What Was The Role Of Sports In The 1960's

During the 1960’s, America was dealing with a lot of different issues. The U.S.A. was in the midst of a world war and the civil rights movement was gaining momentum within the nation. A majority of the movement was being led by civil rights activists like Martin Luther King, later to be joined by influential figures in the world of sports. Americans had varying opinions on the role of athletes during the 1960’s, but most agreed on the fact that they should be patriotic and represent the unity of America. The civil rights movement continued to remain a conflict of interest in the U.S.A, which coupled with the rise of black assertiveness sparked leaders to hold athletes accountable and ensure that they were representing America in a respectful
and patriotic manor. Americans believed that the role of athletes was to promote patriotism and refrain from bringing politics into the world of sports.
Cassius Clay perfectly fit the framework of what Americans saw as the proper role of athletes during the 1960’s. Clay struggled academically, and he accepted the fact that he was not going to thrive in any profession that involved an advanced degree. Inspired by sports icons like Sugar Ray Robinson, Clay turned to boxing and dedicated his time and talent to the sport. Cassius Clay became a gym rat, which helped him find the success that he could not attain in school. One aspect Clay possessed that many other boxers did not is that he genuinely loved the sport. Even though he had an unorthodox style of boxing, he loved the technicality involved in the sport and they way each boxer had to manipulate their skills to beat the opponent. Clay’s enthusiasm for the sport is what fascinated his fans. One of Clay’s competitors, Sonny Liston, did not have this same passion for boxing. Ultimately, Liston boxed just to beat the hell out of any one of his competitors. Liston was “an ex-convict who was thought by many to be invincible because of his devastating one round knockouts of former champion Floyd Patterson” (Early, 267). When it was announced that Clay and Liston would fight, many people thought Clay wouldn’t stand much of a chance. However, Clay went on to beat Liston easily in a 7 round fight, which paired with his 1960 Olympic gold medal granted him the honor of being one of the greatest boxers in the world. As he continued to achieve success, Clay became one of the most well known and followed athletes in America. Not only was he popular for his skills in the ring, many followers were attracted by his charisma, his smile and his patriotism. When asked about the controversial race situation in America, Clay responded saying, “I’m not worried about that problem. To me, the U.S.A. is still the best country in the world” (Early, 265). Americans adored this kind of patriotism and leadership in the sports world. At the time, Clay exemplified the true characteristics of an American athlete through his passion and patriotism.
As the Civil Rights Movement progressed, Americans' views of Clay shifted as he began to stray from his previous nature. Americans believed that athletes were expected to be hard working, patriotic, and serve as icons for the rest of society. Sports were not a place for protest or radicalism; they were an escape for people to enjoy watching their American athletes succeed. With the civil rights movement gaining momentum in America, black assertiveness became prominent among athletes like Cassius Clay. One act that shocked America was when Clay announced that he joined the Nation of Islam (NOI) after defeating Liston. Clay also made it known that he had not only joined the NOI, but he had also changed his name to Mohammad Ali. Many Americans were fearful of what would happen now that Ali had joined the NOI. “The NOI was largely seen, mistakenly so, as an antiwhite hate group, something similar to the Ku Klux Klan, with its benefits in racial separation, white racial inferiority, and Allah’s ultimate decent into human history to right all the racial wrongs” (Early, 269). People were afraid of the NOI largely because of what their motives were. The NOI was not trying to unite the nation, which was the purpose of the civil rights movement, rather the NOI believed in the separation of races. Now that Ali had been converted, many began to question his patriotism. Ali’s reputation was beginning to diminish and Americans began to see the NOI as an even bigger threat than before.
Mohammad Ali’s reputation may have been weakened after he announced his allegiance to the NOI, yet even more people began to question his patriotism after he refused to serve in the military.
