Sports or society?
No one should ever be forced to ask themselves this question. Sports exist within human society and because of it, and both are at their best when they work together and support each other.
Most of us are casually able to ignore societal connections with sports. The vast majority of sports cater to very specific fan bases, so none mobilize our popular morality against any of their evils. That is central to understanding why progress to tackle many of the injustices in sports is so slow. The Kansas City Chiefs and their indigenous-appropriating name have their share of critics, but only a third of Americans watch football, let alone care about the Chiefs’ name. That goes for coach misconduct, mental health support and countless other obvious but apathy-laden issues.
But what if there was a sporting event that united the people of the world, that could spur our collective consciousness into action to make sports into the social force we all know they can be? What if the Olympics were in February? And what if they were in China?
Those last two questions are a reality, the first perhaps wishful thinking. The 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing present a new set of questions for athletes, networks, viewers and diplomats alike. Is it right to hold the Olympics in an authoritarian dictatorship that abuses its global economic power to hold the world hostage against speaking out about its repeated human rights violations? Can we all hold hands around the fire of the global community while the populations of Tibet, Xinjiang and Hong Kong are crushed with China’s iron fist? Play or stand? Sports or society?
Usually the answer to this question is simple: athletes have a responsibility to use their platform for good. But a straight-up-and-down athlete boycott of the Beijing games may ultimately punish athletes more than it does China. Many of them trained much of their life for this moment, and it gives China far too much credit to discount these athletes’ hard work and dedication.
An athlete boycott from the U.S. is both unrealistic and questionable in how much effect it would have. Smaller nations, especially those benefiting from China’s Belt and Road Initiative, do not have the luxury of openly defying China like the U.S. could. The move would likely isolate American athletes more than it would isolate China. What, then, can be done? It’s not an easy question to answer, but the most doable thing from an American perspective would be a diplomatic boycott, something that it seems China might force the U.S. into. That is a solid geopolitical slap on the wrist but isn’t likely to make a real dent. Then again, nothing short of outright cancellation of the games probably would, in the short term.
The battle, then, needs to be about awareness of China’s human rights abuses. The key lies in the coverage of the games for international audiences. China will do what it can to suppress any mention of their violations, but commercial spots, athlete speeches on air and live interviews will be hard to censor. China will come after networks, but if athletes are to be expected to mobilize their platforms for good, it's time that those who that profit off their achievements show some backbone too.
