Politics don’t belong in sports

The state of United States politics is a bit chaotic right now. I know that is quite the understatement, given what is going on currently.

I have never been politically driven, and I honestly try to avoid the mess that always seems to surround it.

But, I love sports (obviously).

Unfortunately, recent incidents have meshed the two, and I’m not even a little bit happy about it.

Thursday, at the 4 Nations Face-Off in Montreal, Canada, Canadian hockey fans loudly booed the National Anthem when it played.

And, it wasn’t the first time they have done it.

In recent weeks, National Hockey League fans in Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver did the same, apparently in response to President Donald Trump’s announcement of plans to implement crippling tariffs on Canadian goods and making a comment about annexing Canada to make it our 51st state.

I can understand that Canadians were not happy about either of those things, however, politics has no place in sports.

I know that we sing, or play, the National Anthem at the beginning of sporting events, which could be argued is a political statement, however, that is not necessarily the purpose.

It’s about respect for the United States, not our current political agenda.

The playing of the anthem began during the seventh-inning stretch of game one of the World Series on Sept. 5, 1918. It was about honoring our fallen soldiers in World War I. Some say we still play it to honor all who have served, some say we play it to honor the totality of the American experience.

And here’s the thing, Finland and Canada each played their national anthems at the tournament as well. As they should because it is their right to do so.

It’s like playing the school song at games. Should schools not be able to do that, or should opponents be free to boo the school songs?

Whether you like Donald Trump or not, whether you like the United States in general or not, you need to show respect for your opponent, regardless of the level in which you are competing.

Sports isn’t about politics. It’s about the pure art of competition and rising to the challenge. It’s about giving your all and being the best possible self you can be in your sporting arena.

When you take that away, the whole reason to play seems to cease to exist.

That’s not the sport I want to waste any time watching.

What it really comes down to, again, is that politics doesn’t belong in the sporting arena.