Anxiety over the Election Is Mirroring Anxiety over Football

If there is one thing just about every single American can agree on, it is that we all cannot wait for this election to be over. In fact, a recent poll found that four out of five Americans wish it was over and nearly three-fourths said the election is causing stress. This disillusionment with our political system is creating crippling distrust in our political leaders and the mass media we rely on for information.

I think a similar disillusionment is permeating the sport of football, exhibited most pointedly in the much-discussed decline in television ratings. A regular dose of negative headlines about domestic violence, drug use, race relations, and concussions, combined with the perception of abusive and inconsistent use of league authority has created a similar sense of disillusionment regarding football that is so obvious in our political system.

Of course, football used to be a sanctuary for fans — a place where they could escape the anxieties of work and politics. But now, many of the same issues they face outside of football are becoming part of the sport’s daily narrative. With their sanctuary corrupted, frustration boils and disillusionment takes root.

Nothing demonstrates this frustration among fans more than their reactions on social media when players, coaches, or folks in sports media speak out about any of these pertinent issues, which is usually in the form of #StickToSports. Of course, nothing precludes an athlete or sports reporter from talking about these things. We would never tell someone else to #StickToNursing, #StickToTeaching, or #StickToPlumbing. Our opinions matter just like everyone else’s.

But I understand their frustration. They do not want us addressing these divisive issues because we are corrupting something that is sacred to them. Historically, football provided an escape from these issues, and now it is reflecting them.

Some may argue that this is a good thing; that we, as a society, must confront these ills head on instead of seeking refuge from them. As convenient as it is to avoid serious issues, it is healthier to talk about their existence and what needs to be done to solve them.

Luckily for all of us, the election will soon be over (or at least we can hope). Campaign commercials will no longer be blanketing the airwaves. Profane revelations and vitriolic accusations will no longer dominate headlines every day. And though anxiety over politics may still remain, it will not be as acute as it is today.

But the issues creating this disillusionment around football, however, are not going away on their own. The issue of concussions will remain. There will likely be more cases of domestic violence and drug use. Racial tension will not disappear.

For players, leading by example will be our contribution to the future of our sport, not by staying silent out of fear of backlash or retribution.

We must have open, public, and positive dialogues with each other about issues we find important. We should not expect to resolve all our problems, but we must address them and speak honestly about them. We need to instill the lessons from the locker room and the playing field — having each other’s back, no matter our differences or disagreements — in our daily lives and interactions. We need to build a sense of humility — if we win, we celebrate for a few hours and then get to work on preparing for the next game; if we lose, we don’t complain about the results or call the game rigged.

Or in other words, look at how are our political leaders have addressed the anxieties around the election (by flaming them), and do the opposite.