Sport and Politics

Tucker Schmidt

          In class on February 26, 2015, we discussed political involvement in sport. Throughout this section, we were able to define politics, government, and globalization. Politics can be defined as a social process through which individuals and groups acquire, exercise, and maintain power over others. Another segment of this topic that we went over was protests. A perfect example was when Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists at the podium to stand up for the African-American population. This was important because African-Americans were looked down on and they had been poorly treated for years. Activism is a big part of this section, as people stand up for what they believe in and take action for their beliefs. These are just a few of the reasons why politics in sport is a major topic.

          Donna de Varona was an American Olympic swimmer who was named the world's top female athlete in 1964. She also is known as the person who broke the gender barrier in sport broadcasting when she became a broadcaster for "Wide World of Sports" for ABC. When she became a broadcaster, Donna de Varona became an activist in many ways. One thing that she did was that she convinced Roone Arledge to hire more African-Americans to become commentators for ABC. She also took action when she noticed several things wrong with the Olympics in 1972. She urged Congress to change amateur sports in the United States. She even worked for the Senate and created an Olympic sport structure. Along with Suzy Chaffee and Billie Jean King, the Women's Sports Foundation was founded. She also helped with the Special Olympics. Donna de Varona has made several great contributions to sport. This article makes sense for this class because it deals with political issues and activism.

Link: http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2015/03/02/Champions/Donna-de-Varona.aspx?hl=donna%20de%20varona&sc=0