5 dumbest sports controversies of 2015

2. Whenever an athlete speaks out

This is a bit of a catch-all award, but it’s worth including. Fans and pundits still don’t treat athletes like people — as humans with agency to express themselves and their opinions — and it’s maddening. Expecting athletes to be emotionless automatons put on this earth to sweat for the entertainment of bellowing drunkards is beyond ridiculous, yet whenever an athlete or group of athletes dared to speak out about a social issue in 2015 — pick an issue, any issue — up went the cries of “stick to sports” and “nobody cares” and “I’m a big baby who can’t handle it when someone who can dunk a ball or catch a touchdown pass expresses an opinion.”

(OK, one of those is made up.)

At the bottom of the idiocy barrel here is the recently proposed bill, written in response to the protests at the University of Missouri this autumn, that would strip college athletes of their athletic scholarships for participating in strikes. Yes, in the year 2015 someone — Republic Rep. Rick Brattin, if you must know — wants to curtail athletes’ freedom of political speech. If that’s not the grossest example of “stick to sports” ever, I don’t know what is.

Here’s the thing: you don’t have to agree with the political opinions athletes choose to express. There’s no requirement in that regard. But it’s unreasonable to demand that athletes stay quiet, that they avoid participating in wider cultural conversations. Sports are a part of culture. Sports have political elements. You can’t just close your eyes and stuff your fingers in your ears and deny those truths. You certainly don’t have to like what’s said, but to act as if forced silence is the better option is untenable.

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