Arizona Sports takes a Blow - Many like myself believe politics and sports shouldn't mix. But with everything that's been going on in the state of Arizona, it was only a matter of time before the two crossed paths. With the states new immigration law set to take place come August, the world of sports will surely feel an impact, especially baseball. How so? Today, close to 30% of Major Leaguers and 48% of Minor Leaguers are born outside of the United States. Most of which are from a Hispanic background. And for those who live and play in or around the state of Arizona will soon be familiar with the new immigration law if they aren't already. The law states that you could be pulled over starting in August and asked for documentation if police think you're a person of suspicion.
With the MLB All-Star game set to take place in Anaheim, California this season in July, the torch is expected to be handed down to Arizona in 2011. The Arizona Diamondbacks who have been in existence since 1998, are yet to host an All-Star Game. And with the states new law at hand, many think commissioner Bud Selig should take a stand by moving the game's mid-summer classic out of Arizona. If so, the voice of the MLB as a whole would be heard. Either direction Selig decides to take, one side is going to be left offended. Whether it's the state of Arizona by taking the game elsewhere, or the Latin players for keeping it there. It's basically a pick your poison type of situation. But baseball isn't the only sport aware of the state's immigration law. The NBA is also doing its part.
With the Phoenix Suns hosting and battling it out with the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Semifinals, the team that calls Arizona its home decided to wear their 'Los Suns' uniforms on Cinco De Mayo in protest and in honor of the team's "Latino community, diversity of the league, the state of Arizona and our nation", says Suns team owner Robert Sarvar. Personally, I like the approach the Suns have taken with the whole jersey thing, considering it's the safest and smartest thing to do in response of the new immigration law. Prior to game 2 of the Suns-Spurs series, Phoenix's star player and 2-time league MVP Steve Nash who is also a foreigner, spoke out and expressed his disagreement with the law on ESPN's Pardon The Interruption. Hours before tip off, the visiting San Antonio Spurs were also planning to wear their Latin inspired uniforms which read 'Los Spurs' across the chest, but didn't receive them on time.
With the NFL still in its offseason, it'll be interesting to see what commissioner Roger Goodell decides to do, if anything. With the University of Phoenix Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals football team already checked off the list for hosting Super Bowl XLII in February of 2008, It's unlikely the state of Arizona will be hosting the event anytime soon. Because if they were, transferring the nations most watched sporting event wouldn't be out of the question considering it's been done before. The state of Arizona owns a dark past in familiar situations as the National Football League pulled the plug on the Super Bowl in 1993. Arizona had plans to hold its first Super Bowl in the history of the state, until the late Evan Mecham who was governor of Arizona at the time, decided that Martin Luther King Day had been "illegally certified" as a national holiday. Mecham refused to acknowledge the holiday as such in his state, resulting in the NFL's decision. Mecham would later find himself impeached and removed from office a year later.
No comments:
Post a Comment