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6 hours showed that the biggest difference between the NBA and NFL is a willingness to take a stand
Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
On Wednesday, just six hours apart from each other, the NFL and NBA made clear their respective views of the role sports in modern society.
The NFL released its new policy surrounding the national anthem, requiring players to stand or stay in the locker room, a move that silences players who had been protesting against police brutality in an attempt to "stick to sports."
Conversely, the Milwaukee Bucks stood by rookie Sterling Brown after body-cam footage was released of police tackling and tasing him despite his compliance.
Contrary to what the NFL believes, the league may be better off taking a moral stance on some issues rather than attempting to please everyone and remain apolitical.
In just six hours, the NFL and NBA showed just how wide the gap is between the two leagues regarding how they view the role of sports in modern society.
Wednesday afternoon, the NFL announced its new policy regarding the playing of the national anthem before games. In 2017, ongoing player protests of police brutality and systemic racism throughout the criminal justice system — in the form of players kneeling during the anthem — had put the league under a microscope.
To return the focus of football back to football, the new policy mandates that players who elected to take the field for the national anthem stand and show proper respect — those who wish not to take part in the anthem can remain in the locker room as the song plays.
With the new rules, the league hoped to keep their sport apolitical, appeasing those that loudly claimed that player protest was somehow disrespectful to the flag, and preventing players from using the moment to bring attention to an issue beyond football.
Unfortunately for the league, that thinking is emblematic of the mistake the NFL has been making throughout its entire mishandling of the anthem outrage — attempting to "stick to sports" when it's clear that that is no longer an option.
Milwaukee Police / YouTube
Just hours after the NFL passed their new policy, the Milwaukee Police Department released video of Bucks Sterling Brown being arrested and tased by police.
The incident took place in January. Brown was initially questioned for having been illegally parked at a Walgreens. Police took him to the ground and called for a taser despite no signs of resistance from Brown.
It was precisely the type of interaction that players like Colin Kaepernick were trying to bring more attention to, and prevent in the future.
In response, Brown announced his intention to take legal action against the police. His statement appeared on the team’s site, along with an assurance from the Bucks organization that they would back their player 100%, saying "racial biases and abuses of power must not be ignored."
Rather than shy away from the politics of the situation, the Milwaukee Bucks decided to embrace it, and in doing so acknowledged how the organization's role in their community goes beyond basketball.
They’re not the only team. In March the city of Sacramento was shaken after Stephon Clark, an unarmed black man, was killed by police. Protesters marched through the streets, shutting down the entrance to the Kings' arena and forcing many ticket holders to miss the game.
After the game, Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé addressed the crowd, recognizing the protesters' right to march and be heard, and offering a message of unity moving forward.
"On Sunday we had a horrific, horrific tragedy in our community," Ranadivé began, going on to offer sympathies to the Clark family from the entire Kings organization.
"We at the Kings recognize people's ability to protest peacefully, and we respect that. We here at the Kings recognize that we have a big platform. It's a privilege, but it's also a responsibility. It's a responsibility that we take very seriously."
"We stand here before you, old, young, black, white, brown, and we are all united in our commitment. We recognize that it's not just business as usual, and we are going to work really hard to bring everybody together to make the world a better place, starting with our own community, and we're going to work really hard to prevent this kind of tragedy from happening again."
He embraced the moment, realizing there was something bigger at play than that night’s attendance numbers or the outcome of the game. He showed basic human empathy towards the unjust loss of life and asked that those whose night might have been disturbed do the same.
AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli
The NBA is consistent in this sense. Head coaches Steve Kerr and Gregg Popovich have become modern philosophers of sorts, often openly speaking their minds on social and political matters, whether it's gun violence in America or a proposed travel ban.
Kerr spoke out against the the NFL's recent rule change on Thursday.
"I'm proud to be in a league that understands patriotism in America is about free speech and peaceful protesting. I think our leadership in the NBA understands when the NFL players were kneeling, they were kneeling to protest police brutality, to protest racial inequality. They weren't disrespecting the flag or the military. But our president has decided to make it about that, and the NFL followed suit, pandered to their fanbase, created this hysteria."
The response was Kerr, off the cuff, responding to a question a reporter had asked him. His answer was pitch perfect not because it's focused on pleasing anyone who might ever watch basketball in the next decade, but rather because it comes from his true beliefs as a human being that exists in a world that goes beyond the basketball court.
Had the NFL taken a similar stance as soon as the protests began to become a firestorm of controversy, chances are everyone could've moved on to being angry about something else a lot sooner.
The NFL backed itself into a corner, and it happened due to a lack of empathy and conviction. The vital difference between the two leagues is not their rules regarding the national anthem — the NBA has a similar policy requiring players to stand — but rather how they view the role that their organizations play in our society.
The NBA has shown time and time again a willingness to engage beyond basketball. It's far from perfect, but by operating from that position as a default, representatives of the league — be they players, coaches, owners, or the teams themselves — feel freer to express true feelings on subjects off the court, and have faith that the broader world of basketball will support them. They've embraced a role in society that goes beyond dribbling for the entertainment of the masses.
In contrast, the NFL watched as their season got hijacked by a conversation they didn't want to have, and in response, attempted to appease the loudest voices in the room. Rather than standing by their players and risk wading into political waters, the league decided to punt and only caused itself more harm.
Trump has already suggested that players that don't wish to stand for the anthem should leave the country, so their effort of appeasement fell short. And now, when Week 1 of the 2018 season rolls around, the focus will primarily be not on the excitement the new year has to offer, but the implementation of the new policy.
Which players will choose to stay in the locker room? Will any players defy the new rules by kneeling anyways? How much will their teams be fined?
Maybe with their latest misstep, the NFL will realize that there is no such thing as "sticking to sports" in 2018, no matter how much they might dislike it.
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