While we may not want to relate sports to politics, there is no getting around the fact that the two are and have always been interwoven. The NFL for example, threatened to pull the 1993 Super Bowl out of Arizona, because the state didn’t recognize a holiday for Martin Luther King Jr.
No matter what way you look at it, sports have always been used as a forum to express political views. And according to a recent article at kens5.com, Arizona’s new immigration law has just become the latest political issue to be debated within the world of sports.
On Wednesday night, the Phoenix Suns NBA team wore “Los Suns” jerseys. The decision was reportedly made by Suns owner Robert Sarver, who described the new Arizona law as flawed and mean-spirited. The gesture may have been subtle, but the message was still clear.
San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich applauded the gesture, and said that the Spurs would have also worn similar jerseys, had the team had a black road version of the jersey available. But it looks like some want the Spurs to make a rather bolder statement than just wearing jerseys.
Robert Vazquez – the President of the Latino Internet network, La Red Latina – wants the Spurs to boycott game one of the playoff series against the Suns. Vazquez said that the team should seriously consider cancelling their upcoming Western Conference semi-final opener.
There’s no doubt at all that such a bold move would generate immense attention toward Arizona’s new law, but isn’t it going that little bit too far? What do you guys think?
