Teaching ethics, I am frequently asked what my thoughts have been on the “kneeling vs. standing” controversy in sports. It is a no-win question. It is a “are you still cheating on your spouse?” question. For the question is not just about race, it is about politics, business, privilege and sports. They are inter-related of course, but each component must be dissected and discussed. Confusing ethics with social commentary: The Lazo Soccer Team
The big mistake that a lot of pontificators fail to understand is that sports are a part of our society, not apart from it. When men and women step onto a field of play they can’t leave their off-the-field identities and develop whole new personalities. Ethics neither supports nor rejects an athlete’s decision to sit, stand or kneel unless it might be a specific violation of a written contract. The NFL protests are a matter of conscience and personal belief. In no protest did I witness player violence or cursing or mockery.
Some in the stands believe that quietly kneeling during the anthem equated with disrespecting the sacrifices of the military and the flag. The connection is a reach. Do I wish everyone on the field stood with hands over their hearts? If I did, then I would sure as heck hope that every fan in the stands was doing the same thing, but they don’t. They don’t even come close. The players were staging what they felt was a respectful, non-violent protest against social injustice. You can agree or disagree, and so can the owners and the league. They seem to have worked things out. So, the athletes for the most part were giving us a social commentary. Not one word was uttered against the military and no one burned a flag. Again, ethics is not social commentary, but massive hypocrisy could qualify as unethical.
The Stands
Have you been to a football game lately? Have you studied many of the fans? The fans who attend games are a much broader cross section of society than the players on the field. While most are decent folks. Some are outright jerks. My observation? About 60% the fans mumble or sing the national anthem. The other 40% could care less. The others are either scratching unknown body parts, talking, drinking, eating or whatever. Some forget to remove hats. So, my question to them is: “What are you protesting?” If I am forced to apply an ethical filter to the athletes on the basis of patriotism and respect for the flag, what about the 19-year-old guy in the stands who is sending a text to his girlfriend while gulping down a beer?
According to the Veterans Administration about 7% of all Americans have been, or are in the military. At a 60,000-seat stadium, maybe 4,000 to 5,000 are active duty or veterans. The point being that most of the angry fans up there have not served.
Given the current state of the VA Hospitals and the woefully underfunded nonprofits who help veterans, it’s a pretty safe guess that most of those protesting the protestors, haven’t done much to honor the fallen or those whose bodies were shattered it combat.
When I am asked about the “ethical” issues surrounding the NFL protests, I must admit to answering in this manner: “Are you asking about the athletes who are making a social comment or a percentage of the fans who are hypocrites?”
A great many NFL athletes have visited VA hospitals and have helped veterans causes. Many are veterans or have family members in the military. I cannot defend nor chide their standing, sitting or kneeling from an ethical point of view, but I look up to the stands and honestly ask some of the fans if their opinions are based on a personal sense of deep patriotism and ethics or whether they are going along with the crowd.
Lazo
Now I want to take us on a ride to Rome, Italy and to the Lazo Soccer Team, of course a professional team. The team is known worldwide not for the excellence of its play, but for the racism and anti-Semitism of its fans.
Lazo came to international prominence 20 years ago, when fans at a game unfurled a 50’ long banner saying to the other team: “Auschwitz Is Your Homeland; The Ovens Are Your Homes.”
Many nations suffered in WWII, Italy was no stranger to death and destruction. Many Italian Jews were hauled off to concentration camps. What did some of the Lazo fans learn from history? Nothing. Just last week, they littered the stands with images of Anne Frank wearing the rival team’s jersey. In an earlier game this season Lazo fans apparently mocked black players by chanting racist chants.
The team ownership is constantly apologizing for fan behavior. The behavior has reached parliament. The Prime Minister of Italy is outraged (sound familiar?) and the club’s owner has even offered to organize trips to Auschwitz for young Lazo fans to educate them. Nice gesture, but it needs to start at home.
The Lazo players are baffled at the idiot fans in the stands. They just want to play. I am sure the Lazo fans belt out the patriotic songs at the start of each match and they would go nuts if they saw an athlete stomp on the Italian flag. But it has never happened.
Before we examine protests on the field of play, we had better balance that with who we all are off the field. Confusing Ethics with Social Commentary: The Lazo Soccer Team
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