Sport and Politics

Sports try there hardest to keep politics and the government out of their managment. But the politcs have been intertwined with sports whether people know it or not. This is mainly found when a country hosts the olympic games. In class on Feburary 24, 2011, we learned about all of the olympic games that had a form of political stress to them. One of the most popular Olympic games that had a significant politcal event that happened before or during them is the 1936 Summer Olympic games hosted in Berlin, Germany. These games are sometimes known as "Hitlers" olympics. During these olympics Adolf Hitler was going to show the world of his belief of Aryan Supremacy. He shook the hands of all the white athletes and but ignored the black. But to spoil his beliefs Jesse Owens of the United States won 4 gold medals in track and field.
Acorrding to an article found from the New York Times, it showed an instance when sports and politics should combine. Over in Europe, a soccer match was played between Manchester United and Europe XI to demonstrate how the two have grown together.This match is not only to celebrate the 50th anniversery of Manchester United's participation in European football but also marks the 50th anniversery of the signing of the Treaty of Rome to show that the European Union is still growing. They played to a sell out crowd of 72,000 people, was televised in 15 countries, and they are playing to in aid of charities to help benefit children. This is an example of how politics and sports can work together to help the country. The NBA did something similar to this when they put on a game during the offseason to help benifet the victims of Huricane Katrina. When an organization uses what it already has to help the country it is spectacular and shows that people are willing to show that they care for their country and for the other people who live in it. If politics and the government decides to make their own rule book is when I think it is crossing the line.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/12/sports/12iht-soccer.4885683.html