Politics has been allowed into sport because commercial interests have been allowed to control politics.

It's not a coincidence

Every opportunity is now used to enforce right think, which itself is designed to make someone more profit.

I find myself in agreement with this. Even if certain causes are worth highlighting, I'd rather individuals or groups highlight it off their own backs. As soon as something becomes commercial, it's essentially a business decision and not often based on genuine support for a cause. These businesses would happily hold the exact opposite view in a different culture if that was the profitable move.

I believe we should scrap the monarchy, therefore playing god save the queen at the start of the FA cup final is a political statement. Never called for it to be scrapped though, just let it happen.

Its impossible to keep politics out of football because the definition of politics is nearly impossible to define. Is showing solidarity behind Ukraine politics? Or is it showing that the country almost universally showing how they feel about the whole thing?

Probably both. I think you dont like it because you dont agree with the message. I don't know what the technical term for a right wing tankie is but before this war there were a lot of them lurking around here...

Cheers! Yes, well meaning consideration, and putting yourself in others shoes, is surely a positive especially when accompanied by something more than just a gesture (tho I appreciate that short of a slapping someone in the face repeatedly, EVERYTHING now including breathing is classified as 'virtue signalling'). It doesn't have to be part of politically pushed or commercialised band wagon of the moment through as you say, as that is often a bit 'token' and preachy while achieving very little - before moving onto the next thing.

I guess in football Rashford is the prime example of someone who has publicly tried to push and help certain causes with a bit of passion attached, but he gets flack from some quarters and 'why don't you just play football', so I guess doing anything opens you up to criticism really. Just have do the what you feel is the right thing for the right reasons in life I suppose, and tune out the noise .

I'd agree to an extent with that.

While I don't agree with the far leftist view that everything is racist, I've always thought that....to an extent....that everything is political for the very reason that the 'political' can be seen far more generally while I'd argue that the racial is more a subset and distinct.

Nevertheless I think it's just best for sport to try very hard not to be political precisely because that divides and excludes....sport is meant to be an escape, not thought messaging.

One of the only sports to keep politics....or rather change, away from its events is boxing. Boxing seems inherently conservative....not in the political sense but in the conserving sense. It's one of the reasons it's been doing very well.

Edited by Stirlingsays (15 Mar 2022 8.01am)

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)

But at the same time let's not have more of an issue with a celebrity giving the middle finger, than Putins meat grinder of women and children.

I get how ridiculous celebrity contributions can often be, but with the Russia invasion we also see the cowardice from the other perspective of people scared of Putin not getting his way. This lot are lot deserving of each other in my view.