Political Science/Sports Sports and Politics 1/20/22

Political Science & Sports

Sports and Politics: At the Intersection of Two American Pastimes and Passions

From kneeling to first pitches and raised clenched fists, the bond between sports and U.S. politics is as complex as it is undeniable. Recent events, most notably athletes taking a knee during the national anthem, have brought renewed attention to the question: Should politics be involved in collegiate and professional athletics in the U.S.? “The reality is that there is a long and mutually constitutive relationship between the two,” says Political Science Professor Courtenay W. Daum. Join Daum in this two-session course that offers a deep dive into that relationship. In the first meeting, understand how politicians use sports and athletes to advance their agendas (e.g., President Carter’s decision to boycott the 1980 Summer Olympic Games and President Bush’s first pitch at the World Series after 9/11) and the increased political mobilization, legislation and litigation around the NCAA’s treatment of student athletes. In session two, examine how individual athletes, franchises and sport federations utilize their fame and platforms to advance their political goals and register their discontents (e.g., Muhammad Ali refusing induction into the Army and Colin Kaepernick’s protests against police brutality). American athletes have used their positions to draw attention to their political priorities, some with great success and others at great personal cost. Come away with a better understanding of each side’s playbook!

Two Zoom sessions

Thur., Jan. 20, 27, 2022, 6:30–8:30 pm MT ENRICH 0586 / $70

Courtenay W. Daum teaches in the Political Science Department and the Center for Women’s Studies and Gender Research at Colorado State University. Daum researches the interaction between law and society, including LGBTQ politics, intersectional and feminist legal theories and organized interest mobilization and litigation.