Tuesday, November 2, 2004
Athletes’ Endorsements Get No Votes
Curt Schilling earned my respect during the World Series. He played gutsy and literally left everything he had on the field. He played injured out of his dedication to his teammates and fans and, in the process, became one of the greatest postseason stories in sports history. Red Sox fans will forever remember his heroics. A day after the World Series win, I lost the respect I had for Schilling when he told the nation on "Good Morning America" that he was endorsing President George W. Bush in today's election.
Schilling didn't lose my respect because he's voting for George Bush -- that isn't important. What is important is his belief that he is an expert political analyst who knows who the country should vote for. Schilling recorded a phone message for voters in three key swing states encouraging voters to cast ballots for his guy.
In his phone message to voters, Schilling said, "These past couple of weeks, Sox fans trusted me when it was my turn on the mound. Now you can trust me on this: President Bush is the right leader for our country," according to a transcript from the Bush campaign.
Schilling is trivializing one of the greatest comebacks in sports by asking voters to vote for his candidate. Make no mistake, the fans owe Schilling big-time. He won them the World Series, so what have they done for him lately (well, besides treating him like a god and giving him millions of dollars)? Curt has cleared up a difficult election for the nation. Voters no longer have to think for themselves, Curt Schilling has told them what to think. When voters go to the polls, they should forget what is best for them and their families, and instead, vote for Schilling -- er, Bush!
The fact of the matter is that Curt Schilling should be ashamed of himself. While he apologized for his comments on "Good Morning America," he didn't say anything about his phone message. Schilling needs to realize that he isn't a political analyst; he is simply lucky people like to watch baseball.
Grant Hill was lauded by a writer for the Orlando Sentinel when he spoke out for Kerry at a rally earlier in October. While this isn't as controversial as Schilling trying to capitalize on a World Series win, this is still wrong. The writer praised Grant Hill for having the courage to take a stand and being one of the only athletes to care more about social, rather than commercial, impact.
"Like any other citizen, athletes are entitled to keep their views private. It's just sad when the silence is based on the wallet, not the heart. The overriding concern these days is not to hurt your marketability ... It's not that there are no conscientious athletes out there. But given the choice of having a commercial impact or a social impact, most will take the sneaker contract and run." - David Whitley, Orlando Sentinel, October 17.
This is a blatant generalization of athletes, and a poor one at that. David Whitley dismisses the billions of dollars athletes have given to charities and have invested in communities. He dismisses the social impact of having players speak at schools about the importance of education and reading. Apparently, the only way to take a stand is to proclaim your allegiance to one side or the other.
I am all for athletes taking stands on issues. If it is something they really believe in and something they are knowledgeable about, I am fine with it. I think it's terrific that so many athletes have stepped up this election by encouraging and educating people on the importance of voting. When athletes encourage people to vote, they are truly embracing their status as role models to fans. They overstep their bounds, however, when they abuse a platform given to them by fans by pushing their own agenda on the people that have given them so much.
Whitley accuses athletes of staying quiet on presidential issues as a way of making more money. He doesn't acknowledge the ramifications of statements similar to those made by Bears linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer.
"And I tell everybody in the locker room; it makes no sense for anybody making the money an NFL player does to vote for a Democrat," he said. "The first thing Kerry is going to do is hike the tax rate up on the highest tax bracket and cost everybody in here a large chunk of change."
These aren't exactly the words a role model, yet Hillenmeyer can hardly be blamed. Elections are always going to be a case of people voting for what's best for their families and friends, which is precisely why it's a decision that needs to be thought about by everyone, instead of merely "trusting" Curt Schilling.
If an athlete is asked who he is voting for, I don't have a problem with him answering. It should be a situation of "don't ask, don't tell." I have a problem once athletes abuse their position to start promoting their candidate. This is a dangerous trend, and it will quickly turn into a slippery slope if it continues.
How long will it be before athletes are paid for their endorsements of presidential candidates? To some athletes, it would be just like endorsing a pair of shoes or endorsing McDonald's. While such instances would be the same to athletes, the situation is far more complex.
Some of the blame lies with people that would be influenced by this, but more of the blame lies with the athlete abusing his status as a role model. The fact of the matter, however, is that people have a lot more at stake when choosing a president than when they are choosing Gatorade over Powerade. People need to look at the issues and decide what is best for them, not what is best for some athlete-turned-political shill.
Besides, many people turn to sports to get away from the outside world. For people inundated with election coverage and propaganda in the news, they know they can turn to sports to get away from it. Sports can bring together so many people, even during the most divisive times in our country. At games, fans are, and should be, divided by teams, not political affiliation.
People should vote based on what is best for them and their families, not on who they cheer for.
Mark Chalifoux is also a weekly columnist for SportsFan Magazine. His columns appear every Tuesday on Sports Central. You can e-mail Mark at [email protected].