A Cultural Awakening

It was 2017, and the final year of my university undergrad. I found myself taking a rhetoric course as a last-ditch effort to find an alternative to my language credit. Our final report required me to propose an idea that could make change in the world. In my small dorm room, Raptors game in the background, the idea hit me: what if sports could be the anchor for change? I thought about the current social environment of the world; Donald Trump was only a year into his Presidential term. White Supremacist and Neo-Nazi rallies were unfolding in Charlottesville, Virginia, and Colin Kaepernick of the NFL was peacefully protesting social injustice and police brutality. I ended up writing on—Why the NBA is the Perfect Platform to Address Racism—but let's revisit my original question. What if sports could be an anchor for positive change in the world?

As much as we like to deny it, the reality is, sports and social justice have always intersected. We are all aware of the famous line "shut up and dribble," but such comments have never been sufficient to shut athletes up. My idea for sports as a change-maker began in 2017—so what is happening in 2020? Let's take a look at three professional sporting leagues to examine how a social awakening is happening in sports today.

NBA

In 2017 I believed the NBA was the perfect platform to address racism and social injustice in America. This holds true today. From players wearing alternative nameplates like 'Education Reform" or "Say her Name," or kneeling for the Canadian and American National Anthems' (i.e., Toronto Raptors), NBA players have been bold in their approach to addressing racial injustice and police brutality. And why not? Take LeBron James, for example. James is the clear face of the NBA with 54 million Instagram followers, and 44 million on Twitter, while many other players have enormous followings too. With this platform, NBA players have political and cultural power in America and are having a definite impact on the youth of tomorrow.

Any professional sporting league need only look to the NBA on how to collectively advocate for change. During the unprecedented year of 2020—playing basketball in a bubble amidst Black Lives Matter Protests—players, NBA owners, and league representatives have been phenomenal in addressing that which matters while maintaining the integrity of a game we love.

Professional Football

Addressing racism, injustice, and police brutality has been a different story in North America's two most established professional football leagues. Over the last couple of months, professional football has been treated to two team name changes. One in the NFL and one in the CFL—but let's keep our focus in the North.

The Edmonton Football Club recently and controversially removed the long-time team nickname 'Eskimos' much to the dismay of many fans of the football team itself and the CFL. Anyone from Canada knows the respect and love we have for the CFL—it’s part of our communities, and it’s in our blood. We LOVE the CFL—and because of that, I firmly believe Canadians and the fans feel a sense of entitlement over the league and its teams. 

Fans have made it known their sheer disgust for the name change, and quite frankly, many of the comments I've seen are egregious and shameful. Call me a snowflake, tell me I'm triggered, but try to understand, this is part of a more extensive societal process of decolonization. 

In the past, the term Eskimo was thought to be a way of honouring a group of people. Today, that word no longer holds the meaning it once did. The word Eskimo is derogatory and discriminatory and simply should not be used to refer to a football team. Indigenous culture in Canada is rich and far-reaching—and today it is known that Eskimo people are Inuit people. This is the proper term, and we must respect that. At the end of the day, the product on the field and the determination of a team decides wins and losses.

NHL

The NHL is just an infant when it comes to addressing racism and social injustice. Unlike its counterparts in football and basketball, the overall league make-up is predominantly white males who have grown up in a 'western' style society. As a former hockey player myself, I never played on teams that had diversity. I do not think this to be a bad thing; however, in retrospect, this environment has undoubtedly perpetuated ideas of racism.

Although behind in the conversation on racism and social injustice, I have nothing but praise for NHL players taking a stand. Now recognize something here. I said NHL Players—not team owners or the league itself—which, frankly, has done a poor job in their scripted effort to address racism in the world and in hockey.

Thankfully, players like Matthew Dumba, Evander Kane, Wayne Simmonds, Trevor Daley, Chris Stewart, and former NHL'ers Joel Ward and Akim Aliu, formed the Hockey Diversity Alliance which has a mission to "eradicate racism and intolerance in hockey." NHL stars like Jonathon Toews and Tyler Seguin have also stepped up when it matters most, publicly stating their support for racial tolerance. Tyler Seguin even joined several players in taking a knee in protest against police brutality in America.

This is the start needed for the NHL—and I would venture to say, in no way have these conversations or movements diminished the quality of play. The hockey has been tremendous, and NHL players are stepping up to advocate for change in the world.

Next Steps

The movements we are seeing in the professional sporting world are here to stay. They’ve been met with aggression, negativity, bitterness, and complete outrage, but it’s still happening. This is precisely what sports are trying to do. It's making you angry; it's making you uncomfortable. You threaten not to watch, but we all know you will. The conversation is happening. Change is happening. Embrace it or be miserable forever…your call.