ABSTRACT
Sport is a powerful political symbol that represents regions and nations, it serves as a political stage, and sporting events themselves can make political statements. Political connections to sport are traced back to 1910 when William Howard Taft started the tradition of the presidential “first pitch,” and to 1918 when The Star-Spangled Banner was first played at a national sports event. The Rugby World Cup of 1995 in South Africa, the kneeling during the national anthem at NFL games, and the response to police shootings in 2020 are shown as examples of how sport can make important political statements. The chapter analyzes how the Mexico City Olympics of 1968 and the Munich Games of 1972 were used as political stages. The legislative oversight of sports is examined and the regulation of broadcasting by the Federal Communications Commission is outlined. In addition, the author explains how rulings by the US Supreme Court have dramatically changed how fans can interact with sports and increased the number of live events that networks can televise.
