The Sports World meets the Real World
NBA, MLB respond to Arizona’s controversial Bill 1070
Last week the state of Arizona made headlines with the passing of Bill 1070, giving law enforcement officials the right to ask for immigration papers at their own discretion. The bill, which is aimed largely toward Arizona’s burgeoning Hispanic community, evokes memories of the deportation of Jews in Nazi-occupied Poland throughout the 1930s and while it’s nowhere near as catastrophic, it paves the way for potential violations of fundamental human freedoms. What, then, is a politically driven story of this magnitude doing within the confines of the sports section? I’ve always been firmly entrenched in the ‘sports is merely another form of entertainment, and little more’ camp. Those who infuse some sort of ‘real world’ importance to what happens in the world of sports do so at their own discretion, and often tend to over-analyze the actions of grown men who make a living playing children’s games. Yet, in the days following the controversial decision, the sports world, particularly the National Basketball Association, made the kind of meaningful stand against Arizona’s seemingly anti-Hispanic sentiments that we can feel comfortable analyzing and applauding.
On May 6, three days after Bill 1070 was passed, the Phoenix Suns played game 2 of their second-round series versus the San Antonio Spurs wearing their alternate “Los Suns” jerseys. The jerseys have been worn numerous times throughout the past few years as part of the NBA’s attempt to acknowledge their large Hispanic fan base. Other teams that have participated in the past include the Spurs (Los Spurs). But in the wake of Bill 1070, the Suns’ decision was more than a cash-grab aimed toward Latino fans (which it normally is), instead supporting a community that is integral to the social fabric of the United States. The decision was prompted by Suns owner Robert Sarver, who grew up in New Mexico, and was approved by NBA commissioner David Stern. The NBA, under Sterns’ supervision, has been a leader in confronting social issues, so it comes as no surprise that the league would make a powerful statement like this. Never mind that, if we’re nitpicking, the jerseys should have read “Los Sol”; having the support of a multi-billion dollar company should mean something to those affected by the bill.
Shortly following the Suns-Spurs game, many Major League Baseball players publicly voiced their disgust with Bill 1070. One of which was San Diego Padres first basemen Adrian Gonzalez, who plays in a city with the largest Hispanic population in baseball. Gonzalez said that he planned to boycott the 2011 All-Star game, which is slated to be played in Scottsdale’s Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks. It’s one thing for the NBA to take a stand against Arizona’s decision, but if MLB players begin to boycott games as well, that's when real problems will begin; Hispanic players account for over 60 per cent of MLB athletes, including many of the league’s biggest stars, which includes Gonzalez. In 1990, the Super Bowl was moved from Arizona to Los Angeles as a response to Arizona’s horrid decision at the time to remain the only state to not recognize Martin Luther King’s birthday as a holiday. The NFL did the right thing then, and looking forward it will be interesting to see what ramifications the world of sports has planned for the state of Arizona.
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