In his Hall of Fame induction speech, LaDainian Tomlinson correctly asserted that football is a microcosm of America. They both contain people of all walks of life coming together for a common goal. However, football and sport as we know it is changing. Now more than ever, social issues have seeped through the once-sacred walls of the playing field, baseball diamond, and hardwood.
Sport is no longer purely a form of escapism but a platform for change and enlightenment. However, not everyone is willing to embrace the sporting world’s occasional pivot to social consciousness. The latest to speak out is another Hall of Famer: former Chicago Bears coach and All-Pro Tight End Mike Ditka.
Not All Of Us Understand
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Ditka was particularly vocal in his opinions on the current state of the NFL. The Super Bowl XX winner went on record with his vehemently opposition to the polarizing anthem demonstrations that have captivated and honestly divided our nation since Colin Kaepernick first took a seat some 14 months ago.
So What DID Ditka Say?
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During an interview with Jim Gray of Westwood One Radio, Ditka remarked that he doesn’t believe the players have anything to protest about. He was quoted as saying “there has been no oppression in the last 100 years,” and also that if players are so unhappy they should “go to another country and play football”.
Both these statements were not only egregious but the first was a flat-out lie. There are no facts to back up his argument. It does not help America’s racial divide, it only strengthens it.
The Ramifications
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People who share the mindset of the former Cowboys tight end do not understand or grasp just how hurtful that line of thinking is. To ignore a century’s worth of racial injustice is tantamount to a slap in the face to 13% of the nation’s population. The insensitivity that comes with making such comments is not only hurtful but somewhat cruel. To proclaim that black and brown people’s trials and tribulations are essentially imaginary is egregious.
There is nothing worse than crying out for help and being ignored and essentially being accused of lying. If we are to grow and prosper as a nation, we cannot under any circumstances allow this toxic thinking to burrow into our collective consciousness. We have to fight it. We have to resist, or risk going backwards.
The Truth Of The Matter
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Maybe the Carnegie, Pennsylvania native just was not aware of the enactment of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1968 mandating fair treatment in voting and housing rights.
Or maybe he slept through the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and Medgar Evers and the emergence of Jim Crow laws in the south.
Who knows, he might even not have been able to get a newspaper the day 14-year old Emmit Till was taken from his aunt’s home and beaten to death for allegedly cat-calling a white woman.
Whatever the reason for Ditka’s ignorance of history and his lack of intent to start a dialogue, athletes and fans cannot allow it to distract us from the task at hand, and what we all need to do.
Moving Forward
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Before this piece had even finished being reviewed and published, Ditka had of course walked back his statement and half-apologized. Per SI.com:
“The characterization of the statement that I made does not reflect the context of the question that I was answering and certainly does not reflect my views throughout my lifetime,” Ditka said in a statement. “I have absolutely seen oppression in society in the last 100 years and I am completely intolerant of any discrimination. The interview was about the NFL and the related issues. That’s where my head was at. I was quoted in the interview stating, ‘You have to be colorblind.’ I stated that you should look at a person for what they are and not the color of their skin. I’m sorry if anyone was offended.”
However ,the damage has already been done. There is nothing he can do or say to take back the pain and angst he has caused. We can only sincerely hope that in the future, he thinks before he opens his mouth again about the demonstrations and the players involved.
Raising awareness is the main goal of these demonstrations. Professional athletes have one of if not the greatest platforms on earth. We should as fans and as a society implore them to use it.
Yes, they are millionaires. Yes, they can be somewhat removed from the hardships of the average person. But they are still human. They have an opportunity and an enshrined Constitutional right to speak for the voiceless and marginalized.
We just have to be willing to listen.