The politicization of sports and the lost art of sportsmanship

RICHARD A. SOKERKA

It’s that time of year when the Major League baseball divisional races are winding to a conclusion that leads to the World Series and when the high school, college, and National Football League seasons begin. For most sports fans, there is no better time of the year.

Yet, if we look at the ratings generated by most professional sports leagues, we see a steady decline in attendance and viewership. Some would point to the high cost of tickets, now out of the reach of most sports fans due to raging inflation and/or the cost of cable and streaming subscriptions to view sporting events.

Yet in reality, it is two factors. The combination of politicizing professional sports by team owners and league officials in trying to be “politically correct” or, should we say, “woke,” by jumping on every hot-button social issue of the day and professional athletes’ lack of sportsmanship in every phase of the game they play. These actions on and off the field are turning many fans off. They want to root for their team, not see their team supporting something they feel has nothing to do with the sports experience.

However, there is hope because of organizations like Catholic Athletes for Christ (CAC). Founded in 2006, Catholic Athletes for Christ works to develop, foster and cultivate Catholic athletes “who are committed and dedicated to spreading the Gospel in their sports environments” and to create a global community of Catholic athletes. Its mission is to serve Catholic athletes and share the Gospel of Christ in and through athletic. Its goal is to provide an integrated network of sports-oriented clergy and lay people to serve Catholic athletes, coaches, and staff in the practice of their faith and to utilize the unique platform given to them to reach the world for Jesus Christ and his Church. Its vision is to develop and promote solid Catholic role models; to work with the Church leadership and Catholic organizations; to minister to Catholic athletes, coaches, and staff; to reverse the moral crisis in sports today; to create a network of Catholic athletes, coaches, and staff, and to organize sports conferences, pilgrimages, retreats, and days of reflection.

According to CAC, good sportsmanship is the virtue of treating others with dignity and respect in sporting events; winning with graciousness and losing with dignity and honor. The goal of good sportsmanship, the CAC states, “is to seek to compete to the best of our ability, treating ourselves, our fellow teammates, and our competitors with dignity and honor. Our behavior should reflect at all times that of Christ and our demeanor speak to the value of healthy competition. Instead of looking for the easy way to win or resort to cheating, being a good sport means that there are no short cuts to victory.”

Demanding that there should no politicization of sports in any way due to its polarization of the fan base, and understanding sportsmanship in the way that the CAC does, league officials, owners of professional sports teams, and players should embrace this model if they wish to win back their fans any time soon. The politicization of sports combined with a stunning lack of sportsmanship by players yields no winners.