While most Americans did not approve of Ali joining the NOI, refusing to join the military was very offensive to Americans during this time of war. “It must be understood that in the 1960’s, most men had served in the military and thought it was something that everyone should be willing to do” (Early, 271). Americans were appalled that Ali refused to serve because it was the norm for every American man. By refusing to join the military, Ali portrayed himself as someone who was not willing to fight for America. Many were also worried about how this would affect other young black kids who were followers of Ali. If they saw their hero refusing to serve, it is likely that these kids would elect not to participate in the war as well. America decided to act because they knew that Ali’s denial to serve would affect a number of other black kids who were needed in order to protect the country. To punish Mohammad Ali for his refusal to serve in the military, the federal court stripped him of his boxing license and Ali was prohibited from boxing for the next 3 years. Having to go 3 years without being able to compete eventually led to the end of Ali’s boxing career. Mohammad Ali’s license was reinstated in Georgia in 1970, but he was not the same boxer as before. He took more physical
punishment in the ring which led to dire consequences as he aged. It is America that ended Ali’s boxing career. Americans were expecting Ali to fight in the war, and by failing to do so led the federal court to punish him. This showed the rest of America that black assertiveness would not be tolerated in this country and that every person should be a devoted patriot to the U.S.A.
Mohammad Ali was not the only athlete who provoked black assertiveness in the 1960’s, many other athletes like Tommie Smith and John Carlos also brought this issue to their respective sports.
Tommie Smith and John Carlos were members of the U.S.A. Olympic track and field team. While many people may not recall which events they ran at the 1968 Olympics, few have forgotten the stance they made atop the podium with the rest of the world watching. After taking the gold and the silver medals in the 200-meter dash, these two men received their medals and took their respective spots on the podium for the playing of the National Anthem as a symbol of honor and praise for these American athletes. However, instead of choosing to respect the ceremony, these men made a protest by raising their fists in the air instead of placing their hand over their heart. While Smith and Carlos believed that the fists stood for black power and unity, many Americans saw this as a salute to the Black Panther Party. Most Americans were afraid of the Black Panthers because of their threats to use violence and any means possible to end the racial separation in America. The Black Panthers believed in a much more aggressive form of protesting than Martin Luther King and many of the other civil rights leaders were promoting. Seeing Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising their fists in the air at the medal ceremony instilled fear in Americans as many began to question what was to come of the civil rights
movement. While these athletes were attempting to draw attention to the issues of race in he U.S.A., Americans were concerned with the nature of this protest and how black assertiveness would gain momentum in the future.
Olympic athletes were expected to act in a specific way to help portray the unity and patriotism of our country. The actions taken by Tommie Smith and John Carlos were extremely radical and they were not well received by Americans. Most Americans were not concerned about why these men took a stance, “what bothered people was where it was done, how it was done, and most important, who it was done by – young dummies, black athletes who had not graduated from college” (Smith, 175). These men were expected to be patriotic and represent the U.S.A. in an honorable way, yet they neglected to follow these parameters. Americans wanted to see their athletes show patriotism like fellow Olympian George Foreman. What Foreman did was he showed patriotism by parading the American flag around the ring after he won the gold medal. According to Smith, “America ate it up” (Smith, 181). They loved seeing an athlete win and show their pride and honor for their country. Smith claims that “Foreman, a thug and thief, thought that by allowing him to fight for his country at the Olympics, America had done him a favor. He (Foreman) felt like he had to thank America” (Smith, 181). Smith was not impressed by Foreman’s flag act because he felt that it was all for show. Foreman had won over America by simply waving a flag after a modest victory, and Tommie Smith and John Carlos had been exiled for their attempt to draw attention to a major issue that exists in the U.S.A.
In America, athletes were look at as symbols of pride and patriotism during a time where the nation and the rest of the world seemed to be divided. Americans believed that the role of athletes was to represent the unity of the U.S.A. and show the rest of the world how great our nation truly is. As athletes joined the civil rights movement and black assertiveness became more popular, America decided that athletes must be patriotic or they will not compete for America. The role of every athlete in American society was to be patriotic and represent the unity and fertility of the U.S.A.