Symbolism and Representation in American Athletes

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Sports have always been a reflection of society, so naturally the many issues that occur in sports also appear on a larger scale throughout the world. As progress continues to materialize in the sports world, certain athletes, teams, and sports media workers have transcended their careers in sports and have become symbols of issues present far beyond athletics. Although the symbolism was not always by choice, the public needed heroes and iconic figures within sports in order to make progress on many fronts. Representation in sports became widespread as successful gay athletes acted as a symbol for the community and paved the way for the acceptance of queer people in sports, female sports journalists became representative of the fight for equality between men and women through the implementation of Title IX, and many individual athletes and teams became symbols of national pride during geopolitical and societal turmoil. 

In the twentieth century, homophobia in American sports was rampant, and elite queer athletes became models of strength while blazing new trails for future gay athletes. It is no secret that sports were “a receptive site for forming relationships and creating a shared culture,” which attracted lesbian and gay athletes seeking community (Cahn p187). However, the presence of queer athletes in a heteronormative society was not widely accepted which resulted in isolation, confusion, and ridicule for any athlete questioning their sexuality. According to Coming On Strong, “the postwar lesbian and gay presence evoked a hatred and disgust far beyond what one might expect,” forcing queer athletes to hide their identity. Things began to slowly change, however, with the emergence of female California tennis star, Billie Jean King. Billie Jean King quickly became an incredibly accomplished, record-breaking tennis player throughout the 1960s and 1970s. She was widely admired and became a representative for women everywhere in her historic defeat of Bobby Riggs in “The Battle of the Sexes”. In 1981, Billie Jean King was outed as a lesbian by a former hairdresser and her public image changed dramatically– she lost numerous sponsorships and monetary opportunities, and became an outsider in her own career. But, she was one of the only open lesbians in the sports world at the time and people began “calling [her] a symbol or a leader or a radical feminist” (Reiss 351). While this likely was not her goal, in retrospect, she paved the way for many more queer athletes to feel comfortable in their identity within their sport.

 Following in the footsteps of Billie Jean King, Jason Collins, an NBA center, became the first openly gay male athlete in any American professional sport in 2013. In his coming out statement featured in Sports Illustrated, he writes, “I’m a veteran, and I’ve earned the right to be heard. I’ll lead by example and show that gay players are no different from straight ones. I’m not the loudest person in the room, but I'll speak up when something isn’t right” (Collins 2013). Jason Collins decided he not only wanted to live to his true identity, but also to start the conversation surrounding the acceptance of queer people in professional athletics. Both Billie Jean King and Jason Collins, though not the first gay athletes, became symbols of queer pride in sports. They became proof that anyone can excel athletically, no matter their sexuality, and their stories represent many struggles faced by queer people worldwide. 

In addition to queer athletes breaking societal barriers, female sports journalists had to fight for equality, even following the passing of Title IX in 1972. In the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, women in sports media were continually outcasts in their careers and were not given equal access to athletes of the sports they were covering. Title IX states that, “no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied from, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance” (Reiss 351). Despite this law going into effect, women were still not allowed to enter the locker room for athlete interviews alongside their male colleagues. The ESPN documentary film series, Nine for IX, episode 3, “Let Them Wear A Towel,” discusses the locker room exclusion, and one woman states with frustration, “half of the human race is shut out from this profession for no good reason” (Nine for IX, 2013). It was true. Women working as sports journalists were being ostracized for the sole reason that they were women. So, in 1977, a female reporter for Sports Illustrated, Melissa Ludtke, successfully sued Major League Baseball for access to the Yankee’s locker room, on the grounds of employment discrimination based on sex. In her statement she wrote, “it is the function of my job to be able to go in there and interview players,” and the league was “depriving her of the opportunity to cover baseball to the same extent as her male colleagues and competitors'' (Carmody, 1977). 

Additionally, the women who were granted access to the locker rooms were victims of constant harassment and inappropriate behavior from the athletes. Jane Gross, one of the female sports reporters, knew which players didn’t mind women in the locker room and said, “I don’t approach a player who minds'' (Carmody, 1977). In 1990, a female reporter named Lisa Olsen was sexually harassed by New England Patriots players while conducting interviews in the locker room, and sued the organization following the incident. Her story made headlines, and not in a good way. The abuse, threats, and backlash Lisa Olsen received following the locker room harassment led her to transfer to Australia. Being a woman in the sports industry was not an easy job during this time, but these women continued steadfast with their careers and proved they deserve a seat at the same table as the men with the exact same job. The women featured in the film documentary, especially Melissa Ludtke, became role models for other women in the industry as well as aspiring female sports journalists. Without the progress made by female sports journalists in the late 1900s, the sports industry would continue to be an extremely isolating and limiting career path for women.

Finally, athletes have become symbols in a much larger arena when sports have been used as political statements in both international relations and internal affairs– often even when the athletes did not want to be politically involved. Because sports are universally understood and internationally played, it was not unusual for athletic events to be a platform bringing attention to greater societal events. In 1980, during what’s known as “Miracle on Ice,” the United States Hockey Team felt the impact of sports and politics intersecting. In the midst of the Cold War, the United States played the Soviet Union in hockey during the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, and after the US victory, “The US hockey team had been propelled into the national and international spotlight” (Reiss 478). These incredibly talented collegiate athletes became a symbol of American superiority for the Carter administration, and were used to restore hope in the increasingly hopeless country. It “gave the United States… a reason to celebrate” (Reiss 479). Although these young men had no interest in being involved in political conflict and just wanted to play a hockey game, they represented much more than just a game. 

Individual athletes also used their skill as a voice to project concerns regarding American issues, and became symbols of not only the country but also the movements in which they aligned with. For example, before the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, there was a proposed boycott to address the plethora of controversies present in sports. They essentially demanded racial inclusion in many aspects of sports including ending membership bans at the New York Athletic Club, hiring a black track and field coach, reinstating Muhammad Ali’s title, and removing Avery Brundage as president of the Olympic committee. Although many athletes still attended the Olympics, two black American track and field athletes, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, made a statement heard around the world. They chose to “use sport as a platform to draw attention to racial discrimination and injustice” (Brown 11/17/22). As the national anthem was being played following the medal ceremony, both Smith and Carlos raised a black-gloved fist. This became known as a “black power salute” as well as a “human rights salute.” This act was part of the Revolt of the Black Athlete movement organized by Harry Edwards, and drew an international spotlight to an internal American problem. Tommie Smith and John Carlos became symbols of the Revolt of the Black Athlete movement and represented the fight to end discrimination in the United States. 

There is a prolific history of symbolization and representation in sports, and athletes, teams, and industry workers act as instruments to make progress in society. Often change doesn’t come quickly or without a long fight, but the original trailblazers are to be heralded for paving the way for others to follow in their paths. With the 2022 Men’s World Cup, there has been a similar intersection of politics, human rights, and sports, and it is clear that many teams are not only making political statements but also representing the fight for tolerance and global change. As seen from Billie Jean King in the 1970s, spanning to sports in the modern age, it is evident that sports have the unique ability to transcend the games and represent a cause much larger than just athletics.

Sources:

Coming On Strong- Susan Cahn

Major Problems in American Sport History- Steven Reiss

“I’m a 34-year-old NBA Center. I’m Black. And I’m Gay”- Jason Collins

Nine for IX, episode 3: Let Them Wear Towels

“Female Reporter Sues Over Locker-Room Ban”- Deirdre Carmody

“Struggles Are Similar To Those of the 70’s”- Robert McG. Thomas Jr.