This seems to be a divisive issue lately.

Fans do not attend sports events to be subjected to politics.  When NFL players decided to kneel during the anthem, I was disgusted....but then I remembered, when these assholes knelt, they were in perfect position to be kicked in the face!  

"When NFL players decided to kneel during the anthem"

do you see what you did there

fans are subjected to politics soon as an anthem is played. Its the patriot game. Armies thrive on that shit

The anthem is played as a sign of respect to his country.  Many nations restrict who can play a sport and who can't, my country doesn't follow those dictates.  How often do you disrespect YOUR country...especially in public???? Why should someone who has paid to see a sport be subjected to politics? In America, we respect the anthem no matter which party is in office!

So take the anthem outta sports. serves no purpose. sign of respect my arse. your country is more insecure than God ffs, kids can't even go school without pledging aliegence to a flag every morning

It is obvious that you have no knowledge of my country OR THE WORLD!  My country is the ONLY power the rest of the world comes to for support.  Your country?  Well...who the hell cares?

PoetWarrior said:It is obvious that you have no knowledge of my country OR THE WORLD!  My country is the ONLY power the rest of the world comes to for support.  Your country?  Well...who the hell cares?


world number 1 in Rugby

Won golf open two days ago

ranked 22 in soccer

Katie Taylor World number 1 boxer multiple weights

I can go on but what's the point...


Terms of topic:

Must be tough for athletes when their country is banned from an event, a wold event which they've trained for, Olympics


It would have been a decent gesture if teams had at least threatened to pull out of the Qatar world Cup if certain human rights issues were not righted

or indeed if Fifa as an entity refused to let the games be played in such a place in the first place.

I wasn't talking about "sports" when I referred to a nation's value.  Sports are not what the world is all about.  By leaning on "sports" as your justification, you only unmasked how inconsequential your country is.  The argument (if that's what it was) is now over.  I gain nothing when I embarrass you.

Not that I don’t enjoy a good willy-bashing contest, but could we try to have this remain a discussion?

Casted_Runes said:Not that I don’t enjoy a good willy-bashing contest, but could we try to have this remain a discussion?


I've said my piece and have nothing more to add.  I will ignore any further argument.

Casted_Runes said:Not that I don’t enjoy a good willy-bashing contest, but could we try to have this remain a discussion?


I don't see there is a way to separate the two.  in the case of football / soccer I think money is the dark matter which binds them both.

Premier leagues across Europe  : UK, French Spanish, Italian, Portugal etc  all generate a serious amount of money

clubs elect presidents, board members all that jazz

during the pandemic some sports were classed elite sports (I think soccer and rugby were 2 of them) and so got more freedom to carry on than others

then of course the anthems. in fairness they create a nice atmosphere at the start of international fixtures

some clubs / fans adopt songs.

you'll always hear Liverpool fans sing you'll never walk alone. and they'll mean it (god bless the scouse) and most probably always hear them sing The fields of Athenroy

Irish rugby team adopted a song  Ireland standing tall or some such. had to sit through the national anthem first then the other fkn song before the game got going. I'd be happy if they dropped the national one and went with the song

English rugby fans sing swing low sweet chariot. so mu h better than that national one

I tend to agree. "Not being subjected to politics" is a luxury that most of the world, including, ironically, many of the people so vehemently opposed to players "taking the knee" and such, can't afford. How many people who watch football live lives significantly lessened by the financial and social policies of their rulers?

Also, demanding that players be penalised for kneeling as opposed to standing during the state's chosen representative music is in itself a political act. Surely if you don't want football to be about politics, you'd let the players kneel and focus on the game, regardless of whether you agree with the gesture or not.

To be fair the kneel is also political, so for the sake of balance you'd have to take that out too. yeah there's the right to protest, can do that outside the stadium with their people then go play the sports


shouldn't really have to protest but apparently it doesn't really matter no more

president of Fifa during a press conference couple of days ago put down any thoughts about human rights which included  the following phrase :

Today...... I feel African

Today...... I feel Asian


Today......... (long pause)

                    I feel gay



he was having a go at what one might call Karen's but also those who surf protests cause they're the in-thing at that particular time


I think he's a bit of a slimeball myself but also thought he was half right


I'll edit this for clarity:

my words or any words I claim to be mine so far on this thread  arent aimed at our host. Mr Ruins is lit

It would seem simply perverse and inhuman if sports and politics were kept completely separate; large gatherings will almost inevitably have some politics connected to them.
By that I mean the 'vanilla' or 'basic' politics based on location and culture. What could be described as 'banter' or friendly rivalry; highlighting of differences to create a 'us' and 'them' dynamic. A dynamic that feeds upon the differences and doesn't actually want everyone to be the same; where one side is not objectively better than the other.

The problem seems to be when differences and actions are curtailed or banned or frowned upon. Where expression is repressed, because the underlying issue is not being addressed.
The sad truth seeming to be that the rolling bandwagon of today's rallying cry, that changes from one thing to the next, highlights that issues still exist and Utopia is but a dream.

Politics in Sport can get to a very large audience, a very interested and passionate audience; they are invested in the sport and are inclined to invest time and thought into any associated politics. This is better than having sport as strange physical only thing, that doesn't dare challenge any status quo, for fear of having some purpose other than simply sport.

It annoys me that some people want things to be one thing only and nothing more: as if life, the universe, and everything, is not a complex wondrous thing.
It is possible to have sport, with politics on the side as a light garnish that hardly anyone notices or cares for. The whole concept of teams is irrevocably attached to politics, but it is a nice watered-down familiar version that isn't particularly new or interesting.

When most fans pay to attend sports events, they are not paying to see millionaire "athletes" display their political opinions.  That's why they don't call Football games "Football and Politics games."