fulfill their civic duty and vote.
I find it absurd that some are more upset that future NFL or NBA games won’t be played in front of crowds in roaring stadiums than about the lack of voter turnout in American elections, particularly at the local level. If you truly believe that professional sports won’t be as good without the fans participating, what do you think will happen when no one participates in democracy?
We cannot continue to complain about the lack of progress in our country while simultaneously disengaging from politics because we “don’t believe in the system.” After all, unlike basketball and football, democracy was never meant to be a spectator sport.