The current media coverage of sports and nationalism has dominated the conversation in reference to the National Football League and kneeling during the national anthem. There is a fierce debate over whether or not sports should even be used as a platform to express disapproval of broader societal issues such as institutional racism or police brutality. Regardless of personal opinions on this debate, it does bring to light the previously taken-for-granted connections between sports and nationalism. Sports have been used as a political platform in the U.S. dating back to World War I. It was at this time that the national anthem was sung before games to rally American citizens during war. Sports uniforms in baseball and football commonly have the American flag attached to them.

The protesting of the national anthem, however, is not a phenomenon exclusive to the U.S. As reported by the New York Times, there have recently been protests by citizens who attend sports games in Hong Kong as opposed to the athletes. They turn their backs, boo or even raise their middle fingers when the Chinese national anthem is played. Hong Kong is an autonomous territory in China where there have been calls for independence, resulting in tension between Hong Kong citizens and the Chinese government. In response to these protests, the Chinese legislature passed a national anthem law that prohibits “disrespect of the anthem…and outlines punishments for people who do not ‘stand with respect’ and ‘maintain a dignified bearing’ when it is played.” It is unclear whether this new law will directly affect Hong Kong, but it certainly reflects an effort to crack down on freedom of expression.

Another example is the Korean athlete, Sohn Kee-Chung, who won the gold medal in the marathon at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Korea was under Japanese occupation at the time. Therefore, Sohn was forced to represent Japan and take on a Japanese name, Son Kitei. Other than being the first Korean to medal at the Olympic Games, he became well-known for bowing his head in defiance during the Japanese Anthem at the medal ceremony. He also used an oak tree given to the gold medalist to cover up the Japanese flag on his uniform. A Korean newspaper blurred out the Japanese flag in photos of Sohn which resulted in the Japanese government shutting down the newspaper as well as imprisoning eight of its journalists.

As seen through history and the current situation, the question moves past simply whether or not sports are an appropriate platform for political dissent. It has and continues to serve as one. We must instead focus on how we as a nation will react to the protests. Are we truly any better in handling political dissent than China or Japan if President Trump can call for the firing of NFL players and Colin Kaepernick remains unemployed? Our reaction more so than the action itself says more about us as a nation. Right now, we are sending the message that those who express discontent will have repercussions even in a democracy and it does not look good on our part. Sports serve as a microcosm for society and we must be more cognizant of how these ties between nationalism and sports define our values as a society.