Let us find unity in sports; keep politics out of the arena

This past week, professional sports cracked Pandora’s Box wide open, injecting politics into our arenas and stadiums. We will be worse for it.

In the era of cancel culture and intolerance, let me begin by saying that I believe black lives matter (the issue, not the organization); we should be vigilant and proactive to ensure that our criminal justice system functions equally for all. I believe all professional athletes have the right to use their fame and fortunes — and they have fortunes (league minimum salaries for: NFL: $480k, MLB: $563k, NBA: $893k) — to advance their political and social justice issues.

But, please, keep it outside of the arena.

American sports history is replete with professional athletes making impactful political statements. Muhammad Ali’s refusal to be inducted into the U.S. Army during Vietnam and Tommie Smith’s powerful fist at the 1968 Olympics are two of the most prominent. The Nuggets’ Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf was protesting our National Anthem when Colin Kaepernick was in 2nd grade. These actions share two things in common with nearly every other such important moment in major league sports-politics history: they were unofficial and did not take place during competition. The line between politics and sports has been drawn around the arena, and when it was crossed, leagues would step in to ensure it was an anomaly.

That line has been erased. We have recently seen “black lives matter” painted on the NBA bubble courts. We are soon to see various racism-related messages painted in end zones during whatever season the NFL can put together. Socio-political issues increasingly adorn NBA warm-up jerseys. The Atlanta Dream, a WNBA team partially owned by Sen. Kelly Loeffler, wore pre-game t-shirts campaigning for Loeffler’s opponent for this November’s election. Why? Because Loeffler dared to take issue with the hasty decision and manner in which the WNBA rolled out its unqualified support of black lives matter without first consulting team owners.

In the past, games were canceled and lost to player strikes and lockouts over money. Last week, for the first time, games were canceled — or rather rescheduled, er … maybe boycotted — to accommodate player protests over events with social and political overtones. These acts of protest were largely costless. Commercials got played, players got paid, and no fans were dismayed by being turned away at the arena doors. Had a game been canceled just as Coloradans arrived with their families, hard-earned tickets in their hands, the public response would have been far less supportive.

This is an unprecedented level of political activism inside arenas and the game itself.

“But it’s their only platform to push for important social change,” some say. Nope.

That platform exists outside of the stadium based upon the fame and millions of dollars they earn for their performance inside the stadium. It is a platform built by and for fans — nobody else. Here’s the risk: if professional sports goes away tomorrow, we fans still would be here. Grumpy and bored on Sundays in the fall, but still here. If fans go away for less confrontational and controversial pastimes, professional sports go away with us, as do the fame, millions … and the platform.

The well of fan affection for professional athletes is deep, but it is not bottomless.

Some say “it’s just about ending racism. That’s not controversial.” True … if that were the only message.

But it is not. It is wrapped up in condemnation of the entire law enforcement profession as racists who wantonly kill countless innocent people of color with impunity. It is intentionally and inextricably intertwined with an indictment of our very country as one founded for the purpose of perpetuating white supremacy. These controversial accusations should be debated and addressed … outside the sports arena, not on the field or court.

What would be the response to the league taking on other massive political and social issues? How about “unborn lives matter” in an end zone, “no person is illegal” on the court, “believe the women” under center ice? Are those issues less important?

This is not a question of “can,” but of “should.” This is not a privileged demand, but a respectful plea.

Let hard-working Coloradans have these few places for these few moments where we can bring our families to celebrate elite athletic competition free of controversial political issues. Please don’t include in the already-ridiculous price of attending a game the subjecting of kids to seeing their player-heroes refuse to stand for the flag their dad wore on his shoulder in Iraq, or endorsing an indictment of our peace officers.

During these politically brutal and divisive times, please let us continue to find unity in highfiving and hugging total strangers when Von crushes Derek Carr, Kemp smashes another homer, or Murray puts up 50, without care that those fans also didn’t stand for our national anthem or that they support the doomsday candidate.

Pretty please with “Go Nugs and Avs” on top, re-draw that line around the arena, and don’t let stadiums become Twitterized.