Top 10 Famous Protests in Sports

In April 2010, the state of Arizona passed a new law aimed at cracking down on immigration. Several members of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns organization, including then-owner Robert Sarver, were not in favor of the law. To express their discontent and protest, the team wore their alternate “Los Suns” jerseys. Worn during games commemorating hispanic and latino cultures, players sported the jerseys on May 5th, 2010, on Cinco de mayo, during a playoff game against the San Antonio Spurs. The move was applauded by many, including former NBA commissioner David Stern.

During the 2004 MLB season, Puerto-Rican first baseman Carlos Delgado heavily opposed the wars which were taking place in Iraq and Afghanistan. To protest this during games, he took it upon himself to not stand or be anywhere on the field whenever the song “God Bless America” was being played. Interestingly, although there were a few who criticized his move, Delgado was for the vast majority not condemned for his actions, and nor was he fined.

In 1965, New Orleans, Louisiana was set to host the AFL All-Star Game. However, things went awry before the game could even be played. Prior to even setting foot on the field, African-American players set to participate reported being harshly mistreated whilst in the city. And that’s putting it lightly. It got so bad that players protested and refused to play in the game. The commissioner of the AFL, Joe Foss, sided with the players, and the game was then relocated to the city of Houston.

In 1961, the Boston Celtics were set to play an exhibition game in the city of Lexington, Kentucky. Prior to the match, two African American members of the team were refused service at a local restaurant. This was brought to the attention of the team’s superstar, Bill Russell, who, in response, led a boycott.The team’s African-American players subsequently refused to play in the scheduled game. A number of members of the opposing club, St. Louis Hawks, also indicated that they wouldn’t participate and joined the boycott. Although Celtics head coach Red Auerbach tried to convince his players to look the other way, it was to no avail. Much like Muhammad Ali, Russell had just as much if not more of an impact outside of his sport, especially when it came to civil rights.

In 1970, several Black players on Syracuse’s football team could no longer tolerate the overly discriminatory treatment they were receiving. The extremely unfair rules imposed on them were so cruel, to the point where they were prohibited from traveling with the team on the road on several occasions. In addition to being angry at the lack of diversity in their coaching staff, they soon took matters into their own hands. What started out initially as a boycott of practice by these players soon after escalated to the entire season when their demands weren’t being met. However, the bold move paid off, as an investigation into Syracuse’s athletic department unveiled the rampant corruption they were exposed to. The university has since pushed more efforts into ensuring this behavior is no longer present and that African American athletes are treated more fairly.

In the early days of professional tennis, it was no secret that men were compensated significantly more prize money in comparison to women while competing in tournaments. In response, Billie Jean King decided to fight this. In addition to forming the Women’s Tennis Association in 1973, she also threatened to boycott that year’s edition of the U.S. Open. Soon after, her demands were met, and ever since then, the U.S. Open has annually awarded equal prize money to players from both the ATP and WTA. Several other tournaments over the years have since followed suit.

In 1996, NBA player Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf sparked outrage when he refused to stand for the National Anthem, believing it to symbolize both tyranny and oppression across the United States. He was subsequently suspended by the NBA for his actions. After his suspension, both Abdul-Rauf and the NBA worked on a compromise where he would stand for the national anthem prior to games under the condition that he may be able to pray while doing so. Despite his return, his playing time decreased. To make matters worse, he continued to be mocked and criticized by media outlets and fans alike. Soon after, he was traded and upon his contract expiring, played in Europe before attempting a brief comeback with the Vancouver Grizzlies. Many, including Abdul-Rauf himself, believe his actions spelled the end to his once promising career.

Leading up to and during the 2016 NFL regular season, then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was unhappy with the treatment of African-Americans in the United States, as well as the country’s current social and political climate. To express his outrage, the quarterback proceeded to kneel during the singing of the national anthem prior to games. Kaepernick’s actions sparked outrage and many divided opinions. The controversy snowballed after the regular season when Kaepernick became a free agent. Since then, and as of the time of writing, Kaepernick has yet to be signed by an NFL team. Despite holding several workouts and even filing a lawsuit against the NFL (which went on to be settled), Kaepernick still hopes to play for an NFL team.

Muhammad Ali is considered a trailblazer in sports for several reasons; his skill, demeanor, trash talk and, his political activism. Already a notable figure and force in the world of boxing, Ali’s reputation would only grow beyond the ring upon being inducted into the U.S. army to participate in the Vietnam war. Against the very nature of war and partaking in violence of any sort, Ali refused. The punishment was swift, and this included being stripped of his heavyweight title, a $10,000 fine and a three-year ban from boxing. Ali is frequently credited for paving the way for other athletes to speak more freely and openly support causes they believe in.

There’s been several notable instances when athletes have used the Olympics as a platform to make political statements and support causes. But there is perhaps no instance more memorable than the one which took place during the 1968 Summer Olympics. After participating in the 200-meter race and receiving their medals, African-American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos went to the podium. As they stood and their country’s national anthem was played, both men lifted their fists to show solidarity towards oppressed African Americans and protest racial discrimination. While the response was divisive, with some going so far as to condemn both men for their actions, many have since applauded them for their courage and the image of what transpired remains one of the most iconic in all of sports.

What athlete protest do you think was most successful? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.